Hebrews 3

Hebrews 3:1-10

14. 1. PC. xcv. 7. Chap. iv. 7. 2. i. a. Jerman. Saddl. vv. 43. 3. Rev. xix. 4. Or. a libsation.

15. L ET us therefore, fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, ‘As I have sworn in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wife,’ And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached’ entred not in because of unbelief: 7. Again, he limiterth a certain day, saying in David, To-day, after so long a time; as it is said, ‘To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8. For if ye Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10. For he that is entred into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

The apostle, in the view of the foregoing observations,

1. Exhorts them to holy jealoufy. Let us fear therefore for ourselves, lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest, into a state of happy peace with God here, and the eternal enjoyment of him hereafter, any of you should give to some short of it; overcome by temptation, apostatizing from your professions, or faulting in your Christian course, so as, like Israel of old, to fall of the promised inheritance. For unto us was the gospel preached, clearly and plainly, as well as unto them, more obscurely in types and figures: but the word preached did not profit them, to any saving purpose; not being mixed with faith in them that heard it, and therefore never incorporated with their hearts, as the food, when digested, affords nourishment to the body. Nor will the gospel profit us any more than it did them, unless it be received by faith into the soul. Note, (1.) The same gospel in substance was preached under the Old Testament as well as the New; and only by faith then, any more than at present, could any man be justified and saved. (2.) The word is preached to multitudes who never profit thereby; for unless the Lord gives the要不然ing ear, and enables us to mix it with faith in our hearts, we hear in vain. (3.) It is a dreadful thing to hear of gospel grace, and yet to come short of it, and perish in our sins. (4.) The way to ensure our entrance into the promised rest, is by confitant watchfulness and holy caution. They who do not fear, will fail.

2. He shews the surpassing excellency of that spiritual rest, to which, unless the gospel, believes are admitted. For our mind have believed do enter into rest, through Christ, having pretext peace with God by virtue of our union with our exalted Head,

and are already set down with him in heavenly places. As he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest; which implied a promise, that true believers should enter into rest; although the works were finished from the foundation of the world, and a sabbatical rest enjoined in consequence thereof. Yet the rest here spoken of is different from that; for he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wife, (Gen. ii. 2.) And God did rest the seventh day from all his works, hallowing it for even after as a day of holy rest; but this was not the rest concerning which God hears unto the Israelites. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest; As I live, faith the Lord, they shall not; which being spoken by David to the people of his own days, could not refer to the land of Canaan, of which for some hundreds of years they had been in possession. Seeing therefore it remaineth, that some must enter therein, as is implied in the very threatening; and they to whom it was first preached, the generality of them at least, entered not in to the typical rest of Canaan, because of their unbelief: Again he limiterth, and fixes a certain day to come, saying in David, (PC xcv. 7, 8.) To-day, after so long a time had elapsed from their settlement in Canaan; as it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden my your hearts, and ye shall enter into the promised rest. Now this must be different from the possession of the land of Canaan; For if Jesus, Joshua, had given them rest, and none farther was to have been expected, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day, as he doth in that Psalm. Since then neither the Sabbath nor the land of Canaan are meant in this passage of scripture, there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God; a rest into which the spiritual Joshua should bring his faithful followers; a pretext, a spiritual rest, through faith in Jesus Christ, far preferable to either of these, and this the earnest and forerable of an eternal rest in glory everlasting. For he that is entered into his rest, the Lord Jesus Christ, since his ascension into heaven, having finished the work of his people’s salvation which he had undertaken, he also hath ceased from his own works, having nothing more to do or suffer as the meritorious cause of their acceptance with God, all being finished on the cross: therefore he rests in glory, as God did rest from his works of creation: and all who believe in Jesus rest with him in the pretext enjoyment of the divine favour, and in their title to eternal blessedness.

11. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing afunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a dissenour of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in an point tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 3:11-14

Such a glorious rest being promised,

1. The apostle exhorts them to secure a part therein. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, in opposition to every fall, courageous and difficulty from sin, Satan, and the world, which may be laid in our way, considering the awful examples above-mentioned, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief, and perish in their sins. Note, The way to heaven is afraid, and the gate narrow: we must strive if we would enter in; the faithful never went to glory.

2. He enforces his exhortation by the strongest argument. For the word of God, the uncreated word, the Son, our Lord, and shortly to be our Judge, is quick, having life in and of himself, and the author of it to all his creatures; powerful in agency, and omnipotent; sharper than any two-edged sword, in his gospel word brought home to the conscience by the operation of the Holy Ghost; piercing even to the dividing afunder of soul and spirit, and of the joint and marrow; entering into the inmost recesses of the heart, carrying the deepest conviction, and working effectually to bring the whole inner man into obedience to himself; and is a dissenour of the thoughts and intents of the heart; intimately acquainted with every secret of the soul. Neither is there any creature, in heaven or in earth, that is not manifest in his sight; nor can their inmost thoughts be laid from him; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do, (yemen and clergymen) As the bestsellers were flayed, laid open, and their intrials inspected with nicest care; so distinctly is every imagination of our hearts bare and exposed to him whose eyes are as a flame of fire, and at whole bar we must shortly give an account. How awakening a consideration! and

and, thearfully yielding themselves to his holy will, take up their woes, and follow the captain of their salvation; and, unless we do this, our hope in him is but delusion.

11. “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered; seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as ‘have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13. For every one that useth milk, + is unfaithful in the word of righteousness: for ‘he is a babe. 14. But strong meat belongs to them that are ? of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised ’ to discern both good and evil.

The apostle pauses for a moment, and stays the further consideration of the subject which he was upon, to introduce a needful rebuke of their dialects and inattention to the great things of God’s word. Having mentioned the second time that remarkable perishage Nelchifolce, he observes, Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, difficult to be understood in themselves, and the more so to you, seeing ye are dull of hearing, faithful and negligent to touch into the sacred oracles, that you might become more deeply acquainted with their important contents. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, considering all the means and advantages which you have enjoyed, ye have need, so little progress have ye made in the school of Christ, that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God, as the child must learn his letters in order to spell and read; and, rather declining than advancing in knowledge, are known such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat, as babes at the bread, instead of that state of manhood to which you should, ere this, have arrived. For every one that useth milk, and cannot relish or digest any thing beyond the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, is unfaithful, and unexperienced as the word of righteousness in the gospel, where Christ’s divine righteousness is revealed, and we are taught how to walk and please God; for such a one is a babe in understanding. But strong meat, the sublimer doctrines of truth, belong to them that are of full age, and may, comparatively, be filled perfect men (reason) men they, who by reason of use, being experimentally acquainted with the blessed gospel, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil, accurate to discover truth and detect errors, and as eager to embrace and pursue the one, as to deceit and avoid the other. Nate, (1.) They who have long enjoyed the richest advantages, are expected to shew proportionable improvement in grace and knowledge. (2.) It is a great grief to ministers, and the sin and shame of their people, that, after years of labour, many of them have yet to learn the first principles of gospel truth. (3.) The Scripture is suited to every state; there is milk for babies, and strong meat for men; it is the wisdom of a minister to be able to divide to every man his portion in due form. (4.) The word of God contains mysterious, wherein the most deep read and experienced have much to learn, whilst the grand truths are plain and obvious, and such as the weakest capacities may comprehend.