THE SAINTS' EVERLASTING REST. HEBREWS, iV. 9. THERE REMAINETH THEREFORE A REST UNTO THE PEOPLE OF GOD CHAPTER I. THE INTRODUCTION TO THE WORK, WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE NA- TURE OF THE SAINTS' REST. The important design of the apostle in the text, to which the author earnestly bespeaks the attention of the reader. The saints' rest de- fined, with a general plan of the work. What this rest presupposes. The author's humble sense ofhis inabilityfully to show what this rest contains. It contains, 1. A ceasing frommeans ofgrace; 2. A per- fectfreedom from all evils; 3. The highest degree of the saints' per- sonal perfection, both in body and soul ; 4. The nearest enjoyment of God the chief good; 5. A sweet and constant action ofall the powers ofsoul and body in this enjoyment of God ; as, for instance, bodily senses, knowledge, memory, love, joy, together with amutual love and joy. IT was not only our interest in God, and actual enjoy- ment of him, which was lost in Adam's fall, but all spiritual knowledge of him, and true disposition toward such a felicity. When the Son of God comes with reco- vering grace, and discoveries of a spiritual and eternal happiness and glory, he finds not faith in man to believe it. As the poor man, that would not believe any one had such a sum as a hundred pounds, it was so far above what himself possessed, so men will hardly now believe there is such a happiness as once they had, much less as Christ bath now procured. When God would give the Is- raelites his Sabbaths of rest, in a land of rest, he had more ado to make them believe it, than to overcome their ene mies, and procure it for them. And when they had it, only as a small intimation and earnest of an incomparably more glorious rest through Christ, they yet believe no more
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