it will not tarry one moment beyond the time of old prefixed unto it; as Hab. ii. 3. In the mean time, God hath given us certain directions, in general computations of the times to come, from whence yet the most diligent inquirers have been able to learn nothing stable and certain, but that the time must needs be long from the first prediction, and that it is certainly stated for its accomplishment in the counsel of God. The rule therefore confirmed by these instances duly considered, may evidence the stability of God's promises, notwithstanding the intervening of cross providential dispensations.

Obs. V. There are many promises, whose signal accomplish. ment God hath not limited unto any special season; but keeps it in his own will to act according to them towards his church, as is best suited to his wisdom and love. Only there is no such promise made, but God will at one time or other verify his word in it, by acting according to it, or fulfilling of it.

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God hath thus disposed of things: 1, That he may always have in a readiness wherewith to manifest his displeasure against the sins of his own people, 2. That he may have wherewith to exercise their faith. And, 3. To encourage them to prayer, expectation, and crying unto him in their distresses. Thus, setting aside the promises that are limited unto a certain period of time, there are enow of these promises at all times to satisfy the desires and prayers of the church. When God hath limited his promises to a certain season and time, let the men of that age, time and season, be what they will, the decree will bring forth, and the faithfulness of God requires the exact accomplishment of such determinate promises. Thus the promise of the coming of Christ being limited and determined, he was to come, and he did come accordingly, whatever was the state with the church, which was as bad as almost it could be in this world; so that one of themselves confessed, that if not long after the Romans had not destroyed them, he thought God would have sent fire upon them from heaven, as he did on Sodom and Gomorrah. But then was Christ to come according to the time fore-appointed, and then he did come amongst those murderers. So God had limited the time of the bondage of Abraham's posterity unto four hundred and thirty years. When that time was expired, the people were wicked, unbelieving, murmuring, and no way prepared for such a mercy; yet in the very same night whereunto the promise was limited, they were delivered. But now, as to their entrance into Canaan, God left the promise at a greater latitude. Hence they are brought to the very door, and turned back again by reason of their sins and unbelief; and yet the promise of God failed not, as it would have done, had they not been delivered from the Egyptians at the end of four hundred and thirty years, whatever their sins

or unbelief were. And of this sort, as was said, there are innumerable promises recorded in the Scripture. And there is not one of them but shall at one time or other be accomplished. For although as to their actual accomplishment at this or that season, they depend much upon the faith, repentance, and obedience of the church, yet they have not absolutely a respect unto that condition that shall, or may never be performed, that so they should come to be utterly frustrated. God therefore doth by them try and exercise the faith of his people in this or that age, as he did those in the wilderness, by the promise of entering into rest; but yet he will take care, in the administrations of his grace, that his church, at one season or another, shall be made partaker of them, that his word do not fall to the ground.

Obs. VI. Some concerns of the glory of God in the world, may suspend the full and outward accomplishment of some pro mises for a season. Thus there are many promises made to the church of deliverance out of afflictions and persecutions, and of the destruction of its adversaries. When such occasions do befal the church, it may and ought to plead these promises of God; for they are given and left unto it for that purpose. But yet it often falls out, that the fulfilling of them is for a long time suspended. God hath other ends to accomplish by their sufferings, than are yet brought about or effected. It is needful, it may be, that his grace should be glorified in their patience, and the truth of the gospel be confirmed by their sufferings, and a testimony be given to and against the world. It may be also, that God hath so ordered things, that the straits and persecutions of the church shall tend more to the furtherance of the gospel and the interest of Christ, than its peace and tranquillity would do. And in such a season God hath furnished his people with other promises, which they ought to mix with faith; and which shall be accomplished. Such are those of his presence with them, abiding by them, owning and supporting of them, comforting them in their distresses, and of ordering all things to their good and satisfaction. Besides, they have relief and consolation in the goodness, faithfulness and tenderness of God, in those other promises, whose fulfilling and performance he hath reserved unto his own sovereignty. Herein in all their tribulation do they rejoice, as Abraham did in his foresight of the day of Christ, then so many generations distant. And the consideration of these rules will evidence, that neither the sins of men, nor any other troubling interventions of providence, can any way shake the truth and stability of the promises of God. And we may hence learn,

In any condition wherein we judge ourselves to be called to plead any promises of God, and to have an expectation

This is the

of their accomplishment, not to make haste. great rule given the church, in reference unto the greatest promise that ever was given unto it; "He that believeth, shall not make haste," Isa. xxviii. 16. A promise of the sending of Christ is given in the words foregoing: "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation." This might well raise up a great expectation in the hearts of the people, in their distressed and troublous condition. But alas, this was not actually fulfilled until many generations after. Here patience is required; he that believeth will not make haste; that is, impatiently press after the future accomplishment of the promise, unto the neglect of present duties. So are we all apt to do. When our condition is grievous and burdensome, and there are promises on record of better things for them that fear God, we are apt to give place to impatient desires after them, unto the neglect of present duties. The same advice is given us, in reference unto any providences of God wherein his church is concerned, that fall under any promises; such are those before mentioned about antichrist and his destruction; with respect unto them also we are to wait and not make haste, Hab. ii. 3. We see how many occasions there may be of retarding the actual accomplishment of promises. Our wisdom and duty therefore is, to leave that unto his sovereign pleasure, and to live upon his truth, goodness, and faithfulness in them. They shall all be hastened in their appointed time. I could easily instance in evils great and fatal, that would ensue on our miscarriage in this thing. I shall name that only which is the greatest amongst them: This is that which puts men upon irregular ways to partake of the promise, in which when they fail, as God will blast such ways, they begin to question, yea to disbelieve the promise itself.

Obs. VII. Again, When the accomplishment of promises seemeth to be deferred, we are not to faint in our duty. The benefit and advantage which we have in and by the accomplishment of promises, is not the sole end why they are given unto us of God. But he intends in and by their proposal unto us, to try and exercise all our graces; our faith, patience, obedience and submission unto him. So he dealt with these Israelites in the wilderness; proposing unto them the promise of entering into rest, he tried them how they would trust him, and cleave unto him, and fully follow after him. Failing herein, they also came short of the promise. So God deals with us; he will exercise, and prove us, while we are waiting for the actual performance of the promise. Now if we find this deferred beyond our hopes, and it may be our fears, and we do begin to faint, as though the promise itself did fail, it is the readiest way to cause us to come short of it. Something of this nature befel the father of the

faithful himself. He had received the great promise, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Many years after this he was childless, until his own body was in a manner dead, and so was Sarah's womb also. The hope he had remaining was above hope, or all rational apparent grounds of it. This once put him so to it, as that he cried, "Lord, what wilt thou do for me, seeing I go childless?" All this while God was bringing him to his foot, training him up to obedience, submission, and dependance upon himself. When therefore we consider any promises of God, and do not find that we are actually in possession of the things promised, nor do know when we shall be so; our duty is to apply ourselves unto what in our present station is required of us. We may see and learn the love and goodness that is in every promise; what grace and kindness it proceeds from, what faithfulness it is accompanied withal; which is the sum of what the saints under the Old Testament had respect unto, in the promise of the Messiah. Moreover what God requires at our hands, what patience, waiting, submission, we must be searching into. These, I say, and the like, are our duties in this case; and not to faint, or charge the Lord unjustly, all whose ways are mercy and truth, and all whose promises are firm and stedfast.

VER. 7. Παλιν τινα όριζει ήμεραν, σήμερον εν Δαβίδ, λέγων μετα τοσούτον χρόνον, καθώς είρηται, Σημερον εαν της φωνής αυτό ακέσητε, μη σκληρύνητε τας καρδίας ύμων.

M. S. for είρηται, 'said' or spoken,' reads #gigntas, forespoken,' or foretold: μra Tourer xgover; post tantum tempus, or temporis, as the Vulg Lat. that is, tantum temporis spatium elapsum, after so great a space of time passed.' Syr. from after so much time; and adds, as it is said above,' that David said.'

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Пaλ, again.' It may denote either the repetition of an old act, or the introduction of a new testimony. Our apostle often useth this word on this latter occasion. So he doth several times, chap. i. And here it may seem to be so applied. Again,' to confirm farther what hath been spoken. But it doth rather express in this place the repetition of the thing spoken of, and is to be joined in construction with he limiteth. After the determination, limiting, or appointing the day before mentioned, the day of rest, that is, the rest itself, and a certain day for the representation of it and entering into it, with all that concerned it, and fell out about it, both at the beginning of the world, and also at the entrance of the people into Canaan; again he limiteth; or he limiteth again.'

'Og, he limiteth; that is, absolutely God doth so; whose authority alone in these things is the rule of our faith and

obedience particularly the Holy Ghost, this limitation being made in the Scriptures which were given by his immediate and peculiar inspiration, 2 Pet. i. 21. Limiteth,' that is, either describes, or defineth it in a prophetical prediction; or determineth and appoints it, by an authoritative institution. He describes it in itself, and appoints it unto us, The word may comprise both; and we have no ground to exclude either.

Ţing, a certain day; that is, another determinate day, in answer to the days forementioned, and whose season was now elapsed and past. It is certain that the apostle doth principally intend to evince the new rest of God under the gospel, and to persuade the Hebrews to secure their entrance into it, and pos session of it. But he here changeth his terms, and calls it not a rest, but proposeth it from the psalmist under the notion of a day. And this he doth, because he had before proved and illustrated the rest of God, from the day that was set apart as a pledge and means of it; as also, because he designs to manifest that there is another day determined, as a pledge and representation of this new rest, or as an especial season for the enjoyment of the privi leges thereof.

Engor. The day he intends is that which in the psalmist is called, or nugor, to-day.' The former day he called, idoun, the seventh day.' This was the day of rest from the foundation of the world, unto the giving of the law, as also under the law itself. But now there is to be another day expressive of the other rest promised. The seventh day from the beginning of the creation was separated to this purpose, with respect unto the rest proposed to man in the state of innocency, and the typical rest promised to the people under the law. But this new spiritual rest in Christ by the gospel, is to have another day to express and declare it. Thus is onusgov, to-day, in the psalmist, left at liberty to be any day, in the prophecy, but limited to the first by the resurrection of Christ. Again he limiteth a certain day, called musgov, to-day.'.

Asya Aabid, speaking in David;' who was the person by Λέγων εν Δαβίδ, ο whom this matter was revealed to the church, in a psalm that he composed by divine inspiration, for that purpose. David may be here taken properly for the person of David himself; and so this expression declares the way and manner whereby he came to reveal this thing. It was from the speaking of the Holy Ghost in him, whereby he was ὑπὸ πνεύματος άγιο φερόμενος, 2 Pet. i. 21. act. ed by him, to receive and deliver his inspirations. So the apostle by renders the intention of the Hebrew ; he spake in them; as David of himself; 2 727 27 m; 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. “The Spirit of the Lord spake in me." And so our apostle in the beginning of this epistle, "God spake," " Tois TeoParais, and y vím, in the prophets,' and in the Son,' So, as was said, the words