The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-01-07

Isaac, and Isaac by Jacob and Jacob by
the twelve progenitors of the chosen peo-
pie. The family Of Jacob were carried
into Egypt, and there held in bondage
four hundred years until they became a
great people At the set time God
brought them out of Egypt, and by
Joshua they were carried into the land
of Canaan, although the generation which
came out of Egypt, because of unbelief
were not permitted to enter into this
rest. This rest was, however, not the
rest which God had in view for the seed
of Abraham; it was but type; the true
rest involved far different and far
higher meaning
In due time, alter, through many cen
turtles, the spirit of prophecy had shad-
owed through type and symbol and
figure, the great deliverance which God
designed to effect from the bondage of
sin (of which the deliverance from Egypt
was type) the promised Messiah
came By his obedience and death he
opened the way again into the Rest of
God in the full sense of that. term. And
when He had finished His work, He en-
tered into HIS rest And now, as the
seventh day had been commemorative of
the proffered but forfeited Edenic rest,
when God rested from the work Of crea-
ton, the first day, the day on which orr
Lord finished his work became typical
of the Christian rest, reserved for those,
who, by faith, were the true seed of
Abraham, and inheritors of the promise.
We see why the day must have been
changed. The seventh day was observed
until the lost rest was recovered; but
when Christ led his people into that Rest
that new Eden-the new rest day must
be commemorative of the recovered Rest.
The Epistle to the Hebrews turns upon
the idea that there remaineth (although
the works were finished from the founda-
ton of the world, and Gods whole scheme
had apparently been defeated by mans
unbelieD Rest for the people of God.
The work of Christ, when it was finished,
and when He entered into that rest,
opened anew the closed entrance into that
rest, and prepared a people to enjoy what
God had intended them to enjoy from
the beginning through the atoning blood
of the Lamb slain from the foundation
o. the world "This day" said our
Lord to the dying thief, shalt thou be
with me in Paradise.
And so, after referring to those who
had fallen short of this rest, the Apostle,
in the fourth chapter Of Hebrews, pro
ceeds:
"Let us therefore fear, lest a promise
being left us of entering into his rest, any
Of you should seem to come short of it.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as
well as unto them. but the word preach
ed did not profit them not being mixed
with faith in them that heard it. For
we who believe do enter into rest, accord
ing as he hath said, AS I have sworn in
my wrath, they shall not enter into my
rest although his works were finished
that is, although the rest was establish
ed from the foundation of the world.
For he hath spoken in a certain place of
the seventh day on this wise, And God
did rest the seventh day from all his
works. And in this place again, They
shall not enter into my rest. Seeing,
therefore, it remaineth that some must
enter therein, and they to whom it was
first preached entered not in because of
unbelief; once more he limiteth a GER
tain day, saying in David, To-day, after
50 long time; as it is said, To-day, if
we will hear his voice, harden not your
heart. For if Joshua had given them
rest lin the promised land, then would
he not afterward have spoken of another
day. There remaineth therefore Sab
batism a Sabbath rest for the people of
God. For He that entered into his rest
that is Jesus, the antique of joshua, he
also himself rested from his works. as
God did from his.
The Seventh Day in this extract is
identified by the Apostle with the Rest
spoken of-this was the rest which man
fell short Of by transgression in Eden.