The Rest That Remaineth: A Study of Five Poems by George Herbert

The Rest That Remaineth: A Study of Five Poems by George Herbert by Andrée Luxton In his 1976 explicetion of "The Pulley," Stuert Hunter suggests Psalms 95 and Hebrews 3 and 4 as possible sources for George Herbert's use of the term "rest" in thet poem. In his useful commentery, Hunter notes Poul's reference to "the Sebboth repose of the feithful."1 He continues, "Biblical scholars are generally agreed that the Old Testament understanding of the meaning of the Sabbath encompassed not only the idea of physical repose but also the promise of a future final Sabbath rest for the faithful in the bosom of God." Hunter concludes that at "the bosom of God" Herbert's pulley finally reaches its "point of stasis, or finel rest" where "men's restlessness is satisfied." Hunter's recognition of the relationship between Hebrews 3 and 4 and "The Pulley" is both volid and important. So is his reolizotion of the essentiel connection between "Sebboth rest" and eternal rest in the Epistle to the Hebrews. However, the implications of the Hebrews passage and its relotion to Herbert's The Temple extend much further. The following detailed analysis of Hebrews 3 and 4, paralleled with a close reeding of both "The Pulley" ond an additional four Herbert poems — "Aaron," "Peace," "Sunday," and "Even-song" — will show something of Herbert's broader consideration of the ideals of rest explored by the author of Hebrews.2 Hebrews 3:14 end 4:14 frame the Hebrews passage on rest. Hebrews 3: 14 reeds, "For we ore mode portokers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfest unto the end," and Hebrews 4:1 4, "Seeing then that we have a greet high priest, thot is pessed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." Here lies the assurance of belief. In Hebrews 3:14 the perfect tense of "gegonamev" ("we have become") suggests both a present and a continuous relationship between the human and the divine. Then in 50Andrea Luxton Hebrews 4:14, the dependent douse that transletes from Greek as "Seeing then ... let us hold fast" relies on the certointy of "we hove e greet high priest." The relationship remains conditional, dependent on humanity's belief; however, the humonity end divinity of Christ thet fits him for the role of high priest ensures humenkind's ecceptonce end its "right" to shore with Christ in the kingdom.3 Between these two verses of assurance, the author of Hebrews uses typology as he looks to the past, present, and future in order to define the "rest" of the kingdom. He first notes the unbelief of the Israelites that prevented their entering into God's rest and the relevence of the promise of rest in the deys of David. Both these situations carry overtones of physical rest and rest from strife, as well as the accompanying spirituel rest. Then the outhor introduces ß second rest, the rest of God connected to creetion and the Sabbeth (verse 4). However, all these preceding rests are types to an ontitype of e much more fulfilling rest (verse 9). This better end final rest Donald Hagner defines as "the rest that is meant to be the portion of Christians (this mey indeed be subdivided into the rest available at present and the future rest of eschatology proper)."4 Some disagreement exists among commentators on Hebrews as to whether this last rest is only in the present, or both present and future. However, most agree with Hagner and see implicit in the final promise a "present rest" to enjoy "in anticipation of the final eschatological rest."5 This, of course, would be the antitype to which all types point. The author of Hebrews helps distinguish between the rests of the present and future by introducing a different Greek word in Hebrews4:9. In his discussion of "The Pulley," Hunter cleims that "Paul" uses the Greek term "katapausis" to suggest "the Sabbeth repose of the feithful"; "ketepausis" does recur eight times throughout Hebrews 3 and 4 and the cognate verb three times.6 However, in Hebrews 4:9 "ketopousis" is replaced by "sabbatismos." It is...