A27017:109
The Saints' Everlasting Rest
The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is showed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is shewed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by Rob. White for Thomas Underhil and Francis Tyton, 1650
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
SECT. VII.
17. Here is supposed An Internal principle of life in the person: God moves not man like a stone, but by enduing him first with life, (not to enable him to move without God, but) thereby to qualify him to move himself, in subordination to God the first mover. What the nature of this spiritual life is, is a Question exceeding difficult: Whether, as some think (but (as I judg) erroneously) it be Christ himself in Person, or Essence? or the holy Ghost personally? (Or as some will distinguish (with what sense I know not) it is the person of the holy Ghost, but not personally;) Whether it be an Accident, or Quality? or whether it be a spiritual substance, as the soul it self? Whether it be only an Act? or a disposition? or a habit? (as its generally taken.) Whether a habit infused? or ⟨p. 15⟩acquired by frequent Acts, to which the soul hath been morally persuaded? or whether it be somewhat lower then a habit, i. e. A power, viz. potentia proxima intelligendi, credendi, volendi, &c. in spiritualibus? *Which some think, the most probable, and that it was such a power that Adam lost, and that the natural man (as experience tells us) is still devoid of. Whether such a power can be conceived, which is not Reason it self? and whether Reason be not the Soul it self? and so we should make the soul diminished and increased, as bodies: Whether spirits have Accidents, as corporal substances have? A multitude of such difficulties occur, which will be difficulties while the Doctrine of Spirits and Spirituals is so dark to us; and that will be while the dust of mortality and corruption is in our eyes. This is my comfort, that death will shortly blow out this dust, and then I shall be resolved of these, and many more. In the mean time I am a Sceptic, and know little in this whole doctrine of spirits, and spiritual workings, further then Scripture clearly revealeth.