A27017:1426
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
THE SAINTS Everlasting REST. PART. III. › Chapter 12 › Section 10
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.
You therefore that are the Guides of this Chariot of Christ take heed of losing the reins lest all be overthrown: It is but lately that the Prelates held them so hard, that we might not move on in the way of unquestionable duty, and we might not stir at all, for fear of stirring amiss, and godliness was shut out upon pretence of well-ordering it. Do not *you run now into the contrary extreme, to think that all restraint is evil. Alas poor England! how are thy bowels torn out! and thy reformation and deliverance grown (as to man) impossible! because thy inhabitants, yea and Guides, run all into extremes! like a drunken man that reeleth from side to side, but cannot keep the middle way: nay they hate a man of peace that runs not out into their extremes. One party would pluck up the hedge of government, as if the vine-yard could not be fruitful, except it lye wast to the pleasure of all the beasts of of the Forest. They are like the pond that should grudge at the banks and dam, and think it injurious to be thus restrained of its liberty, and therefore combine with the winds to raise a tempest, and so assault and break down the banks in their rage▪ and now ⟨p. 521⟩where is that peaceable association of waters? Me thinks the enemies of government are just in the case as I remember when I was a boy our School was in, when we had barred out our Master: We grudged at our yoke, we longed for liberty; because it was not given us we resolved to take it, when we had got out our Master and shut fast the doors, we grew bold, and talked to him at our pleasure▪ then no one was Master, and every one was Master: we spend our time in playing and in quarrelling: we treat at last with our Master about coming in: but our liberty was so sweet, this we were loath to leave it, and we had run our selves so deep in guilt that we durst not trust him; and therefore we resolve to let him in no more: But in the end when our play-days (which we called Holy days) were over, we are fain to give account of our boldness, and soundly to be whipped for it, and so to come under the yoke again. Lord, if this be the case of England, let us rather be whipped and whipped again, then turned out of thy School, and from under thy government. We feel now how those are mistaken, that think the way for the Churches unity, is to dig up the banks and let all loose, that every man in Religion may do what his list.