A27017:15
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.
Being in my quarters far from home, cast into extreme languishing (by the sudden loss of about a Gallon of blood▪ after many years foregoing weakness) and having no acquaintance about me, nor any Books, but my Bible, and living in continual expectation of death, I bent my thoughts on my Everlasting Rest: And because my memory through extreme weakness was imperfect, I took my pen, and began to draw up my own funeral Sermon; or some helps for my own Meditations of Heaven, to sweeten both the Rest of my life, and my death. In this condition, God was pleased to continue me about five months from home, where being able for nothing else, I went on with this work, which so lengthened to this, which here you see. It is no wonder therefore, if I be too abrupt in the beginning, seeing I then intended but the length of a Sermon or two: Much less may you wonder, if the whole be very imperfect, seeing it was written, as it were, with one foot in the grave, by a man that was betwixt living and dead, that wanted strength of nature to quicken Invention or Affection, and had no Book but his Bible, while the chief part was finished; nor had any mind of humane ornaments, if he had been furnished. But, O how sweet is this Providence now to my review! which so happily forced me to that work of Meditation, which I had formerly found so profitable to my soul! and showed me more mercy in depriving me of other helps, then I was aware of! and hath caused my thoughts to feed on this Heavenly Subject, which hath more benefited me, then all the studies of my life!
Being in my quarters far from home, cast into extream languishing (by the sudden loss of about a Gallon of blood▪ after many yeers foregoing weakness) and having no acquaintance about me, nor any Books, but my Bible, and living in continual expectation of death, I bent my thoughts on my Everlasting Rest: And because my memory through extream weakness was imperfect, I took my pen, and began to draw up my own funeral Sermon; or some helps for my own Meditations of Heaven, to sweeten both the Rest of my life, and my death. In this condition, God was pleased to continue me about five moneths from home, where being able for nothing else, I went on with this work, which so lengthened to this, which here you see. It is no wonder therefore, if I be too abrupt in the beginning, seeing I then intended but the length of a Sermon or two: Much less may you wonder, if the whole be very imperfect, seeing it was written, as it were, with one foot in the grave, by a man that was betwixt living and dead, that wanted strength of nature to quicken Invention or Affection, and had no Book but his Bible, while the chief part was finished; nor had any minde of humane ornaments, if he had been furnished. But, O how sweet is this Providence now to my review! which so happily forced me to that work of Meditation, which I had formerly found so profitable to my soul! and shewed me more mercy in depriving me of other helps, then I was aware of! and hath caused my thoughts to feed on this Heavenly Subject, which hath more benefited me, then all the studies of my life!