A27017:1559
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.
1SECT. IV.
- 1§. 4.
3. IT appears we are little weary of sinning, when we are so unwilling to be freed by dying. Did we take sin for the greatest evil, we should not be willing of its company so long; did we look on sin as our cruellest enemy, and on a sinful life, as the most miserable life; sure we should then be more willing of a change. But O, how far are our hearts from our doctrinal profession, in this point also! We preach and write, and talk against sin and call it all that naught is; and when we are called to leave it, we are loth to depart: We brand it with the most odious names that we can imagine, (and all far short of expressing its vileness;) but when the approach of death puts us to the trial, we choose a continuance with these abominations, before the presence and fruition of God.1 But as Nemon smote his Soldier for railing against Alexander his enemy, saying, I hired thee to fight against him, and not to rail against him: So may God smite us also, when he shall hear our tongues reviling that sin, which we resist so slothfully, and part with so unwillingly. Christians, seeing we are conscious that our hearts deserve a smiting for this, let us join together, to chide and smite our own hearts, before God do judg and smite them. O foolish sinful heart! Hast thou been so long a sink of sin, a cage of all unclean lusts, a fountain uncessantly streaming forth the bitter and deadly waters of transgression? and art thou not yet aweary? Wretched Soul! hast thou been so long wounded in all thy faculties? so grievously languishing in all thy performances? so fruitful a soil for all iniquities? and art thou not yet more weary? Hast thou not yet transgressed long enough? nor long enough provoked thy Lord? nor long enough abused love? wouldst thou yet grieve the Spirit more? and sin against thy Saviours blood? and more increase thine own wounds? and still lie under thy grievous imperfections? Hath thy sin proved so profit able a commodity? so necessary a companion? such a delightful employment? that thou dost so much dread the parting day? Hath thy Lord deserved this at thy hands? that thou shouldst choose to continue in the Suburbs of ell, rather then live with him in light? and rather stay and drudge in sin, and abide with his and thy own professed enemy, then come away and dwell with God?