The Saints' Everlasting Rest

If the devil or his Instruments should then tell him of a cup of Sack, of merry company, of a Stage-play, or Morris-Dance, do you think he would then be so taken with the motion? If he should then tell him of Riches, or Honours, or show him a pair of Cards, or Dice, or a Whore, would the temptation, think you, be as strong as before? would he not answer, Alas, whats all this to me, who must presently appear before God, and give account of all my life, and straightways be in another world? Why Christian, if the apprehension of the nearness of Eternity will work such strange effects upon the ungodly, and make them wiser then to be deceived so easily as they were wont to be in time of health; O then what rare effects would it work with thee, and make thee scorn the baits of sin, if thou couldst always dwell in the views of God; and in lively thoughts of thine everlasting state? Surely, a believer, if he improve his faith, may ordinarily have truer and more quickening apprehensions of the life to come, in the time of his health, then an unbeliever hath at the hour of his death.

If the devil or his Instruments should then tell him of a cup of Sack, of merry company, of a Stage-play, or Morrice-Dance, do you think he would then be so taken with the motion? If he should then tell him of Riches, or Honors, or shew him a pair of Cards, or Dice, or a Whore, would the temptation, think you, be as strong as before? would he not answer, Alas, whats all this to me, who must presently appear before God, and give account of all my life, and straitways be in another world? Why Christian, if the apprehension of the neerness of Eternity will work such strange effects upon the ungodly, and make them wiser then to be deceived so easily as they were wont to be in time of health; O then what rare effects would it work vvith thee, and make thee scorn the baits of sin, if thou couldst always dwell in the views of God; and in lively thoughts of thine everlasting state? Surely, a believer, if he improve his faith, may ordinarily have truer and more quickning apprehensions of the life to come, in the time of his health, then an unbeliever hath at the hour of his death.

Thirdly, Furthermore, A Heavenly mind is exceedingly fortified against temptations, because the affections are so throughly prepossessed with the high delights of another world. Whether Satan do not usually by the sensitive Appetite prevail with the Will, without any further prevailing with the Reason, then merely to suspend it, I will not now dispute: But doubtless when the soul is not affected with good, though the Understanding do never so clearly apprehend the Truth, it is easy for Satan to entice that soul. Mere speculations, (be they never so true) which sink not into the affections, are poor preservatives against temptations. He that loves most, and not he that only knows most, will easilyest resist the motions of sin. There is in a Christian a kind of spiritual taste, whereby he knows these things, besides his mere discursive reasoning power: The Will doth as sweetly relish goodness, as the Understanding doth Truth; and here lies much of a Christians strength: If you should dispute with a simple man, and labour to persuade him that Sugar is not sweet, o that Wormwood is not bitter; perhaps you might by Sophistry over-argue his mere Reason, but yet could you not persuade him against his sense; whereas a man that hath lost his taste, is easilyer deceived for all his reason; So is it here; when thou hast had a fresh delightful taste