A27017:1707
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. XV.
- 1§ 15.
Thus I have given thee these twelve Arguments to consider of, and if it may be, to persuade thee to a heavenly mind: I now desire thee to view them over, read them deliberately, and read them again, and then tell me, Are they Reason, or are they not? Reader, stop here while thou answerest my Question: Are these Considerations weighty, or not? are these Arguments convincing, or not? Have I proved it thy duty, and of flat necessity, to keep thy heart on things above, or have I not? Say, Yea, or Nay, man! If thou say Nay; I am confident thou contradictest thine own Conscience, and speakest against the light that is in thee, and thy Reason tells thee thou speakest falsely: If thou say Yea, and acknowledge thy self convinced of the duty; bear witness then, that I have thine own confession: That very tongue of thine shall condemn thee, and that confession be pleaded against thee, if thou now go home, and cast this off, and wilfully neglect such a confessed duty; and these twelve Considerations shall be as a Jury to convict thee, which I propounded, hoping they might be effectual to persuade thee. I have not yet fully laid open to you, the nature and particular way of that duty, which I am all this while persuading you to; that is the next thing to be done: All that I have said hitherto, is but to make you willing to perform it. I know the whole work of mans salvation, doth stick most at his own will: If we could once get over this block well, I see not what could stand before us. Be soundly willing, and the work is more then half done. I have now a few plain Directions to give you, for to help you in doing this great work; but alas, its in vain to mention them, except you be willing to put them in practice. What sayeth thou Reader, Art thou willing, or art thou not? wilt thou obey, if I show thee the way of thy Duty? However, I will set them down, and tender them to thee, and the Lord persuade thy heart to the Work.