A27017:1746
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. VII.
- 1§. 7.
7. Its also a dangerous and secret hinderance, to content our sel•es with the mere preparatives to this heavenly Life, while we are •tter strangers to the life it self: when we take up with the mere studies of heavenly things, and the notions and thoughts of the• in our brain, or the talking of them with one another, as if this were all that makes us heavenly people: There's none in more danger of this snare, then those that are much in public duty, especially Preachers of the Gospel. O how easily may they be deceived here, while they do nothing more then read of heaven, and study of heaven, and preach of heaven, and pray, and talk of heaven? what is not this the heavenly Life? O that God would reveal to our hearts the danger of this snare▪ Alas, all this is but mere preparation: This is not the life we speak of, but its indeed a necessary help thereto. I entreat every one of my Brethren in the Ministry, that they search, and watch against this Temptation: Alas, this is but gathering the materials, and not the erecting of the building it self; this is but gathering our Manna for others, and not eating and digesting our selves; as he that sits at home may study Geography, and draw most exact descriptions of Countries, and yet never see them, nor travel toward them: so may you describe to others the joys of heaven, and yet never come near it in your own hearts; as a man may tell others of the sweetness of meat which he never tasted, or as a blind man by learning may dispute of light and of colours▪ so may you study and preach most heavenly matter, which y•• never sweetened your own spirits, and set forth to others that heavenly Light, wherewith your own souls were never