A27017:1756
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. II.
- 1§. 2.
2. Labour as to know Heaven to be the only happiness, so also to be thy happiness. Though the knowledge of excellency and suitableness may stir up that love, which worketh by desire; yet there must be the knowledge of our interest or propriety, to the setting awork of our love of complacency. We may confess Heaven to be the best condition, though we despair of enjoying it; and we may desire, and seek it, if we see the obtainment to be but probable and hopeful: But we can never delightfully rejoice in it, till we are somewhat persuaded of our title to it. What comfort is it to a man that is naked, to see the rich attire of others? or to a man that hath not a bit to put in his mouth, to see a feast which he must not taste of? What delight hath a man that hath not a house to put his head in, to see the sumptuous buildings of others? Would not all this rather increase his anguish, and make him more sensible of his own misery? So for a man to know the excellencies of Heaven, and not to know whether he shall ever enjoy them, may well raise desire, and provoke to seek it, but it will raise but little joy and content. Who will set his heart on another mans possessions? If your houses, your goods, your cattle, your children, were not your own, you would less mind them, and delight less in them. O therefore Christians, rest not ⟨p. 671⟩till you can call this Rest your own; sit not down without assurance; get alone, and question with thy self; bring thy heart to the bar of trial; force it to answer the interrogatories put to it; set the conditions of the Gospel, and qualifications of the Saints on one side, and thy performance of those conditions, and the qualifications of thy soul on the other side; and then judg how near they resemble: Thou hast the same word before thee, to judg thy self by now, by which thou must be judged at the great day: Thou art there before told the questions that must then be put to thee put these questions now to thy self: Thou mayst there read the very Articles, upon which thou shalt be tried; why try thy self by those Articles now. Thou mayst there know beforehand, on what terms men shall be then acquit and condemned; why try now whether thou art possessed of that which will acquit thee, or whether thou be upon the same terms with those that must be condemned; and accordingly acquit or condemn thy self: