A27017:1793
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.
SECT. III.1
- 1§. 3.
2. But because Meditation is a general word, and it is not all Meditation that I hear intend; I shall therefore lay thee down the difference, whereby this Meditation that I am urging thee to, is discerned from all other sorts of Meditation. And the difference is taken from the Act, and from the object of it.
2. BUt because Meditation is a general word, and it is not all Meditation that I hear intend; I shall therefore lay thee down the difference, whereby this Meditation that I am urging thee to, is discerned from all other sorts of Meditation. And the difference is taken from the Act, and from the object of it.
1. From the Act, which I call [The set and solemn acting of all the powers of the soul.]
1. I call it the [Acting of them] for it is▪ Action that we are directing you in now, and not relations or dispositions yet these also are necessarily presupposed: It must be a soul that is qualified for the work, by the supernatural renewing grace of the spirit, which must be able to perform this Heavenly exercise. Its the work of the Living, and not of the dead. Its a work of all others most spiritual and sublime, and therefore not to be well performed by a heart that's merely carnal and terrene. Also they must necessarily have some relation to heaven, before they can familiarly there converse: I suppose them to be the sons of God, when persuade them to love him: and to be of the family of God, ye the spouse of his Son, when I persuade them to press into his presence, and to dwell with him: I suppose them to be such as have title to Rest, when I persuade them to rejoice in the Meditation of Rest. These therefore being all presupposed, are not the duty here intended and required: But it is the bringing of their sanctified dispositions into Act, and the delightful reviewing of thei high relations: Habits and Powers are but to enable us to Action To say [I am able to do this, or I am disposed to do it] doth neither please God, nor advantage our selves, except withal we really do it. God doth not regenerate thy soul, that it may be able to know him, and not know him or that it may be able to believe and yet not believe; or that it may be able to love him and yet not love him: But he therefore makes thee able to know to believe, and love, that thou mayest indeed both know, believe and love him. What good doth that power which is not reduced into Act? Therefore I am not now exhorting thee, to be an able Christian, but to be an Active Christian, according to the degree of that ability which thou hast. As thy store of money, or food, o raiment, which thou lettest lye by thee and never usest, doth the no good, but to please thy fancy, or raise thee to an esteem in the eyes of others; so all thy gifts, and powers, and habits which lye still in thy soul, and are never Acted, do profit or comfort thee little or nothing, but in satisfying thy fancy, and raising thee to the repute of an able man, so far as they are discernible to the standers by.