A27017:1879
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. VII.1
- 1§. 7.
5. Meditation also putteth reason into his strength. Reason is at the strongest when it is most in action: Now Meditation produceth reason into Act. Before it was as a standing water, which can move nothing else when it self moveth not: but now it is as the speedy stream which violently bears down all before it. Before it was as the still and silent air, but now it is as the powerful motion of the wind, and overthrows the opposition of the flesh and the devil. Before it was as the stones which lay still in the brook; but now when Meditation doth set it awork, it is as the stone out of Davids sling, which smites the Goliath of our unbelief in the forehead. As wicked men continue wicked, not because they have not reason in the principle, but because they bring it not into Act and use, so godly men are uncomfortable and sad, not because they have no causes to rejoice, nor because they have not reason to discern those causes; but because they let their reason and faith lye asleep, and do not labour to set them a going, nor stir them up to action by this work of Meditation. You know that our very dreams will deeply affect: What fears! What sorrows! What Joy will they stir up? How much more then would serious Meditation affect us?
5. MEditation also putteth reason into his strength. Reason is at the strongest when it is most in action: Now Meditation produceth reason into Act. Before it was as a standing water, which can move nothing else when it self moveth not: but now it is as the speedy stream which violently bears down all before it. Before it was as the still and silent air, but now it is as the powerful motion of the wind, and overthrows the opposition of the flesh and the devil. Before it was as the stones which lay still in the brook; but now when Meditation doth set it awork, it is as the stone out of Davids sling, which smites the Goliah of our unbelief in the forehead. As wicked men continue wicked, not because they have not reason in the principle, but because they bring it not into Act and use, so godly men are uncomfortable and sad, not because they have no causes to rejoyce, nor because they have not reason to discern those causes; but because they let their reason and faith lye asleep, and do not labor to set them a going, nor stir them up to action by this work of Meditation. You know that our very dreams will deeply affect: What fears! What sorrowes! What Joy will they stir up? How much more then would serious Meditation affect us?