A27017:1931
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. IX.
- 1§. 9.
5. The last Affection to be acted is Joy. This is the end of all the Rest, Love, Desire, Hope and Courage, do all tend to the raising of our Joy. This is so desirable to every man by nature, and is so essentially necessary to the constituting of his happiness, that I hope I need not say much to persuade you to any thing that would make your life delightful. Supposing you therefore already convinced, That the pleasures of the flesh are brutish and perishing, and that your solid and lasting joy must be from Heaven, in stead of persuading, I shall proceed in directing.
5. THe last Affection to be acted is Joy. This is the end of all the Rest, Love, Desire, Hope and Courage, do all tend to the raising of our Joy. This is so desirable to every man by nature, and is so essentially necessary to the constituting of his happiness, that I hope I need not say much to perswade you to any thing that would make your life delightful. Supposing you therefore already convinced, That the pleasures of the flesh are brutish and perishing, and that your solid and lasting joy must be from Heaven, in stead of perswading, I shall proceed in directing.
Well then, by this time if thou hast managed well the former work, thou art got within the ken of thy Rest; thou believest the Truth of it; thou art convinced of the excellency of it, thou art fallen in Love with it, thou longest after it; thou hopest for it, and thou art resolved courageously to venture for the obtaining it: But is here any work for joy in this? we delight in the good which we do possess: Its present good that is the object of joy; but (thou wilt say) alas, I am yet without it. Well, but yet think a little further with thy self; Though the Real presence do afford the choicest joy, yet the presence of its imperfect Idea or image in my understanding, may afford me a great deal of true delight, Is it nothing to have a deed of gift from God? Are his infallible promises no ground of joy? Is it nothing to live in daily expectation of entering into the Kingdom? Is not my assurance of being glorified one of these days a sufficient ground for unexpressible joy?