A27017:1997
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.
If this Treasure be so precious in earthen Vessels, what is that Treasure laid up in Heaven? Think with thy self, If I had heard but such a Divine Prophet as Isaiah, or such a persuading moving Prophet as Jeremiah, or such a worker of Miracles as Elijah or Elisha, how delightful a hearing would this have been? If I had heard but Peter, or John, or Paul, I should rejoice in it as long as I lived; but what would I give that I had heard one Sermon from the mouth of Christ himself? sure I should have felt the comfort of it in my very foul; why but, alas, all this is nothing to what we shall have *above: O blessed are the eyes that see what there is seen, and the ears that hear that things that there are heard! There shall I hear Elijah, Isaiah, Daniel, Peter, John, (not preaching to an obstinate people in imprisonment, in persecution, and reproach, but) triumphing in the praises of him that hath advanced them. Austin was wont to wish these three wishes; first, That he might have seen Christ in the flesh; secondly, That he might have heard Paul Preach; thirdly, That he might have seen Rome in its glory: Alas, these are small matters all to that which Austin now beholds; there we see not Christ in the form of a servant, but Christ in his Kingdom, in Majesty and Glory; not Paul Preach in weakness and contempt, but Paul with millions more rejoicing and triumphing; not persecuting Rome in a fading glory, but Jerusalem which is above, in perfect and lasting glory.
If this Treasure be so pretious in earthen Vessels, what is that Treasure laid up in Heaven? Think with thy self, If I had heard but such a Divine Prophet as Isaiah, or such a perswading moving Prophet as Jeremy, or such a worker of Miracles as Elijah or Elisha, how delightful a hearing would this have been? If I had heard but Peter, or John, or Paul, I should rejoyce in it as long as I lived; but what would I give that I had heard one Sermon from the mouth of Christ himself? sure I should have felt the comfort of it in my very foul; why but, alas, all this is nothing to what we shall have *above: O blessed are the eyes that see what there is seen, and the ears that hear that things that there are heard! There shall I hear Elias, Isaiah, Daniel, Peter, John, (not preaching to an obstinate people in imprisonment, in persecution, and reproach, but) triumphing in the praises of him that hath advanced them. Austin was wont to wish these three wishes; first, That he might have seen Christ in the flesh; secondly, That he might have heard Paul Preach; thirdly, That he might have seen Rome in its glory: Alas, these are small matters all to that which Austin now beholds; there we see not Christ in the form of a servant, but Christ in his Kingdom, in Majesty and Glory; not Paul Preach in weakness and contempt, but Paul with millions more rejoycing and triumphing; not pesecuting Rome in a fading glory, but Jerusalem which is above, in perfect and lasting glory.