A27017:2058
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.
These, O these were the blessed words, which his Spirit from his Gospel spoke unto me, till he made me cast my self it his feet, yea into his arms, and to cry out, My Saviour and my Lord: Thou hast broke my heart, thou hast revived my heart, thou hast overcome, thou hast won my heart, take it, it is thine; if such a heart can please thee, take it, if it cannot, make it such as thou wouldst have it. —Thus, O my soul, mayest thou remember the sweet familiarity thou hast had with Christ; therefore if acquaintance will cause affection, O then let out thy heart unto him; it is he that hath stood by thy bed of sickness, that hath cooled thy heats, and eased thy pains, and refreshed thy weariness, and removed thy fears; He hath been always ready; when thou hast earnestly sought him; He hath given thee the meeting in public and in private; He hath been found of thee in the Congregation, in thy house, in thy chamber, in the field, in the way as thou wast walking, in thy waking nights, in thy deepest dangers. O if bounty and compassion be an attractive of Love how unmeasurably then am I bound to love him? All the mercies that have filled up my life, do tell me this, all the places that ever I did abide in, all the societies and ⟨p. 801⟩persons that I have had to deal with, every condition of life that I have passed through, all my employments, and all my relations, every change that hath befallen me, all tell me, That the Fountain is Overflowing Goodness.—Lord, what a sum of love am I indebted to thee? and how doth my debt continually increase? how should I love again for so much love? But what? shall I dare to think of making thee requital? or of recompensing all thy love with mine! will my mite requite thee for thy golden Mines? my seldom wishes for thy constant bounty? or mine which is nothing or not mine, for thine which is infinite and thine own? shall I dare to contend in love with thee? or set my borrowed languid spark, against the Element and Sun of Love! Can I love as high, as deep, as broad, as long *as Love it self? as much as he that made me? and that made me love? that gave me all that little which I have▪ both the heart, the hearth where it is kindled, the bellows, the fire, the fuel, and all were his: As I cannot match thee in the works of thy Power, nor make, nor preserve, nor guide the worlds; so why should I think any more of matching thee in Love?