A27017:2079
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.
Consider also, O my soul; What a beauty is there in the imperfect Graces of the spirit here? so great that they are called the Image of God:1 and can any created excellency have a more honourable title? Alas how small a part are these of what we shall enjoy in our perfect state? O how precious a mercy should I esteem it, if God would but take off my bodily infirmities, and restore me to any comfortable measure of health and strength, that I might be able with cheerfulness to go through his work? How precious a mercy then will it be; to have all my corruptions, quite removed, and my soul perfected; and my body also raised to so high a state, as I now can neither desire nor conceive? Surely as health of body, so health of soul doth carry an unexpressible sweetness along with it. Were there no reward besides, yet every gracious act is a reward and comfort. Never had I the least ⟨p. 815⟩stirring of Love to God, but I felt a heavenly sweetness accompanying it: even the very act of loving was unexpressibly sweet. What a happy life should I here live, could I but love as much as I would? and as oft, and as long as I would? Could I be all love, and always loving! O my soul; what wouldst thou give for such a life! O had I such true and clear apprehensions of God; and such a true understanding of his words as I desire; Could I but trust him as fully in all my straits: Could I have that life which I would have in every duty: Could I make God my constant desire and delight; I would not then envy the world their honours or pleasures; nor change my happiness with a Caesar or Alexander. O my soul, what a blessed state wilt thou shortly be in, when thou shalt have far more of these then thou canst now desire? and shalt exercise all thy perfected graces upon God in presence and open sight, and not in the dark, and at a distance, as now.
Consider also, O my soul; What a beauty is there in the imperfect Graces of the spirit here? so great that they are called the Image of God:1 and can any created exceellencie have a more honorable title? Alas how small a part are these of what we shall enjoy in our perfect state? O how pretious a mercy should I esteem it, if God would but take off my bodily infirmities, and restore me to any comfortable measure of health and strength, that I might be able with cheerfulness to go through his work? How pretious a mercy then will it be; to have all my corruptions, quite removed, and my soul perfected; and my body also raised to so high a state, as I now can neither desire nor conceive? Surely as health of body, so health of soul doth carry an unexpressible sweetness along with it. VVere there no reward besides, yet every gracious act is a reward and comfort. Never had I the least