A27017:2080
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.
And as there is so much worth in one gracious soul, so much more in a gracious society, and most of all in the whole body of Christ on earth: If there be any true beauty on earth, where should it be so likely as in the Spouse of Christ? It is her that he adorneth with his Jewels; and feasteth at his table; and keepeth for her always an open house and heart: he revealeth to her his secrets, and maintaineth constant converse with her: he is her constant guardian, and in every deluge encloseth her in his Ark: He saith to her,1 Thou art all beautiful, my beloved! And is his Spouse, while black, so comely? Is the afflicted, sinning, weeping lamenting, persecuted Church, so excellent? O what then will be the Church,2 when it is fully gathered and glorified? When it is ascended from the valley of tears to Mount Zion? When it shall sin no more: nor weep, nor groan, nor suffer any more? The Stars, or the smallest candle are not darkened so much by the brightness of the Sun, as the excellencies of the first Temple will be by the celestial Temple. The glory of the old Jerusalem will be darkness and deformity to the glory of the New. It is said in Ezr. 3.12. that when the foundations of the second Temple were laid, many of the ancient men, who had seen ⟨p. 816⟩the first house did weep, i.e. because the second did come so far short of it: what cause then shall we have to shout for joy, when we shall see how glorious the heavenly Temple is, and remember the meanness of the Church on earth?
And as there is so much worth in one gracious soul, so much more in a gracious society, and most of all in the whole body of Christ on earth: If there be any true beauty on earth, where should it be so likely as in the Spouse of Christ? It is her that he adorneth with his Jewels; and feasteth at his table; and keepeth for her always an open house and heart: he revealeth to her his secrets, and maintaineth constant converse with her: he is her constant guardian, and in every deluge incloseth her in his Ark: He saith to her,1 Thou art all beautiful, my beloved! And is his Spouse, while black, so comely? Is the afflicted, sinning, weeping lamenting, persecuted Church, so excellent? O what then will be the Church,