A27017:2093
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.
Nor will thy loss be greater in the change of thy company, then of thine employment. Thy friends here have been indeed thy delight: And have they not been also thy vexation, and thy grief? They are gracious; and are they not also sinful? they are kind and loving; and are they not also peevish, froward, and soon displeased? they are humble; but withal, alas, how proud! they will scarce endure to hear plainly of their disgraceful faults; they cannot bear undervaluing, or disrespect; they itch after the good thoughts, and applause of others; they love those best, that highliest esteem them: The missing of a courtesy, a supposed slighting or disrespect; the contradicting of their words or humours, a difference in opinion, yea, the turning of a straw, will quickly show thee the pride, and the uncertainty of thy friend. Their graces are sweet to thee, and their gifts are helpful; but are not their corruptions bitter, and their imperfections hurtful? Though at a distance they seem to thee most Holy and Innocent; yet when they come nearer thee, and thou hast throughly tried them, alas, what silly, frail, and froward pieces are the best of men! Then the knowledge which thou didst admire, appeareth clouded with ignorance; and the virtues that so shined as a Glow-worm in the night, are scarcely to be found when thou seekest them by day-light. When temptations are strong, how quickly do they yield? what wounds have they given to Religion by their shameful falls? Those that have been famous for their Holiness, have been as infamous for their notorious heinous wickedness; those that have been thy ⟨p. 830⟩[…] ⟨p. 831⟩[…] ⟨p. 830⟩[…] ⟨p. 831⟩[…] ⟨p. 824⟩dearest bosom friends, that have prayed and conferred with thee, and helped thee toward Heaven, and by their fervour, forwardness, and heavenly lives, have shamed thy coldness, and earthliness, and dullness; whom thou hast singled out, as the choicest, from a world of professors; whom thou madest the daily companions and delights of thy life; are not some of them fallen to Drunkenness, and some to Whoredom, some to Pride, Perfidiousness and Rebellion, and some to the most damnable Heresies and Divisions? And hath thy very heart received such wounds from thy friends? and yet art thou so loth to go from them to thy God? Thy friends that are weak are little useful or comfortable to thee: and those that are strong are the abler to hurt thee;