A27017:261
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.
Ah Christian, There's no talk of our worthiness, nor unworthiness; If worthiness were our condition for admittance, we might ⟨p. 79⟩sit down with S. John and weep, 1because none in heaven or earth is found worthy. But the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy and hath prevailed, & by that title must we hold the inheritance. We shall offer there the offering that David refused, even praise for that which cost us nothing. Here our Commission runs, Freely, ye have received, Freely give: But Christ hath dearly received, yet Freely gives. The master heals us of our leprosy freely, but Gehazi who had no finger in the cure, will surely run after us, and take something of us, and falsely pretend, it is his masters pleasure. The Pope and his servants will be paid for their Pardons and Indulgences; But Christ will take nothing for his. The fees of the Prelates Courts were large; and our Commutation of Penance must cost our purses dear; or else we must be cast out of the Synagogue, and soul and body delivered up to the Devil. But none are shut out of that Church for want of money, nor is poverty any eye-sore to Christ: An empty heart may bar them out, but an empty purse cannot: His Kingdom of Grace hath ever been more consistent with despised poverty, then wealth and honour: and riches occasion the difficulty of entrance, far more then want can do. For that which is highly esteemed among men, 2is despised with God, And so is it also, The poor of the world, rich in faith, whom God hath chosen to be heirs of that Kingdom, 3which he hath prepared for them that love him. I know the true labourer is worthy of his hire: And they that serve at the Altar, should live upon the Altar: And it is not fit to muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the corn: And I know it is either hellish malice, or penurious baseness, or ignorance of the weight of their work and burden, that makes their maintenance so generally Incompetent, and their very livelihood and subsistence, so envied and grudged at: and that it's a mere plot of the Prince of darkness for the diversion of their thoughts; that they must be studying how to get bread for their own and children's mouths, when they should be preparing the bread of life for their peoples souls. But yet let me desire the right aiming Ministers of Christ, to consider, what is expedient as well as what is lawful;