A27017:266
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.
SECT. IV.1
- 1§. 4.
A Fourth comfortable adjunct of this Rest is, that it is in the fellowship of the Blessed Saints and Angels of God.4 Not so singular will the Christian be, as to be solitary. Though it be proper to the Saints only, yet is it common to all the Saints. For what is it, but an Association of Blessed spirits in God? A corporation of perfected Saints whereof Christ is the head? the communion of Saints completed? Nor doth this make those joys to be therefore mediate, derived by creatures to us, as here: For all the lines may be drawn from the centre, and not from each other, and yet their collocation make them more comely, then one alone could be. Though the strings receive not their sound and sweetness from each other, yet their concurrence causeth that harmony, which could not be by one alone. For those that have prayed, and fasted, and wept, and watched, and waited together; now to joy and enjoy and praise together: methinks should much advance their pleasure. Whatsoever it will be upon the great change that will be wrought in our natures perfected; sure I am according to the present temperature of the most sanctified humane affections, it would affect exceedingly: And he who mentioneth the qualifications of our happiness of purpose that our joy may be full, and maketh so oft mention of our consociation and conjunction in his praises, sure doth hereby intimate to us that this will be some advantage to our joys. Certain I am of this, Fellow-Christians; that as we have been together in the labour, duty, danger and distress; so shall we be in the great recompense and deliverance; and as we have been scorned and despised, so shall we be crowned and honoured together, and we who have gone through the day ⟨p. 84⟩