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 ...
Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: 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.
1The Text is, as you may see, the Apostles Assertion in an entire proposition, with the concluding illative, The Subject is Rest; The Predicate, It yet Remains to the people of God. Its requisite ⟨p. 3⟩we say somewhat briefly; 1. For Explication of the terms. 2. Of the Subject of them.
1THe Text is, as you may see, the Apostles Assertion in an entire proposition, with the concluding illative, The Subject is Rest; The Predicate, It yet Remains to the people of God. Its requisite ⟨p. 3⟩we say somewhat briefly; 1. For Explication of the terms. 2. Of the Subject of them.
Therefore] i. e. It clearly follows from the former Argument [There Remains] 1. In order of speaking; As the Consequence follows the Antecedent, or the Conclusion the Premises; So there Remains a Rest, or it remains that there is another Rest. 2. But rather in order of being: As the bargain remains after the earnest, the performance after the promise, the Anti-type after the Type, and the ultimate end after all the means; so there remains a Rest: [To the People of God] God hath a two-fold people within the Church: One his only by a common vocation*, by an external acceptation of Christ, and covenanting, sanctified by the blood of the Covenant so far, as to be separated from the open enemies of Christ, and all without the Church, therefore not to be accounted common and unclean in the sense as Jews and Pagans are; but holy, and Saints in a larger sense, as the Nation of the Jews, and all Proselyted Gentiles were holy before Christs coming: These are called Branches in Christ not bearing fruit,
and shall be cut off, &c. for they are in the Church, and in him, by the foresaid profession, and external Covenant, but no further. There are in his Kingdom things that offend,
and men that work iniquity, which the Angels at the last day shall gather out, and cast into the Lake of fire: There are fishes good and bad in his net, and tares with wheat in his field: The son of Perdition is one of those given to Christ by the Father,
though not as the Rest; these be not the people of God my Text speaks of. 2. But God hath a Peculiar People, that are his by special vocation, cordial acceptation of Christ, internal, sincere covenanting, sanctified by the blood of the Covenant, and Spirit of Grace, so far, as not only to be separated from open Infidels, but from all unregenerate Christians being Branches in Christ, bearing fruit; and for these remains the Rest in my Text.
Therefore] i. e. It clearly follows from the former Argument [There Remains] 1. In order of speaking; As the Consequence follows the Antecedent, or the Conclusion the Premises; So there Remains a Rest, or it remains that there is another Rest. 2. But rather in order of being: As the bargain remains after the earnest, the performance after the promise, the Anti-type after the Type, and the ultimate end after all the means; so there remains a Rest: [To the People of God] God hath a two-fold people within the Church: One his only by a common vocation*, by an external acceptation of Christ, and covenanting, sanctified by the blood of the Covenant so far, as to be separated from the open enemies of Christ, and all without the Church, therefore not to be accounted common and unclean in the sence as Jews and Pagans are; but holy, and Saints in a larger sence, as the Nation of the Jews, and all Proselited Gentiles were holy before Christs coming: These are called Branches in Christ not bearing fruit,2 and shall be cut off, &c. for they are in the Church, and in him, by the foresaid profession, and external Covenant, but no further. There are in his Kingdom things that offend,3 and men that work iniquity, which the Angels at the last day shall gather out, and cast into the Lake of fire: There are fishes good and bad in his net, and tares with wheat in his field: The son of Perdition is one of those given to Christ by the Father,4 though not as the Rest; these be not the people of God my Text speaks of. 2. But God hath a Peculiar People, that are his by special vocation, cordial acceptation of Christ, internal, sincere covenanting, sanctified by the blood of the Covenant, and Spirit of Grace, so far, as not only to be separated from open Infidels, but from all unregenerate Christians being Branches in Christ, bearing fruit; and for these remains the Rest in my Text.
1. To be Gods people by a forced Subjection, i. e. under his dominion, is common to all persons, even open enemies, yea Devils; this yields not comfort.
1. To be Gods people by a forced Subjection, i. e. under his dominion, is common to all persons, even open enemies, yea Devils; this yeelds not comfort.
2. To be his by a verbal Covenant and profession, and external Call, is common to all in and of the visible Church, even Traitors, and secret enemies; yet hath this many privileges, as the external seals, means of grace; common mercies, but no interest in this Rest.
2. To be his by a verbal Covenant and profession, and external Call, is common to all in and of the visible Church, even Traytors, and secret enemies; yet hath this many priviledges, as the external seals, means of grace; common mercies, but no interest in this Rest.
3. But to be his by election, union with Christ, and special interest (as before mentioned) is the peculiar property of those that shall have this Rest.
1Quest. But is it to a determinate number of persons by name, or only to a people thus and thus qualified, viz. persevering Believers, without determining by Name who they are?
1Quest. BUt is it to a determinate number of persons by name, or onely to a people thus and thus qualified, viz. persevering Beleevers, without determining by Name who they are?
Ans. I purposely in this Discourse omit controversies; only in a word thus: 1. It is promised only to persevering Believers, and not to any particular persons by name. 2. It is purposed with all the conditions of it, and means to it, to a determinate Number, called the Elect, and known by name; which I prove thus.
Ans. I purposely in this Discourse omit controversies; onely in a word thus: 1. It is promised only to persevering Beleevers, and not to any particular persons by name. 2. It is purposed with all the conditions of it, and means to it, to a determinate Number, called the Elect, and known by name; which I prove thus.
4. However, we must not make his knowledge active, and his purpose idle, much less to contradict each other, as it must be, if from eternity he purposed salvation alike to all, and yet from eternity knew that only such and such should receive it.
4. However, we must not make his knowledg active, and his purpose idle, much less to contradict each other, as it must be, if from eternity he purposed salvation alike to all, and yet from eternity knew that only such and such should receive it.
5. To purpose all persevering Believers to salvation, and not to purpose faith and perseverance absolutely to any particular persons, is to purpose salvation absolutely to none at all.
5. To purpose all persevering Beleevers to salvation, and not to purpose faith and perseverance absolutely to any particular persons, is to purpose salvation absolutely to none at all.
