A27017:685
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
THE SAINTS Everlasting REST. PART II. › Chapter 7 › Section 6
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.
1SECT. VI.
- 1§. 6.
The third thing that I am to prove, is this; That mere nature and creatures, contain no sufficient revelation of the forementioned end and means. This appears thus. First, Nature by the help of creatures, though it tell us that there is a God, yet what he is, or how he will be worshipped, or how he came to be so displeased with the world, or how he must be reconciled, of all this it tells us nothing. Again, though it may possibly acquaint us with an immortal state, yet what the happiness there is, and what the misery, or how we are naturally deprived of that happiness, and how it must be recovered, and who they be that shall enjoy it, of all this it tells us little: Much less of the Resurrection of our bodies from the grave. So also, though nature may possibly find it self depraved, yet how it came to be so, or how to be healed, or how to be pardoned, it cannot tell. Secondly, If nature, by the mere book of the creatures could learn all things necessary, yet first it would be so slow, and by so long study, Secondly, and so doubtfully and uncertainly, Thirdly, and so rarely, that it appears by this, the means of revelation is not sufficient. All this is apparent by event and success. For what nature and creatures do sufficiently teach, that their Scholars have certainly learned.
THe third thing that I am to prove, is this; That meer nature and creatures, contain no sufficient revelation of the forementioned end and means. This appears thus. First, Nature by the help of creatures, though it tell us that there is a God, yet what he is, or how he will be worshipped, or how he came to be so displeased with the world, or how he must be reconciled, of all this it tels us nothing. Again, though it may possibly acquaint us with an immortall state, yet what the happiness there is, and what the misery, or how we are naturally deprived of that happiness, and how it must be recovered, and who they be that shall enjoy it, of all this it tels us little: Much less of the Resurrection of our bodies from the grave. So also, though nature may possibly finde it self depraved, yet how it came to be so, or how to be healed, or how to be pardoned, it cannot tell. Secondly, If nature, by the meer book of the creatures could learn all things necessary, yet first it would be so slow, and by so long study, Secondly, and so doubtfully and uncertainly, Thirdly, and so rarely, that it appears by this, the means of revelation is not sufficient. All this is apparent by event and successe. For what nature and creatures do sufficiently teach, that their Scholars have certainly learned.