A27017:798
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. III. › Chapter 2 › Section 10
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. X.1
- 1§. 10.
Fifthly, And yet more will it add to their calamity, to remember how often they were persuaded to return, both by the ministry in public, and in private by all their godly faithful friends; every request, and exhortation of the Minister will now be as a fiery dart in his spirit. How fresh will every Sermon come now into his mind? even those that he had forgotten, as soon as heard them. He even seems to hear still the voice of the Minister, and to see his tears; O how fain would he have had me to have escaped these torments! How earnestly did he entreat me! With what love and tender compassion did he beseech me! How did his bowels yearn over me! And yet I did but make a jest of it, and hardened my heart against all this. How oft did he convince me, that all was not well with me! And yet I stifled all these convictions. How plainly did he rip up my sores! And open to me my very heart! And show me the unsoundness and deceitfulness ⟨p. 288⟩of it! And yet I was loath to know the worst of my self, and therefore shut mine eyes, and would not see. O how glad would he have been after all his study and prayers and pains, if he could but have seen me cordially entertain the truth, and turn to Christ! He would have thought himself well recompensed for all his labours and sufferings in his work, to have seen me converted and made happy by it. And did I withstand and make light of all this? Should any have been more willing of my happiness then my self?1 Had not I more cause to desire it then he? Did it not more nearly concern me? It was not he, but I, that was to suffer for my obstinacy: He would have laid his hands under my feet to have done me good, he would have fallen down to me upon his knees to have begged my obedience to his message, if that would have prevailed with my hardened heart. O how deservedly do I now suffer these flames, who was so forewarned of them, and so entreated to escape them! Nay my friends, my parents, my godly neighbours did admonish and exhort me; They told me what would come of my wilfulness and negligence at last, but I did neither believe them, nor regard them; Magistrates were fain to restrain me from sinning by Law and punishment; Was not the foresight of this misery sufficient to restrain me!— Thus will the Remembrance of all the means that ever they enjoyed, be fuel to feed the flames in their consciences.