A27017:837
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 3 › Section 3
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.
I would not have thee doubt of any of these in the least measure, much less despair.1 But this is the despair that I would persuade thee to, as thou lovest thy soul: That thou despair of ever being saved, except thou be born again; or of seeing God without Holiness: or of escaping perishing, except thou soundly Repent: Or of ever having part in Christ, or salvation by him, or ever being one of his true Disciples, except thou love him above Father, mother, or thy own life: Or of ever having a Treasure in Heaven, except thy very heart be there: Or of ever scaping eternal death, if thou walk after the flesh, and dost not by the spirit mortify the ⟨p. 308⟩deeds of the flesh; or of ever truly loving God, or being his servant, while thou lovest the world, and servest it. These things I would have thee despair of; and what ever else God hath told thee shall never come to pass. And when thou hast sadly searched into thy own heart, and findest thy self in any of these cases, I would have thee despair thy self of ever being saved in that state thou art in; Never stick at the sadness of the conclusion, man, but acknowledge plainly, If I die before I get out of this estate, I am lost for ever. It is as good deal truly with thy self as not: God will not flatter thee, he will deal plainly, whether thou do or not. The very truth is, This kind of despair is one of the first steps to Heaven. Consider, if a man be quite out of his way, what must be the first means to bring him in again? Why, a despair of ever coming to his journeys end in the way that he is in. If his home be Eastward, and he be going Westward, as long as he hopes he is the right, he will go on; and as long as he so goes on hoping▪ he goes further amiss. Therefore when he meets with some body who assures him that he is clean out of his way, and brings him to despair of coming home, except he turn back again; then he will return, and then he may hope and spare not. Why, sinner, Just so it is with thy soul: Thou art born out of the way to Heaven; and in that way thou hast proceeded many a year; Yet thou goest on quietly, and hopest to be saved, because thou art not so bad as many others.
I would not have thee doubt of any of these in the least measure, much less despaire.1