A27017:948
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 6 › Section 9
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. IX.
8. Consider;1 What haste should they make, who have such Rods at their backs as be at ours? And how painfully should they work, who are still driven on by such sharp Afflictions? If either we wander out of the way, or loiter in it, how surely do we prepare for our own smart? Every creature is ready to be Gods Rod to reduce us, or to put us on: Our sweetest mercies will become our sorrows: Or rather then he will want a Rod, the Lord will make us a scourge to our selves: Our diseased bodies shall make us groan, our perplexed minds shall make us restless; our conscience shall be as a Scorpion in our bosom. And is it not easier to endure the labour then the spur? Had we rather be still thus afflicted, then to be up and going? Alas, how like are we to tired horses, that will lie down, and groan, or stand still, and let you lay on them as long as you will, rather then they will freely travel on their journey? And thus we make our own lives miserable, and necessitate God, if he love us, to chasti•e us. It is true, those that do most, do meet with Afflictions also: but surely according to the measure of their peace of Conscience, and faithfulness to Christ, so is the bitterness of their Cup (for the most part) abated.
8. COnsider;1 What haste should they make, who have such Rods at their backs as be at ours? And how painfully should they work, who are still driven on by such sharp Afflictions? If either we wander out of the way, or loyter in it, how surely do we prepare for our own smart? Every creature is ready to be Gods Rod to reduce us, or to put us on: Our sweetest mercies will become our sorrows: Or rather then he will want a Rod, the Lord will make us a scourge to our selves: Our diseased bodies shall make us groan, our perplexed minds shall make us restless; our conscience shall be as a Scorpion in our bosom. And is it not easier to endure the labour then the spur? Had we rather be still thus afflicted, then to be up and going? Alas, how like are we to tired horses, that will lie down, and groan, or stand still, and let you lay on them as long as you will, rather then they will freely travel on their journey? And thus we make our own lives miserable, and necessitate God, if he love us, to chastie us. It is true, those that do most, do meet with Afflictions also: but surely according to the measure of their peace of Conscience, and faithfulness to Christ, so is the bitterness of their Cup (for the most part) abated.