The saints everlasting rest

O wretched heart! hath GOD made thee a promise of rest, and wilt thou come short of it, and shut out ⟨p. 381⟩thyself through unbelief? Thine eyes may fail thee, thy ears deceive thee, and all thy senses prove delusions, sooner than a promise of GOD can delude thee. Thou mayst be surer of that which is written in the word, than if thou see it with thy eyes, or feel it with thy hands. Art thou sure thou livest? or sure that this is the earth which thou standest on? Art thou sure thine eyes see the sun? As sure is all this glory to the saints, as sure shall I be higher than yonder stars, and live for-ever in the holy city, and joyfully sound forth the praise of my Redeemer, if I be not shut out by the evil heart of unbelief, causing me to depart from the living God.

And is this rest so sweet, and so sure? O then, what means the careless world! Do they know what it is they so neglect? Did they ever hear of it? or are they yet asleep? Do they know for certain that the crown is before them, while they thus si• still, or follow trifles, when they are hasting so fast to another world, and their eternal happiness lies at stake? Were there left one spark of reason, they would never sell their rest for toil, their glory for worldly vanities. Ah, poor men! that you would once consider what you hazard, and then you would scorn these tempting baits. O blessed for-ever be that love, that hath rescued me from this mad bewitching darkness!

Draw nearer yet, O my soul; bring forth thy strongest love; here is matter for it to work upon: O see what beauty presents itself! Is it not exceeding lovely? Is not all the beauty in the world contracted here? Is not all other beauty deformity to it? Dost thou need to be persuaded now to love? Here is a feast for thine eves: a feast for all the powers of thy soul: dost thou need to be entreated to feed upon it? Canst thou love a little shining earth? Canst thou love a walking piece of clay? And canst thou not