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 ...

SECT. I.* 1.1

MY Fourth and last Argument which I will now produce to prove the Scripture to be the Word and perfect Law of God, is this;

Either the Scriptures are the written Word and Law of God, or else there is no such extant in the world. But there is a written Word and Law of God in the world. Ergo This is it.

Here I have these two Positions to prove. First, That God hath such a written Word in the world. Secondly, That it can be no other but this.

That there is such a Word, I prove thus: If it cannot stand with the welfare of mankinde, and consequently with that honor which the wisdom and goodness of God hath by their welfare, that the world should be without a written Law; then certainly there is such a written Law. But that it cannot stand with the welfare of the creature, or that honor of God, appears thus. That there be a certain and sufficient Revelation of the VVill of God to man, more then meer Nature and Creatures do teach, is necessary to the welfare of man, and the aforesaid honour of God. But there is now no such certain and sufficient Revelation unwritten in the

world; therefore it is necessary that there be such a Revelation written. The proof of the Major is the main task, which if it be well performed will clearly carry the whole cause; for I believe all the rest will quickly be granted, if that be once plain: There∣fore I shall stand a little the more largely to prove it, viz. That there is a necessity for the welfare of man, and the honor of Gods VVisdom and Goodness, that there be some further Revelation of Gods VVill, then is in meer Nature or Creatures to be found. And first, I will prove it necessary to the welfare of man; And that thus. If man have a Happiness or Misery to partake of after this life, and no sufficient Revelation of it in Nature or Creatures, then it is necessary that he have some other Revelation of it, which is sufficient. But such a Happiness or Misery man must par∣take of hereafter, which Nature and Creatures do not sufficiently reveal, (either end or means) therefore some other is necessary. I will stand the largelier on the first Branch of the Antece∣dent, because the chief weight lyeth on it; and I scarce ever knew any doubt of Scripture, but they also doubted of the immortal state and recompence of souls; and that usually is their first and chiefest doubt.

I will therefore here prove these three things in order thus. First, That there is such a state for man hereafter. Secondly, That it is necessary that he know it, and the way to be so happy. Thirdly, That Nature and Creatures do not sufficiently reveal it.

For the first, I take it for granted, that there is a God, because Nature teacheth that, and I shall pass over those Arguments drawn from his righteousness and just dispensations, to prove the variety of mens future conditions, because they are commonly known; and I shall now argue from sense it self, because that works best with sensual men: and that thus. If the devil be very diligent to deceive men of that Happiness, and bring them to that misery, then sure there is such a Happiness and Misery; but the former is true, Ergo the later. They that doubt of the Major Proposition do most of them doubt whether there be any devil, as well as whether he seek our eternal undoing. I prove both toge∣ther. First, By his Temptations: Secondly, Apparitions. Thirdly, Possessions and dispossessions. Fourthly, His Contracts with Witches. I hope these are palpable Discoveries.

1. The temptations of Satan are sometime so unnatural, so

violent, and so importunate, that the tempted person even feels something besides himself, perswading and urging him: He cannot go about his calling, he cannot be alone, but he feels somewhat fol∣lowing him, with perswasions to sin, yea, to sins that he never found his nature much inclined to, and such as bring him no ad∣vantage in the world, and such as are quite against the temperature of his body. Doth it not plainly tell us that there is a Devil, la∣bouring to deprive man of his Happiness, when men are drawn to commit such monstrous sins? Such cruelty as the Romans used to the Jews at the taking of Jerusalem: So many thousand Christians so barbarously murdered; such bloudy actions as those of Nero, Caligula, Sylla, Messala, Caeracalla, the Romane Gladiatores the French Massacre, the Gunpowder Plot, the Spanish Inquisition, and their murdering fifty millions of Indians in fourty two years, ac∣cording to the Testimony of Acosta their Jesuite. Men invading their own neighbours and brethren, with an unquenchable thirst after their blood, and meerly because of their strictness in the common professed Religion, as the late cruel wars in England have declared: I say, how could these come to pass, but by the instigation of the Devil? When we see men making a j••st of such sins as these, making them their pleasure, impudently, and im∣placably against Knowledg and Conscience proceeding in them, hating those ways that they know to be better, and all those per∣sons that would help to save them: yea, chusing sin, though they believe it will damn them, despairing, and yet sinning still; Doth not this tell men plainly that there is a Devil, their enemy? When men will commit the sin which they abhor in others, which Rea∣son is against, when men of the best natures, as Vespasian, Julian, &c. shall be so bloody murderers, when men will not be stirred from sin by any intreaty, though their dearest friends should beg with teares upon their knees; though Preachers convince them, and beseech them in the name of the Lord, though wife and children, body and soul be undone by it: Nay, when men will be the same under the greatest judgments, and under the most won∣derful convincing Providences, as appears in England, yea, under Miracles themselves.

Surely I think all this shews that there is a Devil, and that he is diligent in working out ruine. Why else should it be so hard a thing to perswade a man to that which he is convinced to be good?

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1.