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. XI.* 1.1

SIxthly, Yet further, it will much add to the torment of these wretches to remember, that God himself did con∣descend to intreat them, That all the intreatings of the Mi∣nister were the intreatings God: How long he did wait, How freely he did offer, how lovingly he did invite, and how importunately he did solicite them. How the spirit did con∣tinue striving with their hearts, as if he were loath to take a deny∣all. How Christ stood knocking at the door of their hearts, Ser∣mon after Sermon, and one Sabbath after another; crying out, Open, sinner, open thy heart to thy Saviour, and I will come in, and sup with thee, and thou with me, Rev. 3.20. Why sinner ••

Are thy lusts and carnall pleasures better then I? Are thy world∣ly Commodities better then my everlasting Kingdom? Why then dost thou resist me? Why dost thou thus delay? What dost thou mean,* 1.2 that thou dost not open to me? How long shall it be till thou attain to innocency?* 1.3 How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?* 1.4 Wo to thee, O unworthy sinner; wilt thou not be made clean? Wilt thou not be pardoned, and sanctified, and made happy?* 1.5 When shall it once be? O that thou wouldst hearken to my word, and obey my Gospel! Then should thy peace be as the river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea: though thy sins were as red as the Crimson, or Scarlet, I would make them as white as the Snow, or Wooll. O that thou were but wise,* 1.6 to consider this! and that thou wouldest in time remember thy latter end! before the evil dayes do come upon thee,* 1.7 and the yeers draw nigh when thou shalt say of all thy vain delights; I have no pleasure in them! Why sinner! Shall thy Maker thus bespeak thee in vain? shall the God of all the world beseech thee to be happy, and beseech thee to have pitty upon thy own soul, and wilt thou not regard him? Why did he make thy ears, but to hear his voice? VVhy did he make thy understanding, but to consider?* 1.8 Or thy heart, but to entertain the Son in obedi∣entiall Love? Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, consider thy wayes.—

O how all these passionate pleadings of Christ, will passionately transport the damned with self-indignation! That they will be ready to tear out their own hearts! How fresh will the remem∣brance of them be still in their minds? launcing their souls with renewed torments! What self-condemning pangs will it raise within them, to remember how often Christ would have gathered them to himself▪ even as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings,* 1.9 but they would not? Then will they cry out against them∣selves, O how justly is all this befallen me! Must I tire out the patience of Christ? Must I make the God of Heaven to follow me in vain, from home to the Assembly? from thence to my Chamber? from Alehouse to Alehouse? Till I had wearied him with crying to me, Repent, Return? Must the Lord of all the world thus wait upon me? and all in vain? O how justly is that Patience now turned into fury? which falls upon my soul with irresistible violence? when the Lord cryed out to me in his word▪ How long will it be before thou wilt be made clean and holy?

My heart, or at least my practice answered, Never; I will never be so precise; And now when I cry out, How long will it be till I be freed from this torment, and saved with the Saints? How justly do I receive the same answer? Never, Never? — O sinner, I beseech thee for thy own sake, think of this for preven∣tion, while the voice of mercy soundeth in thine ears: Yet pati∣ence continueth waiting upon thee: Canst thou think it will do so still? yet the offers of Christ and life are made to thee in the Gospel; and the hand of God is stretched out to thee: But will it still be thus? The spirit hath not yet done striving with thy heart;* 1.10 But dost thou know how soon he may turn away, and give thee over to a reprobate sense, and let thee perish in the stubborn∣ness and hardness of thy heart?* 1.11 Thou hast yet life, and time, and strength, and means; But dost thou think this life will alwayes last? O seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is neer; He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what Christ now speaketh to his soul.* 1.12 And to day, while it is called to day, harden not your hearts; lest he swear in his wrath that you shall never enter into his Rest. For ever blessed is he, that hath a Hearing heart and ear, while Christ hath a Calling voice.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 11.
• * 1.2

  Hos. 8.5.
• * 1.3

  Jer. 4.14.
• * 1.4

  Jer. 13.27.
• * 1.5

  Psa. 81.13, 14. Isai. 48.17, 18.
• * 1.6

  Isa. 1.18. Deut. 32.29.
• * 1.7

  Eccl. 12.1.
• * 1.8

  Hag. 1.5.
• * 1.9

  Mat. 27.37.
• * 1.10

  Isa. 55.6, 7.
• * 1.11

  Rev. 2. & 3.
• * 1.12

  Heb. 3▪8, 11, 15.