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. II.

FIrst, They shall lose their present presumptuous conceit and belief, of their Interest in God, and of his favour towards them, and of their part in the merits and sufferings of Christ. This false Belief doth now support their spirits, and defend them from the terrors that else would seiz upon them; and fortifie them against the fears of the wrath to come. Even as true Faith doth afford the soul a true and grounded support and consolation, and enableth us to look to Eternity with undaunted courage: So also a false ungrounded Faith doth afford a false ungrounded comfort; and abates the trouble of the considerations of Judg∣ment and damnation. But alas, this is but a palliat salve, a deceitful comfort; what will ease their trouble when this is gone? VVhen they can Believe no longer, they will be quieted in minde no long∣er, and rejoyce no longer. If a man be neer to the greatest mischief, and yet strongly conceit that he is in safety; his conceit may make him as cheerfull as if all were well indeed, till his misery comes, and then both his conceit and comforts vanish. An ungrounded per∣swasion of happiness, is a poor cure for reall misery. VVhen the mischief comes, it will cure the mis-belief; but that belief can nei∣ther prevent nor cure the mischief. If there were no more to make a man happy, but to believe that he is so, or shall be so, happiness would be far commonner then now it is like to be. It is a won∣der, that any man who is not a stranger both to Gospel and Reason, should be of the Antinomian faith in this; who tell us that faith is but the believing that God loveth us, and that our sins are already pardoned through Christ; that this is the cheif thing that Ministers should preach; that our Ministers preach not Christ, because they preach not this; that every man ought thus to believe, but no man to question his Faith, whether he

believe truly or not, &c. But if all men must believe that their sins are pardoned, then most of the world must believe a lye; And if no man ought to question the truth of his faith, then most men shall rest deluded with an ungrounded belief. The Scripture command∣eth us first to believe for remission of sins, before we believe that our sins are remitted: If we believe in Christ, that is, accept him cor∣dially for our Saviour, and our King, then we shall receive the par∣don of sins. The truth is, we have more ado to Preach down this Antinomian faith, then they have to Preach it up; and to Preach our people from such a believing, then they have to preach them to it. I see no need to perswade people so to believe, the generality are strong and confident in such a belief already. Take a congregation of 5000. persons, and how few among them all will you finde, that do not believe that their sins are pardoned, and that God loves them? Especially of the vilest sinners, who have least cause to believe it? Indeed, as it is all the work of those men to perswade people to this belief•• so is it the hardest task almost that we meet with, to con∣vince men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the ungroundedness of this belief, and to break that peace 〈…〉〈…〉 maintaineth in their souls. Neither do I know a 〈…〉〈…〉 of mens destruction, then such a misbelief. Who will ••eek for that which he believes he hath already? This is the great engine of Hell, to make men go merrily to their own perdi∣tion. I know men cannot believe Christ, or believe in, or upon Christ, either too soon, or too much. But they may believe, or judg that themselves are pardoned, adopted, and in favour with God, too soon, and too much. For a false judgment is always too much and too soon. As true grounded Faith is the master grace in the Re∣generate, and of greatest use in the Kingdom of Christ; so is a false ungrounded faith, the master vice in the unregenerate soul, and of greatest use in the Kingdom of Satan. Why do such a multitude sit still, when they might have pardon for the seeking? but that they verily think they are pardoned already? Why do men live so con∣tentedly in the power of the devil, & walk so carelesly in the certain way to Hel? but that they think their way wil have no such end, and that the Divel hath nothing to do with them? they defie him, they spit at the mention of his name. If you could aske so many 1000 as are now in Hell, What madness could cause you to come hither vo∣luntarily? or to follow Satan to this place of torment? when you might follow Christ to the land of Rest? They would most of them

answer you, VVe believed that we had followed towards Salvati∣on; and that the way which we were in, would have brought us to Heaven: VVe made sure account of being saved, till we found our selves damned; and never feared Hell, till we were suddenly in it▪ we would have renounced our sinfull courses and companions, but that we thought we might have them, and heaven too; VVe would have sought after Christ more heartily, but that we thought we had part in him already; VVe would have been more earn∣est seekers of Regeneration, and the power of godliness, but that we verily thought we were Christians before O if we had known as much as now we know! what lives would we have led! what persons would we have been! But we have flattered our selves in∣to these unsufferable torments: VVe were told of this before from the word of God: but we would not believe it, till we felt it; and now there is no remedy. — Reader, do but stop, and think here with thy self, how sad a Case this is? That men should so resolutely cheat themselves of their Everlasting Rest? The Lord grant it never prove thy own case. I would be very loath to weaken the true faith of the meanest Christian, or to perswade any man that his faith is false, when it is true: God forbid, that I should so disparage that pretious grace which hath the stamp of the spirit! or so trouble the soul that Christ would have to be comforted! But I must needs in faithfullness tell thee, that the confident belief of their good estate and of the pardon of their sins, which the careless, unholy, unhumbled multitude amongst us, do so commonly boast of, will prove in the end but a soul-damning delusion. It hath made me ready to tremble many a time, to hear a drunken, ungodly, unfaithful Minister, as confi∣dently in his formall prayers in the Pulpit, give God thanks for Vocation, Justification, Sanctification, and assured hope of Glori∣fication, as if he had been a most assured Saint! when it may be his Sermon was intended to reproch the Saints, and to jeer at Sancti∣fication! Me thoughts I even heard the Pharisee say, I thank thee that I am not as other men: Or Corah; Are not all the people holy, every one? How commonly do men thank God for these, which they never received, nor ever shall do? How many have thanked God for pardon of sin, who are now tormented for it! and for Sanctification and assured hope of Glory, who are now shut out of that Inheritance of the Sanctified? I warrant you,

ther's none of this believing in hell: nor any perswasions of pardon or happiness, nor any boasting of their honesty, nor ju∣stifying of themselves: This was but Satans stratagem, that being blindfold they might follow him the more boldly, but then he will uncover their eyes, and they shall see where they are.

Notes

• §. 2.
• Luk. 18.11. Num. 16.3.5.