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 ...

* 1.1SECT. VI.

FIfthly, Another additional loss will be this, They shall lose all their sensuall contentments and delights. That which they esteemed their chiefest good, their heaven, their God, that must they lose as well as Heaven and God himself. They shall then in despite of them fulfil that command,* 1.2 which here they would not be perswaded to obey, Rom. 13.14. of making no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. O what a fall will the proud ambitious man have, from the top of his honors! As his dust and bones will not be known from the dust and bones of the poorest beggar; so neither will his soul be honoured or favoured any more then theirs. VVhat a number of Right Honourable Lords, Right VVorshipful Kinghts and Gentlemen, Right Reverend Fathers and Learned Doctors are now shut out of the presence of Christ? If you say, How can I tell that? VVhy I answer, be∣cause their judg hath told me so: Hath he not said by his Apostle, 1 Cor. 1.26. That not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called? And if they be not called, they be not predestinate, or justified, or glorified. Rom. 8.30. Sure that rich man, Luk. 16. hath now no humble obeysance done him, nor titles of honor put upon him; nor do the poor now wait at his gates to receive of his scraps. They must be shut out of their wel-contrived houses, and sumptuous buildings; their comely Chambers, with costly hangings, their soft beds, and easie couches. They shall not finde there their gallant walks, their curious Gar∣dens, with varity of beauteous odoriferous fruits and flowers; their rich Pastures and pleasant Meadows, and plenteous Harvest, and Flocks, and Herds. Their tables will not be so spread and fur∣nished, nor they so punctually attended and observed. They have not there variety of Dainty fare, now severall courses, nor tempt∣ing dishes, prepared to please their appetites to the full: the rich man there fareth not deliciously every day: Neither shall he wear there his purple and fine linnen: The jetting gorgeous well drest gallant, that must not have a pin amiss, that stands as a picture

set to sale, that take themselves more beholden to the Tailor or Semster for their comeliness, then to God, they shall then be quite in a different garb; There is no powdering or curling of the hair, nor eying of themselves, nor desirous expecting the admiration of beholders. Sure our voluptuous youths must leave their Cards and Dice behinde them; as also their Hawks, and Hounds, and Bowls, and all their former pleasant sports: They shall then spend their time in a more sad imployment, and not in such pa∣stimes as these. Where will then be your Maygames, and your Morrice daunces? your Stage Playes, and your Shewes? What mirth will you have in remembring all the Games, and Sports, and Dauncings which you had on the Lords Days, when you should have been delighting your selves in God and his work? O, what an alteration will our Joviall roaring swaggerers then finde? What bitter draughts they will have in stead of their Wine and Ale? If there were any drinking of healths, the Rich man would not have begged so hard for a drop of water: The heat of their lust will be then abated: They shall not spend their time in courting their Mistresses, in lascivious discourse, in amorous songs, in wanton dalliance, in their lustful embracements, or brutish de∣filements: Yet they are like enough to have each others company there; But they will have no more comfort in that company, then Zimri and Cosbi, in dying together; or then lewd companions have in being hanged together on the same Gallows: O the dole∣ful meeting that these lustful wantons will have there? How it will even cut them to the heart to look each other in the face! And to remember that beastly pleasure for which they now must pay so dear! So will it be with the Fellowship of Drunkards, and all others that were play-fellows together in sin, who got not their pardon in the time of their lives: VVhat a direful greeting will there then be? Cursing the day that ever they saw the faces of one another! Remembring and ripping up all their lewdness, to the aggravation of their torment? O that sinners would re••member this in the midst of their pleasure and jollity! And say to one another. VVe must shortly reckon for this before the jealous God. VVill the remembrance of it then be comfortable, or terrible? VVill these delights accompany us to another world? How shall we look each other in the faces, if we meet in Hell to∣gether for these things? VVill not the memoriall of them be

then our torment? Shall we then take these for friendly actions? Or rather wish we had spent this time in praying together, o•• admonishing one another? O, why should we sell such a lasting, incomprehensible Joy, for one tast of a seeming pleasure? Come, as we have sinned together, let us pray together before we stir, that God would pardon us: And let us enter into a promise to one another, that we will do thus no more, but will meet toge∣ther with the godly in the worship of God, and help one ano∣ther toward Heaven, as oft as we have met for our sinfull metri∣ments, in helping to deceive and destroy each other.—This would be the way to prevent this sorrow, and a course that would comfort you when you look back upon it hereafter. VVho would spend so many dayes and yeers, and thoughts, and cares, and be at so much cost and pains, and all to please this flesh for a moment, which must shortly be most loathsome stinking rotten∣ness; and in the mean time neglect our pretious souls, and that state which we must trust to for ever and ever? To be at such pains for that pleasure which dyes in the enjoying, and is almost as soon gone as come, and when we have most need of comfort will be so far from following us as our happiness, that it will be perpe∣tual fuel to the flames which shall torment us! O that men knew but what they desire, when they would so fain have all things suited to the desires of the flesh! They would have Buildings, VValks, Lands, Cloathes, Diet, and all so fitted as may be most pleasing and delightful. VVhy, this is but to desire their tempta∣tions to be increased, and their snare strengthened: Their Joyes will be more carnall; and how great an enemy carnal Joy is to spiritual, experienced men can quickly tell you. If we took the flesh so much for your enemy as we do professe, we could not so earnestly desire, and contrive to accommodate it, and so congratu∣late all its contentments as we do.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 6.
• * 1.2

  Tunc edax flamma combu∣rit, quos nunc carnalis dele∣ctatio polluit: Tunc infinitum patens inserni barathrum de∣vorat, quos in∣anis elatio nunc exaltat: et qui olim ex vitio volunt••tem ca∣••d•• praesuaso••is explev••••unt, tunc cum duce suo reprobi ad tormenta 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Gre∣gor. Moral. 9. Quid enim con••••letur eos qui suam ha∣bent consola∣tionem? Non consolatur Christ, infantia ga••rulos: non consolantur Christi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cachin∣nantes; non con∣sola••tur p••nni ejus ambulan∣tes in stolis: Non consolan∣tur p••es••pe & stabulum amantes primas cathedras in Synagogis: sed aequanimiter sorte uni∣ve••••am h••n•• consolationem expectantibus in silentio dominum: ••ug••••tibus, pannosis, pauperibus cre∣dere videbantur. Bernard, Serm. 22.