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. XXII.

ANd thus,* 1.1 Reader, I dare confidently say, I have shewed thee sufficient Reason against thy sloathfulness and negligence, if thou be not a man resolved to shut thine eyes, and to destroy thy self wilfully in despite of Reason. Yet, lest all this should not prevail, I will add somewhat more, if it be possible, to perswade thee to be Serious in thy Endeavors for Heaven.

1. Consider God is in Good earnest with you; and why then should not you be so with him? In his Commands, he means as he speaks, and will verily require your real Obedience. In his Threa∣tenings he is Serious, and will make them all good against the Re∣bellious. In his Promises he is Serious, and will fulfil them to the Obedient, even to the least tittle. In his Judgments he is Serious; as he will make his Enemies know to their terror: Was not God in good earnest when he drowned the World? When he consumed Sodom and Gomorrah? When he scattered the Jews? Hath he not been in good sadness with us lately in England, and Ireland, and Germany? And very shortly will he lay hold on his Enemies parti∣cularly man by man, and make them know that he is in good ear∣nest: Especially when it comes to the great reckoning day. And is it time then for us to dally with God?

2. Jesus Christ was Serious in Purchasing our Redemption. He was Serious in Teaching, when he neglected his meat and drink, Joh. 4.32. He was Serious in Praying, when he continued all night at it, Luk. 6.12. He was Serious in Doing good, when his kindred came and layd hands on him, thinking he had been beside himself, Mark 3.20, 21. He was Serious in Suffering, when he fasted fourty days, was tempted, betrayed, spit on, buffeted,

crowned with thorns, sweat water and blood, was crucified, pierced, dyed: There was no Jesting in all this. And should not we be Serious in seeking our own Salvation?

3. The Holy Ghost is Serious in soliciting us for our Happiness. His Motions are frequent, and pressing, and importunate: He striv∣eth with our hearts, Gen. 6.3. He is grieved when we resist him, Ephes. 4.30. And should not we then be Serious in obeying his Motions, and yeelding to his Suite?

* 1.24. God is Serious in hearing our Prayers, and delivering us from our dangers, and removing our troubles, and bestowing his Mer∣cies. When we are afflicted he is afflicted with us, Isai. 63.9. He regardeth every groan and sigh: He putteth every tear into his bottle: He condoleth their misery when he is forced to chastise them: How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim? (saith the Lord;) How shall I make thee as Admah, and as Zeboim? my heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together, Hos. 11.8. He heareth even the rebellious oft-times, when they call upon him in their misery; when they cry to him in their trouble, he deliver∣eth them out of their distress, Psa. 78.37, 38. Psa. 107.10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 28. Yea, the next time thou art in trouble, thou wilt beg for a serious regard of thy prayers, and grant of thy desires. And shall we be so sleight in the work of God, when we expect he should be so regardful of us? Shall we have real Mercies, down••weight; and shall we return such superficial and frothy service?

5. Consider; The Ministers of Christ are Serious in Instructing and Exhorting you: and why should not you be as Serious in o∣beying their Instructions? They are Serious in Study; Serious in Prayer; Serious in perswading your Souls to the Obedience of Christ: They beg of God; they beg of you; they hope; they wait, and long more for the Conversion and Salvation of your Souls, then they do for any worldly good: You are their boasting, their Crown and Joy, 1 Thess. 2.19, 20. Your stedfastness in Christ they value as their lives, 1 Thess. 3.8. They are content to be offered up in the service of your Faith, Phil. 2.17. If they kill themselves with Study and Preaching, or if they suffer Martyrdom

for preaching the Gospel; they think their lives are well bestowed, so that their preaching do but prevail for the saving of your Souls. And shall other men be so painful and careful for your Salvation, and should you be so careless and negligent of your own? Is it not a Serious Charge that is given to Ministers in 2 Tim. 4.1.? And a Serious Pattern that is given them in Act. 20.20, 31.? Surely no man can be bound to be more Serious and Painful for the wel∣fare of another, then he is bound to be for himself.

6. How Serious and Diligent are all the Creatures in their Ser∣vice to thee?* 1.3 What haste makes the Sun to compass the World? and how truly doth it return at its appointed hour? So do the Moon and other Planets. The Springs are always flowing for thy use; The Rivers still running: The Spring and Harvest keep their times. How hard doth thy Ox labor for thee from day to day? How painfully and speedily doth thy Horse bear thee in travel? And shall all these be laborious, and thou onely negligent? Shall they all be so Serious in serving thee, and yet thou be so sleightly in thy Service to God?

7. Consider; The Servants of the World and the Devil are Seri∣ous and Diligent:* 1.4 They ply their work continually with unweari∣edness and delight, as if they could never do enough: They make haste, and march furiously, as if they were afraid of coming to Hell too late: They bear down Ministers, and Sermons, and Counsel, and all before them. And shal they do more for the Devil then thou wilt do for God? Or be more diligent for Damnation, then thou wilt be for Salvation? Hast not thou a better Master? and sweeter Em∣ployment? and greater Encouragements? and a better Reward?

8. The time was when thou wast Serious thy self in thy Service to Satan and the Flesh; if it be not so yet: Dost thou not re∣member how eagerly thou didst follow thy Sports? or how vio∣lently

thou wast addicted to customs, or evil company, or sinful delights? or how earnestly thou wast bent after thy profits, or rising in the world? And wilt thou not now be more earnest and violent for God? What profit hadst thou then in those things whereof thou art now ashamed?* 1.5 for the end of those things is Death: But now being made free from sin, and become the ser∣vants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the End ever∣lasting Life, Rom. 6.21, 22.

9. You are yet to this day in good earnest about the matters of this life: If you are sick, what Serious Groans and Complaints do you utter? All the Town shall quickly know it, if your pain be great. If you are poor, how hard do you labor for your living, lest your Wife and Children should starve or famish? If one fall down in a swoun in the house, or street, or in the Congregation, how seriously will you run to relieve and recover them? And is not the business of your Salvation of far greater moment? Are you not poor? and should you not then be laborers? Are you not in fight for your lives? and is it time to sleep? Are you not in a race? and is not the prize, the Crown of Glory? and should you then sit still, or take your ease?

10. There is no Jesting in Heaven, nor in Hell. The Saints have a Real Happiness, and the Damned a Real Misery: The Saints are Serious and high in their Joy and Praise; and the Damned are Serious and deep in their Sorrow and Complaints. There are no remiss or sleepy Praises in Heaven; nor any remiss or sleepy Lamen∣tations in Hell: All men there are in good sadness. And should we not then be Serious now? Reader, I dare promise thee, the thoughts of these things will shortly be Serious thoughts with thy self. When thou comest to Death or Judgment, Oh what deep heart-piercing thoughts wilt thou have of Eternity! Methinks I fore-see thee already astonished to think how thou couldst possibly make so light of these things! Methinks I even hear thee crying out of thy stupidity and madness!

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 22.
• * 1.2

  For my own part my sorrows are so real and pressing, that if God be not seri∣ous in hear∣ing & help∣ing me, I shal perish imme∣diately; nor would I be without his tender re∣gardful pro∣vidence one day for a world; And should I then neglect him?
• * 1.3

  Lege Fabri∣tium in De∣structor. Vi∣tiorum, part. 5. cap. 2. A. Vbi elegan∣tem etiam historiā re∣fert ex Lin∣co: de oculo Morali de Monacho Episcopum ignavum reprehendente & inter eos colloquio: Et ex Augustino solem ignavum exprobrantem infert.
• * 1.4

  Accidiosi e∣rubescere possunt qui non tam di∣ligenter la∣borant ad impetran∣dum gaudi∣um Coeli, sicut multi impiorum laborant ad impetrandum poenam inferni. Fabritius in De∣structorio Vitiorum, part. 5. cap. 2. B.
• * 1.5

  Rom. 6.21.