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. XVIII.

9. ANother very great and common Cause of want of Assu∣rance and Comfort,* 1.1 is, When men grow Lazy in the spiri∣tual

part of duty, and keep not up their Graces in constant and lively Action. As Dr Sibbs saith truly, It is the lazy Christian commonly that lacketh Assurance. The way of painful duty is the way of fullest Comfort. Christ carryeth all our Comforts in his hand: If we are out of that way where Christ is to be met, we are out of the way where Comfort is to be had.

These three ways doth this Laziness debar us of our Comforts.

1. By stopping the Fountain, and causing Christ to withhold this blessing from us.* 1.2 Parents use not to smile upon children in their neglects and disobedience. So far as the Spirit is Grieved, he will suspend his Consolations. Assurance and Peace are Christ's great Encouragements to faithfulness and obedience: And therefore (though our Obedience do not Merit them, yet) they usually rise and fall with our Diligence in duty. They that have entertained the Antinomian dotages to cover their Idleness and Viciousness, may talk their non-sence against this at pleasure; but the laborious Christian knows it by experience. As prayer must have Faith and Fervency to procure its success, besides the Bloodshed and Interces∣sion of Christ, (Jam. 5.15, 16.) so must all other parts of our Obe∣dience. He that will say to us in that Triumphing day, Well Done Good and Faithful Servant, &c. Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord! Will also clap his Servants upon the back in their most Af∣fectionate and Spiritual Duties, and say, Well Done Good and Faith∣ful Servant, take this Fore-taste of thy Everlasting Joy. If thou grow seldom and customary, and cold in Duty, especially in thy secret Prayers to God, and yet findest no abatement in thy Joys, I cannot but fear, that thy Joys are either Carnal or Diabolical.

2.

Grace is never apparent and sensible to the Soul but while it is in Action:

Therefore want of Action must needs cause want of Assurance: Habits are not felt immediately, but by the freeness and facility of their Acts: Of the very Being of the Soul it self, no∣thing is felt or perceived (if any more Be) but only its Acts. The fire that lyeth still in the flint is neither seen nor felt; but when you smite it, and force it into Act, it is easily discerned. The greatest Action doth force the greatest Observation; whereas the dead or unactive are not remembred or taken notice of. Those that have long lain still in their graves are out of mens thoughts as well as their sight; but those that walk their streets, and bear Rule among them, are noted by all. It is so with our Graces. That you have a

Habit of Love or Faith, you can no otherwise know but as a consequence by reasoning: but that you may have the Acts you may know by Feeling. If you see a man lie still in the way; what will you do to know whether he be drunk, or in a swoun, or dead? Will you not stir him or speak to him, to see whether he can go? Or feel his pulse, or observe his breath? Knowing that where there is life their is some kind of motion? I earnestly be∣seech thee, Christian, observe and practise this excellent Rule: Thou now knowest not whether thou have Repentance, or Faith, or Love, or joy: Why be more in the Acting of these, and thou wilt easily know it:* 1.3 Draw forth an Object for Godly sor∣row, or Faith, or Love, or Joy; and lay thy heart flat unto it, and take pains to provoke it into suitable action; and then see whe∣ther thou have these Graces or no. As Doctor Sibbs observeth, There is somtimes Griefe for sin in us when we think there is none:* 1.4 it wants but stir••ing up by some quickening word: The like he saith of Love; and may be said of every other Grace. You may go seeking for the Hare or Partridge many hours, and never find them while they lie close and stir not, but when once the Hare betakes him self to his legges, and the bird to her wings, then you see them presently. So long as a Christian hath his Graces in lively Action, so long, for the most part, he is assured of them. How can you doubt whether you love God in the Act of Loving? Or whether you believe in the very Act of Believing? If therefore you would be assured whether this Sacred Fire be kindled in your hearts, blow it up; get it into a fl••me, and then you will know: Believe till you feel that you do believe; and Love till you feel that you love.

3. The Action of the Soul upon such excellent Objects,* 1.5 doth naturally bring Consolation with it. The very Act of Loving God in Christ doth bring unexpressible sweetness with it into the Soul. The Soul that is best furnished with Grace, when it is not in Action, is like a Lute well string'd and tun'd, which while it lieth still doth make no more Musick then a common piece of wood; but when it is taken up and handled by a skilful Lutist, the melody is most delightful. * 1.6 Some degree of comfort (saith that comfortable Doctor) followes every good Action, as heat accompanies fire, and as beams and influences issue from the Sun; which is so true, that very heathens upon the discharge

of a good Conscience have found comfort and peace answer∣able: This is Praemium ante Praemium, a Reward before the Re∣ward.

As a man therefore that is cold should not stand still and say, I am so cold that I have no minde to Labour, but labour till ••is coldness be gone, and heat excited: So he that wants assurance of the truth of his graces, and the comfort of Assurance, must not stand still and say, I am so doubtful and uncomfortable that I have no minde to duty, but ply his duty, and exercise his Graces, till he finde his Doubts and Discomforts to vanish.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 18.
• * 1.2

  See Dr Sibs Souls Con∣flict. pag. 480, 481.
• * 1.3

  ☜
• * 1.4

  Souls Con∣flict. pag. 480, 481.
• * 1.5

  Men experi∣mentally feel that comfort in doing that which belongs unto them, which before they longed for, and went without. Dr Sibbs Souls Conflict. pag. 45.
• * 1.6

  Preface to Souls Conflict