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.

5. COnsider, thou seekest Rest where it is not to be found; and so wilt lose all thy labor; and (if thou proceed) thy souls eternal Rest too. I think I shall easily evince this, by these clear demonstrations following.

First, Our Rest is onely in the full obtaining of our ultimate end: But that is not to be expected in this life; therefore, neither is rest to be here expected. Is God to be enjoyed in the best Re∣formed Church, in the purest and powerfullest Ordinances here, as he is in Heaven? I know you will all confess, he is not: How little of God (not onely the multitude of the blinde world, but

sometimes) the Saints themselves do enjoy, even under the most excellent Means; let their own frequent complainings testifie. And how poor comforters are the best Ordinances and Enjoyments, without God, the truly Spiritual Christian knows. Will a stone rest in the Air in the midst of its fall, before it comes to the Earth? No, because its center is its end. Should a Traveller take up his rest in the way? No, because his home is his journeys end. VVhen you have all that Creatures and Means can afford, have you that you sought for? Have you that you beleeved, pray, suffer for? I think you dare not say so. VVhy then do we once dream of rest∣ing here? VVe are like little Children strayed from home; and God is now fetching us home; and we are ready to turn into any house, stay, and play with every thing in our way, and sit down on every green bank; and much ado there is to get us home.

Secondly, As we have not yet obtained our end, so are we in the midst of labors and dangers; and is there any resting here? VVhat painful work doth lie upon our hands? Look to our Bre∣thren, to godly, to ungodly, to the Church, to our souls, to God; and what a deal of work in respect of each of these, doth lie be∣fore us? and can we rest in the midst of all our labors? Indeed, we may take some refreshing, and ease our selves sometimes in our troubles; if you will call that Rest: But thats not the setling Rest we now are speaking of; we may rest on Earth, as the Ark is said to have rested in the midst of Jordan, Josh. 3.13. A short and small Rest, no question; or as the Angels of Heaven are desired to turn in, and rest them on Earth, Gen. 18.4. They would have been loath to have taken up their * 1.2 dwelling there. Should Israel have setled his Rest in the VVilderness, among Serpents, and enemies, and weariness, and famine? Should Noah have made the Ark his home, and have been loth to come forth when the waters were faln? Should the Marriner chuse his dwelling on the Sea? and settle his rest in the midst of Rocks and Sands, and raging Tempests?

though he may adventure through all these, for a Commodity of worth; yet I think he takes it not for his rest. Should a Souldier rest in the midst of fight? when he is in the very thickest of his enemies? and the instruments of death compass him about? I think he cares not how soon the battle is over: And though he may adventure upon war for the obtaining of peace, yet I hope he is not so mad, as to take that instead of Peace. And are not Christi∣ans such Travellers, such Marriners, such Souldiers? Have we not fears within, and troubles without? are we not in the thickest of continual dangers? we cannot eat, drink, sleep, labor, pray, hear, confer, &c. but in the midst of snares and perils? and shall we sit down and rest here? O Christian, follow thy work, look to thy dangers, hold on to the end, win the field, and come off the ground, before thou think of a setling rest. I read indeed that Peter on the mount, when he had seen a glimpse of Glory, said, Its good for us to be here. But sure when he was on the Sea, in the midst of waves, he doth not then say, Its good to be here▪ No, then he hath other language, Save Master, we perish. And even his desires to rest on the Mount, are noted in Scripture to come from hence, He knew not what he said: It was on Earth, though with Christ in his transfiguration. And I dare say the like of thee, when ever thou talkest of resting on Earth, Thou knowst not what thou sayest. I read that Christ when he was on the Cross, comforted the converted thief with this, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise: But if he had onely comforted him with telling him, That he should rest there on that Cross, would he not have taken it for a derision? Me thinks it should be ill resting in the midst of sicknesses and pains, persecution and distresses: One would think it should be no con∣tentful dwelling for Lambs among Wolves. The wicked have some slender pretence for their sin in this kinde; they are among their friends, in the midst of their portion, enjoying all the Happiness that they are like to enjoy: But is it so with the godly? Surely, the world is at best, but a stepmother to them; nay, an open ene∣my. But if nothing else would convince us; yet sure the remain∣ders of sin which doth so easily beset us, should quickly satisfie a beleever, That here is not his rest. What, a Christian, and Rest in a state of sinning? it cannot be: Or do they hope for a perfect freedom here? that's impossible. I say therefore to every one that thinketh of rest on Earth, as Micah, chapter 2. verse 10.

Arise ye, depart, this is not your Rest▪ because it is polluted.

Thirdly, The nature of all these things may convince you, That they cannot be a Christians true rest. They are too poor to make us such; and too low to raise us to happiness; and too empty to fill our souls; and too base to make us blessed; and of too short continuance, to be our eternal contents. They cannot subsist them∣selves, without support from Heaven; how then can they give sub∣sistence to our souls? Sure if prosperity, or whatsoever we can here desire, be too base to make us gods of, then are they too base to be our rest.

Fourthly, That which is the Souls true rest, must be sufficient to afford it perpetual satisfaction: But all things below do delight us onely with fresh variety. The content which any Creature afford∣eth, doth wax old and abate after a short enjoyment: We pine away for them, as Amnon for his sister; and when we have satis∣fied our desire, we are weary of them, and loath them. If God should rain down Angels food, after a while our souls would loath that dry Manna. The most dainty fare, the most costly clothing would not please us, were we tied to them alone. The most sump∣tuous house, the softest bed, were we confined to them, would be but a prison. One recreation pleaseth not long; we must have supply of new, or our delights will languish, nay, our delight in our society and friendship, especially if carnal, is strongest while fresh. And in the Ordinances of God themselves, (so far as we delight in them for themselves and not for God) if novelty sup∣port not, our delight grows dull. If we hear still the same Minister; or if in Preaching and Praying, he use oft the same expressions; or if he Preach oft the same Sermon? how dull grows our devoti∣on, though the matter be never so good, and at first did never so highly please us? If we read the most excellent and pleasing Books, the third or fourth reading is usually more heartless, then the first or second▪ Nay, in our general way of Christianity, our first god∣ly acquaintance, our first Preachers, our first Books, our first Duties, have too commonly our strongest affections. All Creatures are to us, as the flowers to the Bee. There is but little of that matter which affords them honey on any flower; and therefore they must have supply of fresh variety, and take of each a superficial taste, and so to the next yea, some having gone through variety of States, and ••asted of the pleasures of their own Countrey, do

travel for fresh variety abroad; and when they come home, they usually betake themselves to some solitary corner, and sit down, and cry with Salomon, Vanity and Vexation▪ And with David, I have seen an end of all perfection:* 1.3 And can this be a place of Rest for the soul?

Fifthly, Those that know the creature least, do affect it most; the more its known▪ the less ••t satisfieth: Those onely are taken with it, who can see no further then its outward beauty, not be∣holding its inward vanity; Its like a comely Picture, if you stand too neer it, it appears less beautiful; we are prone to over-admire the persons of men, places of Honor, and other mens happy condition, but it is onely while we do but half know them▪ stay but a while till we know them throughly, and have discovered the evil as well as the good, and the defects, as well as the perfections, and then do we cease our admiration.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 6.
• * 1.2

  Quum tran∣sierit tempus pugnae, & ve∣nerit pax illa quae praecellit omnem intel∣lectum, (quan∣tumcunque enim cogitave∣rit de pace illa, minus eam ca∣pit animus in ista corporis gravedine con∣stitutus) cum venerit inquam illa pax & patria, jam domus erit Deo, qui in pugna tabernaculum. Non procedemus ad pugnandum, sed permanebimus ad loudandum. Quid enim decitur de illa domo? Beati qui habi∣tant in domo tua, Domine, in secula seculorum laudabunt te. In tabernaculo adhuc gemimus; in domo landabimus. Quare? Quia gemitus est peregninantium, laudatio jam in patria & in domo commo∣rantium. Qui in illam intrant ut inhabitent, ipsi sunt qui intrant ut inhabitentur. In domum tuam intra ut inhabites: In domum Dei ut inhabiter is. Est enim melior Domus: qui cum te caeperit in∣habitare, beatum te facit. Nam si tu ab illo non habitaris, miseres. August. in Psal 26. & 31.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 119.