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. VII.

6. TO have creatures and means without God, who is their end, is so far from being our happiness, that its an aggra∣vation of our misery▪ even as to have food without strength▪ and starve in the midst of plenty, and as Pharoahs Kine, to devour all, and be fear still▪ What the better were you, if you had the best Mi∣nister on Earth▪ the best Society, the purest Church, and there∣withall the most plentiful Estate, but nothing of God? If God should say, Take my Creatures, my VVord, my Servants, my Ordinances, but not my Self; would you take this for a happiness? If you had the Word of God, and not the VVord which is God▪ Or * 1.2 the Bread of the Lord, and not the Lord, which is the true Bread? or could cry with the Jews, The Temple of the Lord, and had not the Lord of the Temple? This were a poor happiness. Was Capernaum the more happy, or the more miserable, for see∣ing the mighty works which they had seen, and hearing the words of Christ which they did hear?* 1.3 Surely, that which aggravates our sin and misery, cannot be our Rest.

7. If all this be nothing, do but consult with Experience, both other mens and your own, too many thousands and millions have made trial, but did ever one of these finde a sufficient Rest for his soul on this earth? Delights I deny not but they have found, and

imperfect temporary content, but Rest and Satisfaction they ne∣ver found: And shall we think to finde that which never man could finde before us? Ahabs Kingdom is nothing to him, except he had also Naboaths Vineyard; and did that satisfie him, think you, when he obtained it? If we had conquered to our selves the whole world, we should perhaps do as Alexander is Fabled to have done, Sit down and weep because there is never another world to Conquer. If I should send you forth as Noahs Dove, to go through the earth, to look for a Resting place, you would return with a confession, that you can finde none: Go ask Honor, Is there Rest here? Why, you may as well rest on the top of the tempestuous Mountains, or in Etnaes flames, or on the Pinnacle of the Temple. If you ask Riches, Is there Rest here? Even such as is in a bed of Thorns; or were it a bed of Down, yet must you arise in the mor∣ning, and leave it to the next Guest that shal succeed you: Or if you enquire of worldly Pleasure and ease, can they give you any tidings of true Rest? Even such as the fish or bird hath in the Net, or in swal∣lowing down the deceitful bait; when the pleasure is at the sweetest, death is the nearest: It is just such a content and happiness, as the exhilarating vapors of the winde do give to a man that is drunk; it causeth a merry and cheerful heart, it makes him forget his wants and miseries, and conceive himself the happiest man in the world, till his sick vomitings have freed him of his disease, or sleep have asswaged and subdued those vapors which deluded his fantasie, and perverted his Understanding, and then he awakes a more unhappy man then ever he was before. Such is the Rest and Happiness that all worldly pleasures doth afford. As the Phantasie may be de∣lighted in a pleasant dream, when all the senses are captivated by sleep; so may the flesh or sensitive appetite, when the reasonable soul is captivated by security, but when the morning comes, the de∣lusion vanisheth; and where is the pleasure and happiness then? Or if you should go to Learning, to purest, plentifullest, powerfullest Ordinances, or compass sea and land to finde out the perfectest Church, and holiest Saints, and enquire whether there your soul may rest: You might haply receive from these indeed an Olive-branch of Hope, as they are means to your Rest, and have relation to eternity; but in regard of any satisfaction in themselves, you would remain as restless as ever before. O how well might all these answer many of us,* 1.4 with that indignation, as Jacob did Rachel, Am

I instead of God? Or as the King of Israel said of the Messengers of the King of Assyria,* 1.5 when he required him to restore Naaman to health, Am I God, to kill, and to make alive, that this man sends to me to recover a man of his Leprosy? So may the highest perfections on earth say, Are we God, or in stead of God, that this man comes to us to give a soul Rest? Go take a view of all estates of men in the world, and see whether any of them have found this Rest. Go to the Husbandman, and demand of him, behold his circular end∣less labours, his continual care and toyl, and weariness, and you will easily see, that there is no Rest; Go to the Tradesman, and you shall finde the like: If I should send you lower, you would judg your labor lost: Or go to the conscionable painful Minister, and there you will yet more easily be satisfied, for though his spending, killing, endless labors are exceeding sweet, yet is it not because they are his Rest, but in reference to his peoples, and his own eternal Rest, at which he aims, and to which they may con∣duce. If you should ascend to Magistracy, and enquire at the Throne, you would finde ther's no condition so restless, and your hearts would even pitty poor Princes and Kings. Doubtless, neither Court, nor Countrey, Towns, or Cities, Shops, or Fields, Trea∣suries, Libraries, Soli••a••iness, Society, Studies, or Pulpits can afford any such thing as this Rest: If you could enquire of the dead of all Generations; or if you could ask the living through all Domi∣nions, they would all tell you, here's no Rest; and all Mankinde may say, All our days are sorrow, and our labor is grief, and our hearts take not rest, Eccles. 2.23. Go to Genevah, go to New England, finde out the Church which you think most hapyy, and we may say of it, as lamenting Jeremy of the Church of the Jews, Lam. 1.3. She dwelleth among the Heathen, she findeth no rest, all her Persecutors overtake her. The holiest Prophet, the blessedst Apostle would say▪ as one of the most blessed did, 2 Cor. 7.5. Our flesh had no rest, without were fightings, within were fears: If neither Christ nor his Apostles, to whom was given the earth and the fulness thereof, had rest here, why should we expect it?

Or if other mens experiences move you not, do but take a view of your own: Can you remember the estate than did fully satisfie you? Or if you could, will it prove a lasting state? For my own part, I have run through seve••al places and states of life, and though I never had the necessities which might occasion discontent, yet did

I never finde a setlement for my soul; and I believe we may all say of our Rest,* 1.6 as Paul of our Hopes, If it were in this life onely, we were of all men most miserable. Or if you will not credit your past experience, you may try in your present or future wants: when Conscience is wounded, God offended, your bodies weakned, your friends afflicted, see if these can yield you Rest. If then either Scripture, or Reason, or the Experience of your selves and all the world will satisfie us, we may see there is no resting here. And yet how guilty are the generality of Professors of this sin! How many halts and stops do we make, before we will make the Lord our Rest! How must God even drive us, and fire us out of every con∣dition, lest we should sit down and Rest there! If he give us Prosperity, Riches, or Honor, we do in our hearts dance before them, as the Israelites before their Calf, and say, These are thy Gods, and conclude it is good being here. If he imbitter all these to us by Crosses, how do we strive to have the Cross re∣moved, and the bitterness taken away, and are restless till our con∣dition be sweetned to us, that we may sit down again, and rest where we were? If the Lord, seeing our perversness, shall now proceed in the cure, and take the creature quite away, then how do we labor, and care, and cry, and pray, that God would restore it, that if it may be, we may make it our Rest again? And while we are deprived of its actual enjoyment, and have not our for∣mer Idoll to delight in, yet rather then come to God, we delight our selves in our hopes of recovering our former state, and as long as there is the least likelihood of obtaining it, we make those very hopes our Rest: if the poor by laboring all their dayes, have but hopes of a fuller estate when they are old (though a hundred to one they dye before they have obtained i••, or certainly at least immediatly after) yet do they labor with patience, and rest themselves on these Expectations. Or if God do take away both present injoyments, and all hopes of ever recover∣ing them, how do we search about, from creature to crea∣ture, to finde out something to supply the room, and to settle upon in stead thereof? Yea, if we can finde no supply, but are sure we shall live in poverty, in sickness, in disgrace, while we are on earth, yet will we rather settle in this misery, and make a Rest of a wretched Being, then we will leave all and come to God. A man would think, that a multitude of poor people, who

beg their bread, or can scarce with their hardest labor have suste∣nance for their lives, should easily be driven from Resting here, and willingly look to heaven for Rest; and the sick who have not a day of ease, nor any hope of recovery le••t them: But O the cursed aversness of these souls from God▪ We will rather account our misery our happiness, yea that which we daily groan under as in∣tolerable, then we will take up our happiness in God. If any place in hell were tolerable, the soul would rather take up its Rest there, then come to God. Yea when he is bringing us over to him, and hath convinced us of the worth of his wayes and ser∣vice, * 1.7 the last deceit of all is here; we will rather settle upon those wayes that lead to him, and those ordinances which speak of him, and those gifts which flow from him, then we will come clean over to himself. Christian, marvel not that I speak so much of Resting in these: Beware least it should prove thy own case; I suppose thou art so far convinced of the vanity of Riches, and Honor, and carnal pleasure, that thou canst more easily dis∣claim these (and its well if it be so) but for thy more spiritual mercies in thy way of profession, thou lookest on these with less suspicion, and thinkest they are so neer to God, that thou canst not delight in them too much, especially seeing most of the world despise them▪ or delight in them too little. But do not the en∣crease of these mercies dull thy longings after heaven? If all were according to thy desire in the Church, wouldst thou not sit down and say, I am well; Soul, take thy Rest, and think it a judgment to be removed to heaven? Surely if thy delight in these excel not thy delight in God, or if thou wouldst gladly leave the most happy condition on earth, to be with God, then art thou a rare man, a Christian indeed. Many a one of us were more willing to go to heaven in the former dayes of persecution, when we had no hopes of seeing the Church reformed, and the Kingdom delivered: But now we are in hopes to have all things almost as we desire, the case is altered, and we begin to look at heaven as strangely and sadly, as if it would be to our loss to be removed to it. Is this the right use of Reformation? Or is this the way to have it continued or per∣fected? should our deliverances draw our hearts from God? O, how much better were it, in every trouble▪ to fetch our chief argu∣ments of comfort, from the place where our chiefest Rest remains; and when others comfort the poor with hopes of wealth, or the

sick with hopes of health and life, let us comfort our selves with the hopes of heaven. So far rejoyce in the creature, as it comes from God, or leads to him, or brings thee some report of his love; So far let thy soul take comfort in ordinances, as God doth accompany them with quickning or comfort, or gives in himself unto thy soul by them. Still remembring, when thou hast even what thou dost desire, yet this is not Heaven; yet these are but the first fruits. Is it not enough that God alloweth us all the comforts of travellers, and accordingly to rejoyce in all his mercies, but we must set up our staff, as if we were at home? While we are present in the body,* 1.8 we are absent from the Lord; and while we absent from him, we are absent from our Rest. If God were as willing to be absent from us, as we from him, and if he were as loth to be our Rest, as we are loth to Rest in him, we should be left to an Eternal Restless seperation. In a word, as you are sensible of the sinfulness of your earthly discontents, so be you also of your irregular contents, and pray God to pardon them much more. And above all the plagues and judgments of God on this side hell, see that you watch and pray against this [Of settling any where short of Heaven, or reposing your souls to Rest on any thing below God.] Or else, when the bough which you tread on breaks, and the things which you Rest upon deceive you, you will perceive your labor all lost, and your sweetest contents to be preparatives to your w••, and your highest hopes will make you ashamed. Try, if you can perswade Satan to lea••e tempting, and the world to cease both troubling and seducing, and sin to cease inhabiting and acting, if you can bring the Glory of God from above, or remove the Court from Heaven to earth, and secure the continuance of this through Eternity▪ then settle your selves below, and say, Soul take thy rest here: But till then admit not such a thought.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 7.
• * 1.2

  Panem Do∣mini, non pa∣nem Dominum, ut August.
• * 1.3

  Matth. 11.21, 22, 23.
• * 1.4

  Gen. 30.2.
• * 1.5

  2 Kings 5.7.
• * 1.6

  1 Cor. 15.19.
• * 1.7

  I know the means of grace must be loved and valued, and the usual enjoyment of God is in the use of them, and he that delighteth in any worldly thing more then in them, is not a true Christian: But when we are content with duty in stead of God, and had rather be at a Sermon then in Hea∣ven, and a member of a Church here, then of that perfect Church, and rejoyce in or∣dinances but as they are part of our earthly prospe∣rity; this is a sad mistake
• * 1.8

  2 Cor. 5.6, 7, 8, 9.