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. XI.* 1.1

9 COmpare the joy which thou shalt have in heaven, with that which the Saints of God have found in the way to it, and in the foretastes of it; when thou seest a heavenly man re∣joyce, think what it is that so affects him? it is the property of fools to rejoyce in toyes, and to laugh at nothing; but the people of God are wiser then so, they know what it is that makes them glad: When did God ever reveal the least of himself to any of his Saints, but the joy of their hearts were answerable to the Revela∣tion? Paul was so lifted up with what he saw, that he was in dan∣ger of being exalted above measure, and must have a prick in the flesh to keep him down; when Peter had seen but Christ in his Transfiguration, which was but a small glimpse of his glory, and had seen Moses and Elias, talking with him, what a rapture and extasie is he cast into? Master (saith he) it is good for us to

be here, let us here build three Tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias, as if he should say, O let us not go down again to yonder persecuting rabble; let us not go down again to yonder drossy dirty world, let us not return to our mean and suffe∣ring state, is it not better that we stay here now we are here? is not here better company? and sweeter pleasures? but the Text saith, He knew not what he said, Matth. 17.4. When Moses had been talking with God in the Mount, it made his Visage so shine∣ing and glorious, that the people could not endure to behold it, but he was fain to put a vail upon it: No wonder then if the face of God must be vailed, till we are come to that state where we shall be more capable of beholding him,* 1.2 when the vail shall be taken away, and we all beholding him with open face, shall be turned into the same Image from glory to glory. Alas, what is the backparts which Moses saw from the clefts of the Rock, to that open face which we shall behold hereafter? what is the Revela∣tion to John in Patmos, to this Revelation which we shall have in heaven? How short doth Pauls Vision come of the Saints Vision above with God? How small a part of the glory which we must see, was that which so transported Peter in the Mount? I confess these were all extraordinary foretastes, but little to the full Beati∣fical Vision: when David foresaw the Resurrection of Christ and of himself, and the pleasures which he should have for ever at Gods right hand, how doth it make him break forth and say, There∣fore my heart was glad, and my glory rejoyceth, my flesh also shall rest in hope, Psal. 16.9. Why think then; If the foresight can raise such ravishing joy, what will the actual possession do? How oft have we read and heard of the dying Saints, who when they had scarce strength and life enough to express them, have been as full of joy as their hearts could hold? And when their bodies have been un∣der the extremities of their sickness, yea ready to feel the pangs of death, have yet had so much of heaven in their spirits, that their joy hath far surpassed their sorrows; and if a spark of this fire be so glorious, and that in the midst of the sea of adversity; what then is that Sun of Glory it self? O the joy that the Martyrs of Christ have felt in the midst of the scorching flames? sure they had life and sense as we, and were flesh and blood as well as we: therefore it must needs be some excellent thing that must so rejoyce their souls, while their bodies were burning: VVhen Bilney can burn his

finger in the Candle, and Cranmer can burn off his unworthy right Hand:* 1.3 when Bainham can call the Papists to see a Miracle, and tel them, that he feels no more pain then in a bed of Down, and that the fire was to him as a bed of Roses: when Farrer can say, If Istir, believe not my Doctrine. Think then, Reader, with thy self in thy Meditations, sure it must be some wonderful foretasted glory that can do all this, that can make the flames of fire easie, and that can make the King of Fears so welcome; O what then must this glory it self needs be? when the very thoughts of it can bring Paul into such a streight,* 1.4 that he desired to depart and to be with Christ, as best of all; when it can make men never think themselves well till they are dead; O what a blessed Rest is this? Shall Sanders so de∣lightfully embrace the Stake, and cry out, Welcome Cross; and shall not I more delightfully imbrace my blessedness, and cry, Wel∣come Crown? Shall blessed Bradford kiss the Faggot, and shall not I then kiss the Son himself? Shall the poor Martyr rejoyce that she might have her foot in the same hole of the Stocks that Mr. Phil∣pots foot had been in before her? and shall not I rejoyce that my soul shall live in the same place of glory where Christ and his Apostles are gone before me? Shall Fire and Faggot, shall Prisons and Banishment,* 1.5 shall Scorns and cruel Torments be more wel∣come to others, then Christ and Glory shall be to me? God forbid: What thanks did Lucius the Martyr give them, that they would send him to Christ from his ill masters on earth? How desirously did Basil wish, when his persecuters threatned his death the next day, that they might not change their resolution, lest he should miss of his expectation! What thanks then shall I give my Lord, for removing me from this loathsome prison to his Glory! and how loth should I be to be deprived thereof! When Luther thought he should dye of an Apoplexy, it comforted him, and made him more willing, because the good Duke of Saxony, and before him the Apostle John had died of that disease, how much more should I be willing to pass the way that Christ hath passed, and come to the glory where Christ is gone? If Luther could thereupon say, Feri Domine, feri clementer, ipse paratus sum, quia verbo tuo a peccatis absolutus; Strike Lord, strike gently, I am ready, because by thy Word I am absolved from my sins; how much more cheerfully should I cry, come Lord and advance me to this glory, and repose my weary soul in Rest!

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 11.
• * 1.2

  2 Cor. 3.16, 17, 18.
• * 1.3

  Sancti Mar∣tyres praesen∣tem vitam non despexissent, ni∣si certiorem a∣nimarum vi∣tam subsequi Scirent. Greg. Dial. l. 4.
• * 1.4

  Nihil crus Sentit in ner∣vo, quum ani∣mus est in coelo. Tertul. ad Martyr.
• * 1.5

  Euseb. Hist. Ec∣cles. l. 14. c. 17. Idem. l. 11. c. 9.