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. XIIII.

12. LAstly, compare the joyes which thou shalt have above, with those foretastes of it, which the Spirit hath given thee here. Judg of the Lyon by the Paw, and of the Ocean of Joy, by that drop which thou hast tasted: Thou hast here thy strongest refreshing comforts, but as that man in Hell would have had the water to cool him;* 1.2 a little upon the tip of the finger for thy tongue to taste; yet by this little thou maist conjecture at the quality of the whole. Hath not God sometime revealed himself extraordinarily to thy soul, and let a drop of glory fall upon it? Hast thou not been ready to say, O that it might be thus with my soul continually, and that I might always feel what I feel some∣times! Didst thou never cry out with the Martyr after thy long and doleful expectations, He is come, he is come? Didst thou never in a lively Sermon of Heaven, nor in thy retired contempla∣tions on that blessed State, perceive thy drooping spirits revive, and thy dejected heart to lift up the head? and the light of Hea∣ven to break forth to thy soul, as a morning Star, or as the dawn∣ing of the day? Didst thou never perceive thy heart in these duties, to be as the childe that Elisha revived? to wax warm within thee, and to recover life? VVhy think with thy self then, what is this earnest to the full Inheritance? Alas, all this light that so amazeth, and rejoyceth me, is but a Candle lighted from Hea∣ven, to lead me thither through this world of darkness! If the light of a Star in the night be such, or the little glimmering at the break of the day; what then is the light of the Sun at noontide? If some godly men that we read of, have been overwhelmed with joy, till they have cryed out, Hold Lord, stay thy hand; I can bear no more! like weak eyes that cannot endure too great a light. O what will then be my joyes in Heaven, when as the ob∣ject of my joy shall be the most glorious God, so my soul shall be made capable of seeing, and enjoying him; and though the light be ten thousand times greater then the Suns, yet my eyes shall be able for ever to behold it?

Or if thou be one that hast not felt yet these sweet foretastes (for every beleever hath not felt them) then make use of the former delights which thou hast felt, that thou maist the better discern what hereafter thou shalt feel.

And thus I have done with the fifth part of this Directory, and shewed you on what grounds to advance your Meditations, and how to get them to quicken your affections, by comparing the un∣seen delights of Heaven, with those smaller which you have seen, and felt in the flesh.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 14.
• * 1.2

  Ibi non gusta∣bunt quam sua∣vis sit Deus, sed implebuntur & satiabuntur dulcedine miri∣fica: Nihil eis d••erit; nihil oberit; omne desiderium co∣rum Christus praesens imple∣bit. Non sene∣scent, non tabe∣scent, non pu∣trescent ampli∣us: Perpetua sanitas, faelix aeternitas, bea∣titudinis illius sufficientiam confirmabunt. Non erit con∣cupiscentia in membris, non ultra ulla ex∣urget rebellio carnis, sed t••tus status hominis pacificus, sine omni macula & ruga permane∣bit•• ••yprian de laude Martyr. Quaecunque supra coelum sunt, mentes & formae olympici, illius habitac••li cives, si non candem atque Deus, illi tamen dignitate & naturâ proximam conditionem acceperunt. Fe••nel. de abdit. rerum causis, cap. 9. Ex Platone.