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. IV.

3. IT appears we are little weary of sinning, when we are so un∣willing to be freed by dying. Did we take sin for the great∣est evil, we should not be willing of its company so long; did we look on sin as our cruellest enemy, and on a sinful life, as the most miserable life; sure we should then be more willing of a change. But O, how far are our hearts from our doctrinal profession, in this point also! We preach and write, and talk against sin and call it all that naught is; and when we are called to leave it, we are loth to depart: We brand it with the most odious names that we can imagine, (and all far short of expressing its vileness;) but when the approach of death puts us to the tryal, we chuse a con∣tinuance with these abominations, before the presence and fruition of God.* 1.2 But as Nemon smote his Souldier for railing against Alexander his enemy, saying, I hired thee to fight against him, and not to rail against him: So may God smite us also, when he shall hear our tongues reviling that sin, which we resist so slothfully, and part with so unwillingly. Christians, seeing we are conscious that our hearts deserve a smiting for this, let us joyn together, to chide and smite our own hearts, before God do judg and smite them. O foolish sinful heart! Hast thou been so long a sink of sin, a cage of all unclean lusts, a fountain uncessantly streaming forth the bitter and deadly waters of transgression? and art thou not yet a∣weary? Wretched Soul! hast thou been so long wounded in all thy faculties? so grievously languishing in all thy performances? so fruitful a soyl for all iniquities? and art thou not yet more weary? Hast thou not yet transgressed long enough? nor long enough provoked thy Lord? nor long enough abused love? wouldst thou yet grieve the Spirit more? and sin against thy Savi∣ours blood? and more increase thine own wounds? and still lie under thy grievous imperfections? Hath thy sin proved so profit able a commodity? so necessary a companion? such a delightful employment? that thou dost so much dread the parting day? Hath thy Lord deserved this at thy hands? that thou shouldst chuse to continue in the Suburbs of ••ell, rather then live with him in light? and rather stay and drudg in sin, and abide with his and thy own professed enemy, then come away and dwell with God?

May not God justly grant thee thy wishes, and seal thee a lease of thy desired distance, and nail thy ear to these doors of misery, and exclude thee eternally from his glory? Foolish sinner! who hath wronged thee? God, or sin? who hath wounded thee, and caused thy groans? who hath made thy life so woful? and caused thee to spend thy days in dolor? is it Christ, or is it thy corrupti∣on? and art thou yet so loth to think of parting? shall God be willing to dwell with man? and the Spirit to abide in thy peevish heart? and that where sin doth straiten his room, and a cursed in∣mate inhabit with him, which is ever quarrelling and contriving against him? and shall man be loth to come to God, where is no∣thing but perfect Blessedness and Glory? Is not this to judg our selves unworthy of everlasting Life? If they in Acts 13.46. who put the Gospel from them, did judg themselves unworthy; do not we who flie from life and glory?

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 4.
• * 1.2

  Plutarch. in Apotheg. Cum Schegius Medicus caecus ficret, patien∣ter fert, Quia, inquit, multa in vitâ vidi, quae maluissem non videre. Optavi ad non∣nulla etiam fuisse surdum.