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 consider, There is nothing else thats worth the set∣ing our hearts on. If God have them not, who, or what shall have them? if thou minde not thy Rest, what wilt thou minde? As the Disciples said of Christ, (John 4.32, 33.) hath any man given him meat to eat, that we know not of? So say I to thee; Hast thou found out some other God, or Heaven, that we know not of? or something that will serve thee in stead of Rest? Hast thou found on Earth an Eternal happiness? where is it? and what is it made of? or who was the man that found it out? or who was he that last enjoyed it? where dwelt he? and what was his name? or art thou the first that hast found this treasure? and that ever discovered Heaven on Earth? Ah wretch! trust not to thy discoveries, boast not of thy gain, till experience bid thee boast, or rather take up with the experience of thy forefathers, who are now in the dust, and deprived of all, though sometime they were as lusty and jovial as thou. I would not advise thee to make ex∣periments at so dear rates, as all those do that seek after happiness below; least when the substance is lost, thou finde too late, that thou didst catch but at a shadow; least thou be like those men, that will needs search out the Philosophers stone, though none could effect it that went before them; and so buy their experience with the loss of their own estates and time, which they might have had

at a cheaper rate, if they would have taken up with the experi∣ence of their Predecessors. So I would wish thee not to disquiet thy self, in looking for that which is not on Earth; least thou learn thy experience with the loss of thy soul•• which thou mightest have learned at easier terms, even by the warnings of God in his VVord, and loss of thousands of souls before thee. It would pity a man to see, that men will not beleeve God in this, till they have lost their labor, and Heaven, and all: Nay, that many Christians, who have taken Heaven for their resting place, do lose so many thoughts needlesly on Earth; and care not how much they oppress their spirits, which should be kept nimble and free for higher things. As Luther said to Melancthon, when he over-pressed him∣self with the labors of his Ministery; so may I much more say to thee, who oppressest thy self with the cares of the world. Vellem te adhuc decies plus obrui: Adeo me nihil tui miseret, qui toties monitus, ne onerares teipsum tot oneribus, & nihil audis, omnia benè monita contemnis.* 1.2 Erit cum sero stultum tuum hunc zelum frustra damnabis; quo jam ardes solus omnia portare, quasi ferrum aut saxum sis. it were no matter, if thou wert oppressed ten times more; so little do I pity thee; who being so often warned, that thou shouldst not load thy self with so many burdens, dost no whit re∣gard it, but contemnest all these wholsom warnings: Thou wilt shortly when it is too late, condemn this thy foolish forwardness, which makes thee so desirous to bear all this, as if thou wert made of Iron or Stone. Alas, that a Christian should rather delight to have his heart among these thorns and bryars, then in the bosom of his crucified, glorified Lord! Surely, if Satan should take thee up to the Mountain of Temptation, and shew thee the Kingdoms, and glory of the world; he could shew thee nothing thats worthy thy thoughts, much less to be preferred before thy Rest. Indeed so far as duty and necessity requires it, we must be content to minde the things below; but who is he that contains himself within the compass of those limits? And yet if we bound our cares and thoughts, as diligently as ever we can, we shall finde the least to be bitter and burdensom; even as the least VVasp hath a sting, and the smallest Serpent hath his poyson. As old Hiltenius said of Rome, Est proprium Romane potestatis ut sit ferreum, & licet digiti minorentur ad parvitatem acus, tamen manent ferrei: It is proper to the Romane power to

be of iron, and though the fingers of it be diminished to the smalness of a needle, yet they are iron still; The like may I say of our earthly cares, It is their property to be hard and troublous, and so they will be when they are the least: Verily, if we had no higher hopes then whats on earth, I should take man for a most silly crea∣ture, and his work and wages, all his travel and his felicity, to be no better then dreams and vanity, and scarce worth the minding or mentioning, especially to thee a Christian should it seem so, whose eyes are opened by the Word and Spirit, to see the emp∣tiness of all these things, and the pretious worth of the things a∣bove: O then be not detained by these silly things, but if Satan present them to thee in a temptation, send them away from whence they came; as Pellicanus did send back the silver bowl (which the Bishop had sent him for a token) with this answer, Astricti sunt quotquot Tyguri cives & inquilini, bis singulis annis, solenni juramento, ne quis eorum ullum munus ab ullo principe acci∣piat; All that are Citizens and Inhabitants of Tigurum, are so∣lemnly sworn twice a yeer, not to receive any gift from any Prince abroad; so say thou, we the Citizens and Inhabitants of heaven, are bound by solemn and frequent Covenants, not to have our hearts enticed or entangled, with any forraign honors or delights, but only with those of our own Countrey: If thy thoughts should like the laborious Bee, go over the world from flower to flower, from creature to creature, they would bring thee no Honey or sweetness home, save what they gathered from their relations to Eternity.

Object. But you will say perhaps, Divinity is of larger extent, then onely to treat of the life to come, or the way thereto; there are many controversies of great difficulty, which therefore require much of our thoughts, and so they must not be all of heaven.

Answ. For the smaller controversies which have vexed our Times, and caused the doleful divisions among us, I express my minde as that of Graserus, Cum in visitatione aegrotorum, & ad emi∣grationem ex hac vita beatam praeparatione daeprehendisset, controver∣sias illas Theologicas, quae scientiam quidem inflantem pariunt, con∣scientias vero fluctuantes non sedant, quaeque hodie magna animorum contentione agitantur, & magnos tumultus in rebuspub. excitant, nullum prorsus usum habere, quinimo conscientias simpliciorum non aliter ac olim in Papatu humana figmenta intricare; Caepit ab eis toto

animo abhorrere, & in publicis concionibus tantum ca proponere, quae ad fidem salvificam in Christum accendendam, & ad pietatem veram juxta verbum Dei exercendam, veramque consolationem in vita & morte praestandam faciebant; When he had found in his visiting the sick, and in his own preparations for well dying, that the Contro∣versies in Divinity (which beget a swelling knowledg, but do not quiet troubled consciences, and which are at this day agitated with such contention of spirits, and raise such tumults in Com∣monwealths) are indeed utterly useless, yea and moreover, do intangle the consciences of the simple, just as the humane inventi∣ons in Popery formerly did; he begun with full bent of minde to shun or abhor them, and in his publike Preaching to propound onely those things which tended to the kindling a true faith in Je∣sus Christ, and to the exercise of true godliness according to the Word of God,* 1.3 and to the procuring of true consolation, both in life and at death. I can scarce express my own minde more plain∣ly, then in this Historians expressions of the minde of Graserus. While I had some competent measure of health, and look't at death as at a greater distance, there was no man more delighted in the study of controversie; but when I saw dying men have no minde on't, and how unsavory and uncomfortable such conference was to them, and when I had oft been neer to death my self, and found no delight in them, further then they confirmed, or illu∣strated the Doctrine of eternal Glory, I have minded them ever since the less: Though every Truth of God is pretious, and it is the sin and shame of Professors that are no more able to defend the Truth, yet should all our study of controversie be still in rela∣tion to this perpetual Rest, and consequently be kept within its bounds, and with most Christians, not have the twentieth part of our time or thoughts: Who that hath tried both studies, doth not cry out, as Summerhard was wont to do of the Popish School Divinity, Quis me miserum tandem liberabit ab ista rixosa Theolo∣gia? Who will once deliver me wretch from this wrangling kinde of Divinity? And as its said of Bucholcer, Cum eximiis a Deo dotibus esset decoratus, in certamen tamen cum rabiosis illius seculi Theologis descendere noluit. Desii (inquit) disputare, caepi supputare: quoniam illud dissipationem, hoc collectionem significaet. Vidit enim ab iis controversias moveri, quas nulla unquam amoris Dei sein∣tilla calefecerat: vidit ex diuturnis Theologorum rixis, utilitatis

nihil, detrimenti plurimum in ecclesias redundâsse. i. e. Though he was adorned by God with excellent gifts, yet would he never enter into contention with the furious Divines of that age. I have ceased (saith he) my Disputations, and now begin my Supputation; for that signifieth Dissipation, but this Col∣lection: For he saw, that those men were the movers of Con∣troversies, who had never been warmed with one spark of the love of God; he saw, That from the continual brawls of Di∣vines, no benefit, but much hurt did accrue to the Churches; and it is worth the observing which the Historian addes, Quapropter omnis ejus cura in hoc erat, ut auditores fidei suae com∣missos, doceret bene vivere & beate Mori; Et annotatum in ad∣versariis amici ejus repererunt, permultos in extremo agone consti∣tutos, gratias ipsi hoc nomine egisse, quod ipsius ductu servatorem suum Jesum agnovissent, cujus in cognitione pulchrum vivere, mori vero longe pulcherrimum ducerent. Atque haud scio annon hoc ipsum longe Bucholcero coram Deo sit gloriosius futurum, quam si aliquet contentiosorum libellorum myriadas posteritatis memoriae con∣secrasset. i. e. Therefore this was all his care, That he might teach his hearers, committed to his charge, To live well, and die happily: And his friends found noted down in his Papers, a great many of persons, who in their last agony, did give him thanks for this very reason, That by his direction they had come to the knowledg of Jesus their Saviour; in the knowledg of whom, They esteemed it sweet to live, but to die far more sweet. And I cannot tell, whether this very thing will not prove more glorious to Bucholcer before God, then if he had consecrated to the memory of posterity, many Myriads of contentious writings. And as the study of con∣troversies is not the most pleasant, nor the most profitable; so much less the publike handling of them: For do it with the great∣est meekness, and ingenuity, yet shall we meet with such unrea∣sonable men, as the said Bucholcer did, Qui arrepta ex aliquibus voculis calumniandi materia, haereseos insimulare & traducere opti∣mum virum non erubescerent; Frustra obtestante ipso, dextrè data, dextrè acciperent. i. e. Who taking occasion of reproach from some small words, were not ashamed to traduce the good man, and accuse him of Heresie; while he in vain obtested with them, that they should take in good part, what was delivered with a good intention. Siracides saith in Ecclesiasticus, Chapter 26. That a

scolding woman shall be sought o••t for to drive away the enemies; but experience of all ages tells us to our sorrow, That the wrang∣ling Divine is their chiefest in let, and no such Scarcrow to them at all.

So then its clear to me, That there is nothing worth our mind∣ing, but Heaven, and the way to Heaven.

All the Question will be about the affairs of Church and State? Is not this worth our minding? to see what things will come to? and how God will conclude our differences?

Answ. So far as they are considered as the providences of God, and as they tend to the setling of the Gospel, and Govern∣ment of Christ, and so to the saving of our own, and our posteri∣ties souls, they are well worth our diligent observation; but these are onely their relations to eternity. Otherwise I should look up on all the stirs and commotions in the world, but as the busie gad∣ing of a heap of Ants, or the swarming of a nest of Wasps or Bees: The spurn of a mans foot destroyes all their labor; or as an Enterlude or Tragedy of a few hours long: They first quarrel, and then fight, and let out one anothers blood, and bring them∣selves more speedily, and violently to their graves; which how∣ever they could not long have delayed, and so come down, and the Play is ended: And the next generation succeeds them in their madness, and make the like bustle in the world for a time; and so they also come down, and lie in the dust. Like the Roman Gladiatores, that would kill one another by the hundreds, to make the beholders a solemn shew; or as the young men of Joab and Abner, that must play before them, by stabbing one another to the heart, and fall down and dye, and there is an end of the sport. And is this worth a wise mans observance?

Surely, our very bodies themselves, for which we make all this ado in the world, are very silly pieces: Look upon them (not as they are set out in a borrowed bravery) but as they lie rotting in a ditch, or a grave; and you will say, they are silly things indeed. Why then, sure all our dealings in the world, our buyings and sell∣ings, and eating and drinking, our building and marrying, our wealth and honors, our peace and our war, so far as they relate not to the life to come, but tend onely to the support and pleasing of this silly flesh, must needs themselves be silly things, and not worthy the frequent thoughts of a Christian: For the Means (as such) is meaner then their end.

And now doth not thy Conscience say as I say, That there is nothing but Heaven, and the way to it, that is worth thy mind∣ing?

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 14.
• * 1.2

  Tom. 1. Epist. pag 355. b.
• * 1.3

  M••lch. Adam. in vita Gras∣eri.