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. V.

3. COnsider, A heavenly minde is a joyful minde: This is the neerest and the truest way to live a life of comfort: And without this you must needs be uncomfortable. Can a man be at the fire, and not be warm? or in the Sun-shine, and not have light? Can your heart be in Heaven, and not have comfort? The coun∣treys of Norway, Island, and all the Northward, are cold and fro∣zen, because they are farther from the power of the Sun: But in Egypt, Arabia, and the Southern parts, it is far otherwise, where they live more neer its powerful rayes. What could make such frozen uncomfortable Christians, but living so far as they do from heaven? And what makes some few others so warm in comforts,

but their living higher then others do? and their frequent access so neer to God? When the Sun in the Spring draws neer our part of the earth, how do all things congratulate its approach? The earth looks green & casteth off her mourning habit: the trees shoot forth; the plants revive, the pretty birds, how sweetly sing they? the face of all things smile upon us, and all the creatures below reioyce. Beloved friends, if we would but try this life with God, and would but keep these hearts above, what a Spring of joy would be within us? and all our graces be fresh and green? How would the face of our souls be changed? and all that is within us rejoyce? How should we forget our winter sorrows? and with∣draw our souls from our sad retirements? How early should we rise (as those birds in the spring) to sing the praise of our Great Cre∣ator. O Christian, get above: Believe it, that Region is warmer then this below. Those that have been there, have found it so, and those that have come thence have told us so: And I doubt not but that thou hast sometime tryed it thy self. I dare appeal to thy own experience, or to the experience of any soul that knows what the true Joys of a Christian are: When is it that you have largest comforts? Is it not after such an exercise as this, when thou hast got up thy heart, and converst with God, and talkt with the in∣habitants of the higher world, and veiwed the mansions of the Saints and Angels, and filled thy soul with the forethoughts of Glory? If thou know by experience what this practice is, I dare say thou knowest what spiritual Joy is. David professeth that the light of Gods countenance would make his heart more glad then theirs that have Corn, and VVine, and Oyl, Psal. 4.6, 7. & Act. 2.28. out of Psal. 16. Thou shalt fill me full of Joy with thy countenance. If it be the countenance of God that fills us with Joy; then sure they that draw neerest, and most behold it, must needs be fullest of these Joyes. Sirs, if you never tryed this Art, nor lived this life of heavenly contemplation, I never wonder that you walk uncomfortably, that you are all complaining, and live in sorrows, & know not what the Joy of the Saints means: Can you have comfort from God, and never think of him? Can Heaven rejoyce you, when you do not re••member it? Doth any thing in the world glad you, when you think not on it? Must not every thing first enter your judgment and consideration, before it can delight your heart and affection? If you were possest of all the treasure of the earth; if you had title

to the highest dignities and dominions, and never think on it, sure it would never rejoyce you. Whom should we blame then, that we are so void of consolation, but our own negligent unskilful hearts? God hath provided us a Crown of Glory, and promised to set it shortly on our heads and we will so much as think on it: He holdeth it out in the Gospel to us, and biddeth us, Behold and Rejoyce; & we will not so much as look at it: And yet we complain for want of Com∣fort. What a perverse course is this, both against God and our own Joyes? I confesse, though in fleshly things, the presenting of a com∣forting object, is sufficient to produce an answerable delight, yet in spirituals we are more disabled: God must give the Joy it self, as well as afford us matter for Joy: But yet withal, it must be remem∣bred, that God doth work upon us as men, and in a rational way doth raise our comforts: He enableth and exciteth us to minde and study these delightful objects, and from thence to gather our own comforts, as the Bee doth gather her honey from the flowers: There∣fore he that is most skilful and painful in this gathering Act, is usual∣ly the fullest of this spiritual sweetness. Where is the man that can tell me from experience, that he hath had solid and usual Joy, in any other way but this? and that God worketh it immediatly on his affections, without the means of his understanding and considering? It is by beleeving that we are filled with Joy & Peace, Rom. 15.13. and no longer then we continue our believing. It is in hope that the Saints Rejoyce, yea, in this hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5.2. and no longer then they continue hoping. And here let me warn you of a dangerous snare, an opinion which will rob you of all your com∣fort: some think, if they should thus fetch in their own comfort by believing and hoping, and work it out of Scripture promises, and extract it by their own thinking and studying, that then it would be a comfort only of their own hammering out (as they say) and not the genuine Joy of the Holy Ghost. A desperate mistake, raised up∣on a ground that would overthrow almost all duty, as well as this: which is, their setting the workings of Gods Spirit, and their own spirits in opposition, when their spirits must stand in subordination to Gods: They are conjunct causes, cooperating to the producing of one and the same effect. Gods Spirit worketh our comforts, by setting our own spirits awork upon the promises, and raising our thoughts to the place of our comforts. As you would delight a co∣vetuous man by shewing him gold, or a voluptuous man with flesh∣ly

delights; so God useth to delight his people, by taking them, as it were, by the hand, and leading them into Heaven, and shewing them himself, and their Rest with him. God useth not to cast in our Joys while we are idle, or taken up with other things. It is true, he some∣time doth it suddenly, but yet usually in the foresaid order, leading it into our hearts by our judgment and thoughts: And his sometime sudden extraordinary casting of comforting thoughts into our hearts, should be so far from hindring our endeavors in a meditate∣ing way, that it should be a singular motive to quicken us to it; even as a tast given us of some cordial or choiser food, will make us desire and seek the Rest. God feedeth not Saints as birds do their young, bringing it to them, and putting it into their mouths, while they lye still in the nest, and only gape to receive it. But as he giveth to man the fruits of the earth, the increase of their land in Corn and wine, while we plow, and sow, and weed, and water, and dung, and dress, and then with patience expect his blessing: so doth he give the joys of the soul. Yet I deny not, that if any should so think to work out his own comforts by meditation, as to attempt the work in his own strength, and not do all in subordination to God; nor per∣ceive a necessity of the Spirits assistance; the work would prove to be like the workman, and the comfort he would gather would be like both, even meer vanity: Even as the husband mans labor without the sun, and rain, and blessing of God.

So then you may easily see, that close meditation on the matter and cause of our Joy, is Gods way to procure solid Joy. For my part, if I should finde my joy of another kinde, I should be very prone to doubt of its sincerity. If I finde a great deal of comfort in my heart, and know not how it came thither, nor upon what rational ground it was raised, nor what considerations do feed and continue it, I should be ready to question, how I know whether this be from God? And though, as the Cup in Benjamins sack, it might come from Love, yet it would leave me but in fears and amazement, because of the uncertainty. As I think our love to God, should not be like that of fond lovers, who love violently, but they know not why: so I think a Christians Joy, should be a grounded rational Joy, & not to rejoyce & know not why. Though perhaps in some extraordinary case, God may cast in such an extraordinary kinde of joy, yet I think its not his usual way. And if you observe the spirits of most forlorn, uncom∣fortable, despairing Christians, you shall finde the Reason to be,

their ungrounded expectation of such unusual kinde of joys: and accordingly are their spirits variously tossed, and most unconstantly tempered: Sometime when they meet with such Joys (or at least think so,) then they are cheerful and lifted up, but because these are usually short-lived Joys, therefore they are strait as low as hell; and ordinarily that is their more lasting temper. And thus they are tossed as a vessel at sea, up and down, but still in extream: whereas, alas, God is most constant, Christ the same, Heaven the same, and the Promise the same, and if we took the right course for fetching in our comfort from these, sure our comforts would be more setled and constant, though not always the same. Who∣ever thou art therefore that Readest these lines, I intreat thee in the name of the Lord, and as thou valuest the life of constant Joy, and that good conscience, which is a continual feast; that thou wouldest but seriously set upon this work, and learn this Art of Heavenly-mindedness, and thou shalt finde the increase a hundred fold, and the benefit abundantly exceed thy labor. But this is the misery of mans Nature; Though every man naturally abhorreth sorrow, and loves the most merry and joyful life, yet few do love the way to Joy, or will endure the pains by which it is obtained; they will take the next that comes to hand, and content themselves with earthly pleasures, rather then they will ascend to heaven to seek it, and yet when all is done, they must have it there, or be without it.

Notes

• §. 5.
• 1 Pet. 1.8.
• Jam jam tactu∣ros Sydera summa putes. Jam jam tactu∣ros tartara nig∣ra putes. Ovid.