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. III.

3. ANother help to sweeten thy soul with the foretasts of Rest, is this; Labor to apprehend how neer it is, Think seriously of its speedy approach That which we think is neer at hand, we are more sensible of, then that which we behold at a distance. When we hear of war or famin in another country, it troubleth not so much: or if we hear it prophesied of a long time hence, so if we hear of plenty a great way off, or of a golden age that shall fall out, who knows when; this never rejoyceth us. But if Judgments or Mercies begin to draw neer, then they affect us, If we were sure we should see the golden Age, then it would take with us. When the plague is in a Town but twenty miles off, we do not fear it; nor much prehaps, if it be but in another street: but if once it come to the next door, or if it seaze on one in our own family; then we begin to think on it more feelingly; It is so with mercies as well as Judgments. VVhen they are far off, we talk of them as marvells; but when they draw close to us, we re∣joyce in them as Truths. This makes men think on Heaven so in∣sensibly, because they conceit it at too great a distance: They look on it as twenty, or thirty, or fourty yeers off; and this is it that duls their sense. As wicked men are fearless and senseless of judg∣ment, because the sentence is not speedily executed, Eccles. 8.11. So are the godly deceived of their comforts, by supposing them fur∣ther off then they are. This is the danger of putting the day of death far from us; VVhen men will promise themselves longer time in the world, then God hath promised them; and judg of the length of their lives by the probabilities they gather from their Age, their health, their constitution and temperature; this makes them look at heaven as a great way off. If 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the rich fool in the

Gospel had not expected to have lived many yeers, he would sure have thought more of providing for Eternity, and less of his pre∣sent store and possessions; And if we did not think of staying many yeers from Heaven, we should think on it with far more pier∣cing thoughts. This expectation of long life, doth both the wick∣ed and the godly a great deal of wrong. How much better were it to receive the sentence of death in our selves, and to look on E∣ternity as neer at hand? Surely, Reader, thou standest at the door, and hundreds of diseases are ready waiting, to open the door and let thee in. Is not the thirty, or fourty years of thy life that is past quickly gone? Is it not a very little time when thou lookest back on it? And will not all the rest be shortly so too? Do not dayes and nights come very thick? Dost thou not feel that building of flesh to shake? and perceive thy house of clay to totter? Look on thy glass, and see how it runs: Look on thy watch, how fast it getteth? what a short moment is between us and our Rest? what a step is it from hence to Everlastingness? While I am thinking, and writing of it, it hasteth neer; and I am even entring into it be∣fore I am aware. While thou art reading this, it p••steth on and thy life will be gone as a tale that is told. Mayst thou not easily foresee thy dying time? and look upon thy self as ready to de∣part? Its but a few dayes till thy friends shall lay thee in the grave, and others do the like for them. If you verily believed you should dye to morrow, how seriously would you think of Hea∣ven to night? The condemned prisoner knew before that he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dye, and yet he was then as Jovial as any: but when he hears the sentence, and knows he hath not a week to live, then how it sinkes his heart within him? So that the true apprehensions of the neerness of Eternity doth make mens thoughts of it to be quick and pierc∣ing; and put life into their fears and sorrowes, if they are unfitted, and into their desires and Joyes if they have assurance of its glory. When the Witches Samuel had told Saul, By to morrow this time thou shalt be with me; this quickly worked to his very heart, and laid him down as dead on the earth. And if Christ should say to a believing soul, By to morrow this time thou shalt be with me, this would be a working word indeed, and would bring him in spi∣rit to Heaven before. As Melanchton was wont to say of his un∣certain station, because of the persecution of his enemies, Ego jam sum hic, Dei beneficio, 40. annos et nunquam potui dicere aut certus

esse, me per unam septimanam mansurum esse. i. e. I have now been here this fourty yeers, and yet could never say, or be sure, that I shall tarry here for one week: so may we all say of our abode on earth: As long as thou hast continued out of heaven, thou canst not say, thou shalt be out of it one week longer. Do but suppose that you are still entring in it, and you shall finde it will much help you more seriously to minde it.

Notes

• §. 3.
• Luk. 12.17, 18, 19, 20.
• 2 Cor. 1.8, 9, 10.
• 1 Sam 28.19.