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. VII.

7. ANother singular help is this, Be much in that Angelical work of Praise. As the most heavenly Spirits will have the most heavenly imployment, so the more heavenly the imployment, the more will it make the Spirit heavenly: Though the heart be the Fountain of all our actions, and the actions will be usually of the quality of the heart; yet do those actions by a kinde of re∣flexion, work much on the heart from whence they spring: The like also may be said of our speeches. So that the work of prai∣sing God, being the most heavenly work, is likely to raise us to the most heavenly temper. This is the work of those Saints and An∣gels, and this will be our own everlasting work; if we were more taken up in this imployment now, we should be liker to what we shall be then. When Aristotle was asked what he thought of Musick? he answers, Jovem neque canere, neque citharam pulsare, That Jupiter did neither sing, nor play on the Harp; thinking it an unprofitable art to men, which was no more delightful to God. But Christians may better argue from the like ground, that singing of praise is a most profitable duty, because it is so delightful, as it were, to God himself, that he hath made it his peoples Eternal work; for they shall sing the Song of Moses, and the Song of the Lamb. As Desire, and Faith, and Hope, are of shorter con∣tinuance, then Love and Joy; so also Preaching, and Prayer, and Sacraments, and all means for confirmation, and expression of Faith and Hope, shall cease, when our Thanks and Praise, and tri∣umphant expressions of Love and Joy shall abide for ever.

The liveliest embleme of Heaven that I know upon Earth, is, When the people of God in the deep sense of his excellency and bounty, from hearts abounding with Love and Joy, do joyn together both in heart and voice, in the cheerful and melodious singing of his praises.

Those that deny the lawful use of singing the Scrip∣ture Psalms in our times, do disclose their unheavenly unexperi∣enced hearts, I think, as well as their ignorant understandings. Had they felt the heavenly delights, that many of their Brethren in such duties have felt, I think they would have been of another minde: And whereas they are wont to question, whether such de∣lights be genuine, or any better then carnal or delusive? Surely,

the very rellish of Christ and Heaven that is in them, the example of the Saints in Scripture, whose spirits have been raised by the same duty, and the command of Scripture for the use of this means, one would think should quickly decide the controversie. And a man may as truly say of these delights, as they use to say of the testimony of the Spirit, That they witness-themselves to be of God, and bring the evidence of their heavenly parentage along with them. And whereas they allow onely extemporate Psalms, im∣mediately dictated to them by the Spirit: When I am convinced, that the gift of extemporate singing, is so common to the Church, that any man who is spiritually merry can use it, Jam. 5.13. And when I am convinced, that the use of Scripture Psalms, is abolished, or prohibited, then I shall more regard their judgment. Certainly, as large as mine acquaintance hath been with men of this Spirit, I never yet heard any one of them sing a Psalm ex tempore, that was better then Davids; yea, or that was tolerable to a judicious hearer, and not rather a shame to himself and his opinion. But sweet experience will be a powerful Argument, and will teach the sincere Christian to hold fast his exercise of this soul-raising duty.

Little do we know how we wrong our selves, by shutting out of our prayers the praises of God, or allowing them so narrow a room as we usually do, while we are copious enough in our Con∣fessions and Petitions. Reader, I entreat thee remember this: Let praises have a larger room in thy duties: Keep ready at hand matter to feed thy praise, as well as matter for Confession and Petition. To this end, study the excellencies and goodness of the Lord, as frequently as thy own necessities and vileness; study the mercies which thou hast received, and which are promised, both their own proper worth, and their aggravating circumstances, as often as thou studiest the sins thou hast committed. O let Gods praise be much in your mouths,* 1.2 for in the mouths of the upright his praise is comely, Psal. 33.1. Seven times a day did David praise him. Psal. 119.164. Yea, his praise was continually of him, Psal. 71.6. As he that offereth praise, glorifieth God, Psal. 50.23. So doth he most rejoyce and glad his own soul. Psal. 98.4. Offer therefore the sacrifice of praise continually.* 1.3 Heb. 13.15. In the midst of the Church, let us sing his praise. Heb. 2.12. Praise our God, for he is good, sing praises unto his Name, for it is pleasant.

Psal. 135.3. and 147.1. Yea, let us rejoyce and triumph in his praise, Psal. 106.47.

Do you think that David had not a most heavenly Spirit, who was so much imployed in this heavenly work? Doth it not some∣time, very much raise your hearts, when you do but seriously read that divine Song of Moses, Deut. 32. And those heavenly itera∣ted praises of David, having almost nothing sometime, but praise in his mouth? How much more would it raise and refresh us, to be skilled and accustomed in the work our selves? I confess, to a man of a languishing body, where the heart doth faint, and the spirits are feeble, the cheerful praising of God is more difficult, because the body is the souls instrument; and when it lies unstring∣ed, or untuned, the musick is likely to be accordingly but dull. Yet a spiritual cheerfulness there may be within, and the heart may praise, if not the voice. But where the body is strong, the spirits lively, the heart cheerful, and the voice at command, what ad∣vantage have such for this heavenly work? with what alacrity and vivacity may they sing forth praises? O the madness of healthful youth that lay out this vigor of body and minde, upon vain de∣lights and fleshly lusts, which is so fit for the noblest work of man! And O the sinful folly of many of the Saints, who drench their spirits in continual sadness, and wast their days in complaints and groans, and fill their bodies with wasting diseases, and so make themselves both in body and minde, unfit for this sweet and hea∣venly work! That when they should joyn with the people of God in his praises, and delight their souls in singing to his Name; they are questioning their worthiness, and studying their miseries, or raising scruples about the lawfulness of the duty, and so rob God of his praise, and themselves of their solace. But the greatest destroyer of our comfort in this duty, is our sticking in the carnal delight thereof, and taking up in the tune and melody, and suffer∣ing the heart to be all the while idle, which must perform the chief∣est part of the work, and which should make use of the melody, for its reviving and exhilerating.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 7.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 34.1. and 35.28.
• * 1.3

  and 22.25.