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. I.

THough I hope what is already spoken be not un∣useful, and that it will not by the Reader be cast aside, yet I must tell you, that the main thing intended is yet behinde, and that which I aimed at when I set upon this Work. I have observed the Maxime, that my principal end be last in ex∣ecution, though it was first in my intention. All that I have said, is but for the preparation to this: The Doctrinal part is but to instruct you for this; the rest of the Uses are but in∣troductions to this; The Motives I have laid down, are but to make you willing for this; The Hinderances I mentioned, were but so many blocks in the way to this; The general Helps which I last delivered, are but the necessary Attendants of this: So that, Reader, If thou neglect this that follows, thou dost frustrate the main end of my design, and makest me lose (as to thee) the chief of my labor. I once more intreat thee therefore, as thou art a man that makest conscience of a revealed duty, and that darest not wil∣fully resist the Spirit, as thou valuest the high delights of a Saint, and the soul ravishing exercise of heavenly Contemplation, as all my former moving Considerations seem reasonable to thee, and as thou art faithful to the peace and prosperity of thine own soul, that thou diligently study these Directions following, and that

thou speedily and faithfully put them into practice: Practice is the end of all sound Doctrine, and all right Faith doth end in duty: I pray thee therefore, rosolve before thou readest any further, and 〈…〉〈…〉 here as before the Lord, that if the following Advice be wholsome to thy soul, thou wilt conscionably follow it, and seri∣ously set thy self to the Work, and that no laziness of spirit shall take thee off, nor lesser business interrupt thy course, but that thou wilt approve thy self a Doer of this Word, and not an idle hearer onely. Is this thy promise? and wilt thou stand to it? Resolve man, and then I shall be encouraged to give thee my Advice; if I spread not before thee a delicious feast, if I set thee not upon as gainful a trade, and put not into thy hand as delightful an imployment as ever thou dealt'st with in all thy life, then cast it away, and tell me I have deceived thee, onely try it throughly and then judg; I say a∣gain, if in the faithful following of this prescribed course, thou dost not finde an increase of all thy graces, and dost not grow beyond the stature of common Christians, and art not made more service∣able in thy place,* 1.2 and more pretious in the eyes of all that are discerning; if thy soul enjoy not more fellowship with God, and thy life be not fuller of pleasure and solace, and thou have not com∣fort readier by thee at a dying hour, when thou hast greatest need, then throw these Directions back in my face, and exclaim against me as a deceiver for ever. Except God should leave thee uncom∣fortable for a little season, for the more glorious manifestation of his Attributes and thy integrity, and single thee out as he did Job, for an example and mirror of constancy and patience, which would be but a preparative for thy fuller comfort. Certainly God will not forsake this his own Ordinance thus conscionably performed, but will be found of those that thus diligently seek him. God hath, as it were, appointed to meet thee in this way: Do not thou fail to give him the meeting, and thou shalt finde by experience that he will not fail

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1.
• * 1.2

  Tamen haec via & scientia non discitur ex li∣bris, sed de sursum est: & cui vult participat eam pater luminum, his quidem cla∣rius, his verò obscurius. Gerson part 3. in Alpha∣bet. divini amoris Cap. 14.