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. IX.

SO much concerning the Time and Place of this duty. I am next to advise thee somewhat concerning the preparations of thy heart. The success of the work doth much depend on the frame of thy heart. When mans heart had nothing in it that might grieve the Spirit, then was it the delightful habitation of his Maker. God did not quit his residence there, till man did expel him by unworthy provocations. There grew no strangeness, till the heart grew sinful, and too loathsom a dungeon for God to delight in. And were this soul reduced to its former innocency, God would quickly return to his former habitation; yea, so far as it is renewed and repaired by the Spirit, and purged of its lusts, and beautified with his Image; the Lord will yet acknowledg it his own, and Christ will manifest himself unto it, and the Spirit will take it for his Temple, and Residence. So far as the soul is qualified for con∣versing with God, so far it doth actually (for the most part) enjoy him. Therefore with all diligence keep thy heart; for from thence are the issues of life, Prov 4.23.

More particularly, when thou fettest on this duty, First, Get thy heart as clear from the world as thou canst; wholly lay by the thoughts of thy business, of thy troubles, of thy enjoyments, and of every thing that may take up any room in thy soul. Get thy soul as empty as possibly thou canst, that so it may be the more capable of being filled with God. It is a work (as I have said) that will require all the powers of thy soul, if they were a thousand times more capacious and active then they are; and therefore you have need to lay by all other thoughts and affections, while you are busied here. If thou couldst well perform some outward duty with a piece of thy heart, while the other is absent, yet this above

all I am sure thou canst not. Surely, if thou once address thy self to the business indeed, thou wilt be as the covetous man at the heap of Gold; that when he might take as much as he could carry away, lamented that he was able to bear no more: So when thou shalt get into the Mount in contemplation, thou wilt finde there, as much of God and Glory, as thy narrow heart is able to contain; and almost nothing to hinder thy full possession, but onely the uncapableness of thy own Spirit. O then (wilt thou think) that this understanding were larger, that I might conceive more! that these affections were wider to contain more! it is more my own unfitness, then any thing else, which is the cause, that even this place is not my Heaven! God is in this place, and I know it not. This Mount is full of the Angels of God, but mine eyes are shut and cannot see them. O the words of love that Christ hath to speak! O the wonders of love that he hath to shew! But, alas, I cannot bear them yet! Heaven is here ready at hand for me, but my un∣capable heart is unready for Heaven! Thus wouldst thou lament, that the deadness of thy heart doth hinder thy joyes; even as a sick man is sorry that he wants a stomack, when he sees a feast be∣fore him.

Therefore, Reader, seeing it is much in the capacity, and frame of thy heart, how much thou shalt enjoy of God in this con∣templation; be sure that all the room thou hast be empty: and (if ever) seek him here with all thy soul: Thrust no•• Christ into the stable, and the manger, as if thou hadst better guests for the chiefest rooms. Say to all thy worldly business and thoughts, as Christ to his Disciples, Sit you here, while I go and pray yonder, Matth. 26.36. Or as Abraham when he went to sacrifice Isaac, left his servants and Ass below the Mount, saying, Stay you here, and I and the Lad, will go yonder and worship, and come again to you: So say thou to all thy worldly thoughts, Abide you below, while I go up to Christ, and then I will return to you again. Yea, as God did terrifie the people with his threats of death, if any one should dare to come to the Mount, when Moses was to receive the Law from God; so do thou terrifie thy own heart, and use violence against thy intruding thoughts, if they offer to accompany thee to the Mount of Contemplation. Even as the Priests thrust Vzziah the King out of the Temple, where he presumed to burn incense, when they saw the Leprosie to arise upon him; so do thou thrust

these thoughts from the Temple of thy heart, which have the badg of Gods prohibition upon them. As you will beat back your dogs, yea, and leave your servants behinde you, when your selves are ad∣mitted into the Princes presence; so also do by these. Your selves may be welcome, but such followers may not.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 9.