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 ...

CHAP. VIII. Of Consideration, the instrument of this Work; and what force it hath to move the Soul.

SECT. I.

HAving shewed thee how thou must set upon this work, I come now to direct thee in the work it self, and to shew thee the way which thou must take to perform it. All this hath been but to set the Instrument (thy heart) in tune; and now we are come to the Musick it self: All this hath been but to get thee an appetite; it follows now, That thou approach unto the Feast; that thou sit down, and take what is offered, and delight thy soul, as with marrow and fatness. Who∣ever you are, that are children of the Kingdom, I have this message to you from the Lord, Behold, the dinner is prepared; the Oxen and fatlings are killed: Come, for all things are now ready. Heaven is before you; Christ is before you; the exceeding Eternal weight of Glory is before you: Come therefore, and feed upon it: Do not make light of this invitation, (Matth. 22.5.) nor put off your own mercies with excuses; (Luke 14.18.) what ever thou art, Rich or poor, though in Alms-houses or Hospitals though in High∣ways or Hedges, my Commission is, if possible, to compel you to come in; And blessed is he that eateth bread in the Kingdom of God, Luke 14.15. The Manna lyeth about your Tents; walk forth into

the Wilderness, gather it up, take it home, and feed upon it: so that the remaining Work is onely to direct you, how to use your hands and mouth to feed your stomack, I mean, how to use your ••nderstandings for the warming of your Affections, and to fire your Hearts by the help of your Heads. And herein it will be ne∣cessary that I observe this Method; First, to shew you what in∣strument it is that you must work by. Secondly, VVhy, and how this way of working is like to succeed and attain its end. Thirdly, VVhat powers of the soul should here be acted, and what are the particular Affections to be excited, and what objective Considera∣tions are necessary thereto, and in what order you should proceed. Fourthly, By what acts you must advance to the height of the work. Fifthly, VVhat advantages you must take, and what helps you must use for the facilitating your success. Sixthly, In what particulars you must look narrowly to your hearts through the whole: And I will be the briefer in all, left you should lo••e my meaning in a crowd of words, or your thoughts be carried from the VVork it self, by an over-long and tedious Explication of it.

SECT. II.

1. THe great Instrument that this Work is done by, is Ratio∣cination, Reasoning the case with your selves, Discourse of minde, Cogitation, or Thinking, or, if you will, call it Conside∣ration. I here suppose you to know the things to be considered, and therefore shall wholly pass over tha•• Meditation of Students, which tends onely to Speculation or Knowing; They are known Truths that I perswade you to consider; for the grossly ignorant that know not the Doctrine of everlasting Life, are, for the pre∣sent, uncapable of this duty.

Mans soul as it receives and retains the Idea's or Shapes of things, so hath it a power to chuse out any of these deposited Idea's, and draw them forth, and act upon them again and again; even as a Sheep can fetch up his meat for rumination; otherwise nothing would affect us, but while the sense is receiving it, and so we should be somewhat below the Bruits. This is the power that here you must use: To this choice of Idea's or subjects for your Co∣gitation, there must necessarily concur the act of the Will, which indeed must go along in the whole Work; for this must be a vo∣luntary,

not a forced Cogitation; Some men do consider whether they will or no, and are not able to turn away their own thoughts, so will God make the wicked consider of their sins when he shall set them all in order before them, Psal. 50.21.22. And so shall the damned consider of Heaven, and of the excellency of Christ whom they once despised, and of the eternal joyes which they have fool∣ishly lost. But this forced Consideration, is not that I mean, but that which thou dost willingly and purposely chose; but though they will be here requisite, yet still Consideration is the instrument of the Work.

SECT. III.

2. NExt let us see what force Consideration hath for the mo∣ving of the affections, and for the powerful imprinting of things in the heart.

Why, First, Consideration doth, as it were, open the door, be∣tween the Head and the Heart: The Understanding having re∣ceived Truths, layes them up in the Memory, now Consideration is the conveyer of them from thence to the Affections: There's few men of so weak Understanding or Memory, but they know and can remember that which would strangely work upon them, and make great alterations in their spirits, if they were not locked up in their brain, and if they could but convey them down to their hearts: Now this is the great work of Consideration. O what rare men would they be, who have strong heads, and much learning, and knowledge, if the obstructions between the Head and the Heart were but opened! and their Affections did but correspond to their Understandings! why, if they would but bestow as much time and pains in studying the goodness and the evil of things, as they be∣stow in studying the Truth and Falshood of Enunciations, it were the readiest way to obtain this; he is usually the best Scholar, who hath the quick, the clear, and the tenacious apprehension; but he is usually the best Christian, who hath the deepest, piercing, and affecting Apprehension: He is the best Scholar who hath the readiest passage from the Ear to the Brain, but he is the best Chri∣stian, who hath the readiest passage from the Brain to the Heart; now Consideration is that on our parts that must open the passage,

though the Spirit open as the principal cause; inconsiderate men are stupid and senseless.

SECT. IV.

2. MAtters of great weight, which do neerly concern us, are aptest to work most effectually upon the Heart; now Meditation draweth forth these working Objects, and presents them to the Affections in their worth and weight: The most de∣lectable Object doth not please him that sees it not, nor doth the joyfullest news affect him that never hears it; now Considera∣tion presents before us those Objects that were as absent, and brings them to the Eye, and the Ear of the soul: Are not Christ and Glory, think you, affecting Objects? would not they work won∣ders upon the soul if they were but clearly discovered? and strange∣ly transport us, if our apprehensions were any w••it answerable to their worth! why, by Consideration it is that they are presented to us. This is the Prospective Glass of the Christian, by which he can see from Earth to Heaven.

SECT. V.

3. AS Consideration draweth forth the weightiest Objects, so it presenteth them in the most affecting way, and presseth them home with enforcing Arguments. Man is a Rational Creature, and apt to be moved in a Reasoning way, especially when Reasons are evident and strong: Now Con∣sideration is a reasoning the case with a mans own heart; and what a multitude of Reasons both clear and weighty, are always at hand for to work upon the heart? VVhen a Believer would reason his heart to this heavenly work, how many Arguments do offer themselves? from God, from the Redeemer, from every one of the Divine Attributes, from our former Estate, from our pre∣sent Estate, from Promises, from Seals, from Earnest, from the Evil we now suffer, from the Good we partake of, from Hell, from Heaven? every thing doth offer it self to promote our joy; now Meditation is the Hand to draw forth all these; as when you are weighing a thing in the Ballance, you lay on a little more, and a little more till it weigh down; so if your Affections do hang in a dull indifferency, why, due Meditation will add Reason after

Reason till the scales do turn: Or as when you are buying any thing of necessity for your use, you bid a little more and a little more till at last you come to the sellers price: so when Medita∣tion is perswading you to Joy, it will first bring one Reason, and then another, till it have silenced all your distrust and sorrows, and your cause to rejoyce lyes plain before you. If another mans reasons will work so powerfully with us, though we are uncertain whether his heart do concur with his speeches, and whether his intention be to inform us or deceive us; how much more should our own Reasons work with us, when we are acquainted with the right in∣tentions of our own hearts? Nay how much more rather should Gods Reasons work with us, which we are sure are neither fallaci∣ons in his intent, nor in themselves? seeing he did never yet de∣ceive, nor was ever deceived? Why now Meditation is but the Reading over and repeating Gods reasons to our hearts, and so disputing with our selves in his Arguments and terms: And is not this then likely to be a prevailing way? What Reasons doth the prodigal plead with himself, why he should return to his fathers house? And as many and strong have we to plead with our affecti∣ons, to perswade them to our Fathers Everlasting habitations. And by Consideration it is that they must all be set a work.

SECT. VI.

4. MEditation putteth reason in its Authority and prehemi∣nence. It helpeth to deliver it from its captivity to the senses, and setteth it again upon the throne of the soul. When Reason is silent, it is usually subject: For when it is asleep, the senses domineer: Now consideration wakeneth our reason from its sleep; till it rowse up it self as Sampson, and break the bonds of sensuality wherewith it is fettered: and then as a Gyant refreshed with wine, it bears down the delusions of the flesh before it. What strength can the Lyon put forth when he is asleep? What is the King more then another man, when he is once deposed from his throne and authority? When men have no better Judg then the flesh; or when the joyes of heaven go no further then their fan∣tasie, no wonder if they work but as common things: sweet things to the eye, and beautiful things to the ear, will work no more then bitter and deformed: every thing worketh in its own place,

and every sense hath its proper object: Now it is spiritual reason excited by Meditation, and not the fantasie or fleshly sense, which must favor and judg of those superior Joyes. Consideration exalt∣eth the objects of faith, and disgraceth comparatively the objects of sense. The most inconsiderate men are the most sensual men.

SECT. VII.

5. MEditation also putteth reason into his strength. Reason is at the strongest when it is most in action: Now Medi∣tation produceth reason into Act. Before it was as a standing wa∣ter, which can move nothing else when it self moveth not: but now it is as the speedy stream which violently bears down all be∣fore it. Before it was as the still and silent air, but now it is as the powerful motion of the wind, and overthrows the opposition of the flesh and the devil. Before it was as the stones which lay still in the brook; but now when Meditation doth set it awork, it is as the stone out of Davids sling, which smites the Goliah of our un∣belief in the forehead. As wicked men continue wicked, not be∣cause they have not reason in the principle, but because they bring it not into Act and use, so godly men are uncomfortable and sad, not because they have no causes to rejoyce, nor because they have not reason to discern those causes; but because they let their reas∣on and faith lye asleep, and do not labor to set them a going, nor stir them up to action by this work of Meditation. You know that our very dreams will deeply affect: What fears! What sor∣rowes! What Joy will they stir up? How much more then would serious Meditation affect us?

SECT. VIII.

6. MEditation can continue this Discou••sive imployment: That may be accomplished by a weaker motion conti∣nued, which will not by a stronger at the first attempt. A plaister that is never so effectual to cure, must yet have time to do its work, and not to be taken off as soon as its on. Now Meditation doth hold the plaister to the sore: It holdeth Reason and Faith to their

work, and bloweth the fire till it throughly burn. To run a few steps will not get a man heat, but walking an hour together may: So though a sudden occasional thought of Heaven, will not raise our affections to any spiritual heat; yet Meditation can continue our thoughts, and lengthen our walk till our hearts grow warm.

And thus you see what force Meditation or consideration hath, for the effecting of this great elevation of the soul, whereto I have told you it must be the Instrument.

Notes

• §. 1.
• Matth. 22.4. Luke 14.17.
• Luke 14.23.
• §. 2.
• §. 3.
• §. 4.
• §. 5.
• §. 6.
• §. 7.
• §. 8.