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. VIII.

4. THe next Affection to be acted, is Courage or Boldness; which leadeth to Resolution, and concludeth in Action. When you have thus mounted your Love, and Desire, and Hope; go on, and think further thus with your selves: And will God in∣deed dwell with men? And is there such a glory within the reach of hope? O, why do I not then lay hold upon it? where is the cheerful vigor of my spirit?* 1.2 why do I not gird up the loyns of my minde? and play the man for such a prize? why do I not run with speed, the race before me? and set upon mine enemies on every side? and valiantly break through all resistance? why do I not take this Kingdom by force? and my fervent soul catch at the place? do I yet sit still, and Heaven before me? If my Beast do but see his Provender; if my greedy senses perceive but their de∣lightful objects, I have much ado to stave them off: And should not my soul be as eager for such a blessed Rest? why then do I not undauntedly fall to work? what should stop me? or what should dismay me? Is God with me, or against me in the work? will Christ stand by me, or will he not? If it were a way of sin that leads to death, then I might expect that God should resist me, and stand in my way with the drawn sword of his displeasure; or at least overtake me to my grief at last: But is he against the obeying of his own commands? is perfect good against any thing but evil? doth he bid me seek, and will he not assist me in it? doth he set

me awork, and urge me to it, and will he after all, be against me in it?* 1.3 It cannot be. And if he be for me, who can be against me? In the work of sin, all things almost are ready to help us, and God onely, and his Servants are against us; and how ill doth that work prosper in our hands? But in my course to Heaven, almost all things are against me, but God is for me; and how happily still doth the work succeed? Do I set upon this work in my own strength, or rather in the strength of Christ my Lord? And can∣not I do all things through him that strengthneth me? was he ever foiled, or subdued by an enemy? He hath been assaulted in∣deed; but was he ever conquered? Can they take the sheep, till they have overcome the Shepherd? why then doth my flesh lay open to me the difficulties, and urge me so much with the great∣ness and troubles of the work? It is Christ that must answer all these Objections; and what are the difficulties that can stay his power? Is any thing too hard for the Omnipotent God? May not Peter boldly walk on the Sea, if Christ do but give the word of command? and if he begin to sink, is it from the weakness of Christ, or the smalness of his Faith? The water indeed is but a sinking ground to tread on; but if Christ be by, and countenance us in it, if he be ready to reach us his hand; who would draw back for fear of danger? Is not Sea and Land alike to him? shall I be driven from my God, and from my Everlasting Rest, as the silly Birds are feared from their food, with a man of clouts, or a loud noise, when I know before there is no danger in it? How do I see men daily in these wars, adventure upon Armies, and Forts, and Cannons, and cast themselves upon the instruments of death? and have not I as fair a prize before me? and as much encourage∣ment to adventure as they? What do I venture? my life is the most; and in these prosperous times, there is not one of many that ventures that: VVhat do I venture on? are they not unarm∣ed foes? A great hazzard indeed, to venture on the hard thoughts of the world! or on the scorns and slanders of a wicked tongue! Sure these Serpents teeth are out; these Vipers are easily shaken into the fire; these Adders have no stings; these Thorns have lost their prickles: As all things below are silly comforters, so are they silly toothless enemies: Bugbears to frighten fools and children, rather then powerful dreadful foes. Do I not well de∣serve to be turned into Hell, if the scorns and threats of blinded

men, if the fear of silly rotten Earth, can drive me thither? do I not well deserve to be shut out of Heaven, if I will be frighted from it, with the tongues of sinners? Surely my own voice must needs condemn me, and my own hand subscribe the sentence, and common Reason would say that my damnation were just. VVhat if it were Father, or Mother, or Husband, or VVife, or the neerest Friend that I have in the world, (if they may be called Friends that would draw me to damnation) should I not run over all that would keep me from Christ? VVill their friendship countervail the enmity of God? or be any comfort to my condemned soul? shall I be yielding, and pliable to the desires of men, and onely harden my self against the Lord? Let men, let Angels beseech me upon their knees, I will slight their tears, I will scorn to stop my course to behold them, I will shut mine ears against their cryes: Let them flatter, or let them frown; let them draw forth tongues and swords against me, I am resolved to break through in the might of Christ, and to look upon them all as naked dust. If they would entice me with preferment, with the Kingdoms of the world; I will no more regard them, then the dung of the Earth. O Blessed Rest! O most unvaluable Glorious State! who would sell thee for dreams and shadows? who would be enticed or af∣frighted from thee? who would not strive, and fight, and watch, and run, and that with violence, even to the last breath, so he might but have hope at last to obtain thee? Surely none but those that know thee not, and beleeve not thy glory. Thus you see with what kinde of Meditations you may excite your Courage, and raise your Resolutions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 8.
• * 1.2

  1 Tim. 6.12, 19. 1 Pet. 1.13. Heb. 12.1. 1 Cor. 9.24. Matth. 11.12.
• * 1.3

  Rom. 8.31.