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 ...

SECT. VI.

* 1.1ANd if the Body shall be thus employed, Oh how shall the Soul be taken up? As its powers and capacities are greatest, so its action strongest, and its enjoyment sweetest. As the bodily senses have their proper aptitude and action, whereby they receive and enjoy their objects: so doth the Soul in its own action enjoy its own object: By knowing, by thinking and Remembering, by Loving, and by delightful joying; this is the Souls enjoying. By these Eyes it sees, and by these Arms it embraceth. If it might be said of the Disciples with Christ on Earth, much more that behold him in his Glory, Blessed are the Eyes that see the things that you see, and the Ears that hear the things that you hear: for many Princes and great ones have desired (and hoped) to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, &c. Mat. 13.16, 17.

1 1.2Knowledg of it self is very desireable, even the knowledg of some evil (though not the Evil it self:) As far as the Rational Soul exceeds the Sensitive, so far the Delights of a Philosopher, in dis∣covering

the secrets of Nature, and knowing the mystery of Sci∣ences, exceeds the Delights of the Glutton, the Drunkard, the un∣clean, and of all voluptuous sensualists whatsoever: so excellent is all Truth. What then is their Delight, who know the God of Truth? What would I not give, so that all the uncertain question∣able Principles in Logick, Natural Philosophy, Metaphysicks, and Medicine, were but certain in themselves, and to me? And that my dull, obscure notions of them were but quick and clear! Oh, what then should I not either perform, or part with, to enjoy a clear and true Apprehension of the most True God? How noble a * 1.3 faculty of the Soul is this Understanding? It can compass the Earth: It can measure the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Heaven: It can fore-know each Eclipse to a minute, many years before: Yea, but this is the top of all its excellency, It can know God who is infinite, who made all these; a little here, and more, much more hereafter. Oh the wisdom and goodness of our Blessed Lord! He hath created the Understanding with a Natural Byas, and inclination to Truth, as its object; and to the Prime Truth, as its Prime Object: and lest we should turn aside to any Creature, he hath kept this as his own Divine Prerogative, not communicable to any Creature, viz. to be the Prime Truth. And though I think not (as * 1.4 some do) that there is so neer a close, between the Understanding and Truth, as may produce a proper Union or Identity: Yet doubtless it's no such cold touch, or disdainful embrace, as is between these gross earthly Heterogeneals. The true, studious, contemplative man, knows this to be true; who feels as sweet embraces between his Intellect and Truth, and far more, then ever the quickest sense did in possessing its desired object. But the true, studious, contempla∣tive Christian, knows it much more; who sometime hath felt more sweet embraces between his Soul and Jesus Christ, then all inferior Truth can afford. I know some Christians are kept short this way, especially the careless in their watch and walking; and those that are ignorant or negligent in the dayly actings of Faith, who look when God casts in Joys while they lie idle, and labor not to fetch them in by beleeving: But for others, I appeal to the most of them; Christian, dost thou not sometime, when, after long gazing heaven∣ward, thou hast got a glimpse of Christ, dost thou not seem to have been with Paul in the third Heaven, whether in the body or out, and to have seen what is unutterable? Art thou not, with

Peter, almost beyond thy self? ready to say, Master, it's good to be here? Oh that I might dwell in this Mount! Oh that I might ever see what I now see! Didst thou never look so long upon the Sun of God, till thine Eyes were dazled with his astonishing glo∣ry? and did not the splendor of it make all things below seem black and dark to thee, when thou lookest down again? Especi∣ally in thy day of suffering for Christ; (when he usually appears most manifestly to his people:) Didst thou never see one walking in the midst of the fiery furnace with thee, like to the Son of God? If thou do know him,* 1.5 value him as thy life, and follow on to know him, and thou shalt know incomparably more then this. Or if I do but renew thy grief to tell thee of what thou once didst feel, but now hast lost; I counsel thee to Remember whence thou art fallen, and Repent, and do the first works, and be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain;* 1.6 and I dare promise thee, (be∣cause God hath promised,) thou shalt see, and know, that which here thine Eye could not see, nor thy Understanding conceive. Be∣leeve me Christians, yea, beleeve God, You that have known most of God in Christ here, it is as nothing to that you shall know; It scarce, in comparison of that, deserves to be called Knowledg. The difference betwixt our knowledg now, and our knowledg then, will be as great, as that between our fleshly bodies now, and our spiritual glorified bodies then. For as these bodies, so that knowledg must cease, that a more perfect may succeed. Our silly childish thoughts of God, which now is the highest we reach to, must give place to a manly knowledg. All this saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 13.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Knowledg shall vanish away: For we know in part, &c. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a childe, I spake as childe, I thought as a childe, I understood as a childe; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: Now I know in part, but then I shall know, even as also I am known.

Marvel not therefore, Christian, at the sence of that place of * 1.7 John 17.3. how it can be life eternal to know God, and his Son Christ: You must needs know, that to enjoy God and his Christ, is eternal Life; and the souls enjoying is in knowing. They that savor only of earth, and consult with flesh, and have no way to try & judg but by sense, and never were acquainted with this Knowledg of God, nor

tasted how gracious he is, these think it's a poor happiness to know God: let them have health and wealth, and worldly delights, and take you the other. Alas poor men! they that have made tryal of both, do not grudg you your delights, nor envy your happiness, but pity your undoing folly, and wish, O that you would come near, and taste, and try, as they have done, and then Judg; Then continue in your former mind, if you can. For our parts, we say with that knowing Apostle (though the speech may seem presumptuous) 1 John 5.19, 20. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness: And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is True; and we are in him that is True, in his Son Jesus Christ: This is the true God, and eternal Life. Here one verse contains the sum of most that I have said. The Son of God is come (to be our Head and Fountain of Life) and so hath given us an under∣standing (that the Soul may be personally qualified and made capa∣ble) to know him (God) that is True, (the Prime Truth,) and we are (brought so near in this enjoyment, that) we are in him that is True (not properly by an essential or personal union, but we are in him, by being) in his Son Jesus Christ. This (we have mentioned) is the (only) True God (and so the fittest object for our understanding, which chuseth Truth) and (this knowing of him, and being in him, in Christ) is eternal life.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 6. 2. Of the soul.
• 1 1.2

  God shall be enjoyed by our knowledg.
• * 1.3

  Scalig. Exercit. 107 sect. 3. Dicit Voluntatem nihil aliud esse quam intel∣lectum exten∣tum, ad hab••n∣dum & fa••ien∣dum id quod cognoscit. Vide D. Ma∣kowski Colleg. in d••sp. 18. vit•• Pibonis de Justif. Passiva. And for my part I think not, That the Soul is divi∣sible into se∣veral facul∣ties, but rather as Dorbell is &c. Dr Jackson, Mr Pemble, &c. the Under∣standing and Will be the same with the Soul and one another; Or distinct Acts of the same Soul; not faculties.
• * 1.4

  Lord Brook, Union of the Soul & Truth.
• * 1.5

  Hosea 6.2, 3.
• * 1.6

  Rev. 2 5. and 3.2.
• * 1.7

  Scoti glossa est vera, v••z 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Cognoscam te A••••••do & Frucado. Vide Scotum in 4. •• sentea. distruct. 48. Q▪ 1 p. 256