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. IV.

* 1.1

4. ANother Rule is this, That which cannot be given by man, or taken away by man, is ever better then that which can; And then I hope Heaven will carry it. For who hath the Key of the everlasting Treasures? And who is the Disposer of the Dignities of the Saints? Who saith, Come ye Blessed, and go ye Cursed? Is it the voyce of God, or of meer man? If every good and perfect gift cometh from above,* 1.2 from the Father of Lights; whence then cometh the gift of Eternal Light with the Father? Whose privi∣ledg

soever it is, to be Key-keepers of the visible Churches here be∣low; sure no meer man, but the Man of Sin, will challenge the Keyes of that Kingdom, and undertake to shut out, or take in, or to dispose of that Treasure of the Church. We may be beholden to men, as Gods instruments, for our Faith, but no fur∣ther: For what is Paul, or who is Apolio? but Ministers by whom we beleeved,* 1.3 even as the Lord gave to every man? Surely every step to that Glory, every gracious gift and act, every deliverance and mercy to the Church, shall be so clearly from God; that his very name shall be written in the forehead of it, and his excellent Attributes stampt upon it, that he who runs may read, it was the work of God: and the Question may easily be answered, whether it be from Heaven, or of men? Much more evidently is that Glory the gift of the God of Glory. What? can man give God? or earth and dust give Heaven? Surely no! And as much is it beyond them to deprive us of it. Tyrants and persecutors may take away our Goods, but not our chief Good, our Liberties here, but not that state of Freedom; our Heads, but not our Crown. You can shut us up in Prisons, and shut us out of your Church and Kingdom; but now shut us out of Heaven if you can. Try in lower attempts: Can you deny us the light of the Sun, and cause it to forbear its shining? Can you stop the influences of the Planets? or deny us the dew of Heaven? or command the Clouds to shut up their womb? or stay the course of the flowing streams? or seal up the passages of the deep? how much less can you deprive us of our God, or deny us the light of his countenance, or stop the influ∣ences of his Spirit, or forbid the dew of his Grace to fall, or stay the streams of his Love, and shut up his overflowing ever-flowing Springs, or seal up the bottomless depth of his bounty? You can kill our Bodies (if he permit you) but try whether you can reach our Souls. Nay, it is not in the Saints own power to give to, or take away from themselves this Glory. So that according to this Rule, there's no state like the Saints Rest. For no man can give this Rest to us, and none can take our Joy from us, Joh. 16.22.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 4.
• * 1.2

  Jam. 1.17.
• * 1.3

  1 Cor. 3.5.