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. XII.

4 1.24. WE shall Rest also from all our Temptations which we now undergo from the world and the flesh, as well as Satan: And that is a number unexpressible, and a weight (were it not that we are beholding to supporting grace) utterly intollerable. O the hourly dangers that we poor sinners here be∣low walk in! Every sense is a snare: Every member a snare: Every creature a snare: Every mercy a snare: And every duty a snare to us. VVe can scarce open our eyes, but we are in danger: If we behold them above us, we are in danger of envy: If them be∣low us, we are in danger of contempt: If we see sumptuous buildings, pleasant habitations, Honour and Riches, we are in danger to be drawn away with covetous desires; If the ragges and beggery of others, we are in danger of self-applauding thoughts and unmercifulness. If we see beauty, its a bait to lust; if deformity, to loathing and disdain. VVe can scarcely hear a word spoken, but containes to us matter of temptation. How soon do slanderous reports, vain jests, wanton speeches by that passage creep into the Heart? How strong and prevalent a Temp∣tation is our appetite? and how constant and strong a watch doth it require? Have we comliness and beauty? What fuel for pride? Are we deformed? What an occasion of repining? Have we strength of Reason, and gifts of Learning? O how hard is it not to be pufft up?* 1.3 To seek our selves? To hunt after applause? To despise our brethren? To mislike the simplicity that is in Christ? Both in the matter and manner of Scripture? In Doctrine, in Discipline, in Worship, and in the Saints? to affect a pompous, specious, fleshly service of God? and to exalt Reason above Faith? Are we unlearned, and of shallow heads, and slender parts? How apt then to despise what we have not? And to undervalue

that which we do not know? and to erre with confidence, because of our Ignorance? and if conceitedness and pride do but strike in, to become a zealous enemy to Truth? and a leading troubler of the Churches peace, under pretences of truth and holiness? Are we men of eminency, and in place of Authority? How strong is our Temptation to slight our brethren? to abuse our trust? to seek our selves? to stand upon our honour and priviledges? To for∣get our selves, our poor brethren, and the publick good? How hard to devote our power to his Glory, from whom we have re∣ceived it? How prone to make our wills our law? and to cut out all the enjoyments of others, both religious and civil, by the cursed rules and model of our own interest and policy? Are we Inferiors and subject? How prone to grudg at others preheminence? and to take liberty to bring all their actions to the bar of our incom∣petent Judgment? and to censure, and slander them, and mur∣mure at their proceedings? Are we rich, and not too much exalted? Are we poor, and not discontented? and make our worldly ne∣cessities a pretence for the robbing God of all his service? If we be sick, O how impatient? If in health, how few and stupid are our thoughts of eternity? If death be near, we are distracted with the fears of it: If we think it far off, how careless is our preparation? Do we set upon duty?* 1.4 Why, there are snares too: either we are stupid and lazy; or rest on them, and turn from Christ; or we are customary, and notional only: In a word, not one word that falls from the mouth of a Minister or Christian, but is a snare: not a place we come into; not a word that our own tongues speake; not any mercy we possess; not a bit we put into our mouths, but they are snares: Not that God hath made them so; but through our own corruption they become so to us. So that what a sad case are we poor Christians in? And especially they that discern them not? for its almost impossible they should escape them? It was not for nothing that our Lord cryes out, What I say to one, I say to all; Watch. We are like the Lepers at Samaria, if we go into the City, there's nothing but famine: if we sit still we perish.

But for ever Blessed be Omnipotent Love, which saves us out of all these: and maketh our streights, but the advantages of the glo∣ry of his saving Grace: And blessed be the Lord, who hath not given our souls for a prey: Our soul is escaped as a bird out of

the snare of the fouler;* 1.5 the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Now our Houses▪ our Cloaths, our Sleep, our Food, our Physick, our Father, Mother, Wife, Children, Friends, Goods, Lands, are all so many Temptations; and our selves the greatest snare to our selves. But in Heaven, the danger and trouble is over; there is nothing but what will advance our joy. Now every old compani∣on, and every loose-fellow is putting up the finger, and beckning us to sin, and we can scarce tell how to say them nay: What, say they, will not you take a cup? will you not do as your neigh∣bors? must you be so precise? do you think none shall be saved but Puritans? what needs all this strictness, this reading, and pray∣ing, and preaching? will you make your self the scorn of all men? Come, do as we do; take your cups, and drink away sor∣row. O how many a poor Christian hath been haunted and vexed with these Temptations? and it may be Father, or Mother, or neerest Friends will strike in, and give a poor Christian no rest: And alas, how many to their eternal undoing, have hearkened to their seducements? But this is our comfort, dear Friends, our Rest will free us from all these. As Satan hath no entrance there, so neither any thing to serve his malice; but all things shall there with us conspire the high praises of our great Deliverer.

Notes

• * 1.1

  § 12.
• 4 1.2

  From temp∣tations of the World and Flesh.
• * 1.3

  2 Cor. 11.3. & 1.12, &c.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 12.30. & 7.25. Hosea 9.8. Psal. 69.22. Prov. 20.25. & 22.25. & 29.6, 25. 1 Tim. 6.9. Job 8.8, 10.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 124.6, 7.