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. II.

2. THe Second Pearl in the Saints Diadem, is that, It's Free. This seemeth as Pharoahs second Kine,2 1.1 to devour the for∣mer; and as the Angell to Balaam, To meet it with a drawne sword of a full opposition. But the seeming discord, is but a pleasing diversity composed into that harmony which constitutes the Melo∣dy. These two Attributes Purchased and Free, are the two chaines of Gold which by their pleasant twisting, doe make up that wreath for the heads of the Pillars in the Temple of God.* 1.2 It was deare to Christ, but free to us. When Christ was to buy, silver and gold was nothing worth; Prayers and Tears could not suffice; nor any thing below his Blood: But when we come to buy, the price is fallen to just nothing; Our buying, is but receiving: we have it freely with∣out money, and without price. Nor doe the Gospell-conditions make it lesse Free; or the Covenant tenor before mentioned, con∣tradict any of this. If the Gospell-conditions had been such as are the Laws; or payment of the debt required at our hands; the freeness then were more questionable. Yea, if God had said to us; [Sinners, if you will satisfie my Justice but for one of your sins, I will forgive you all the rest,] it would have been a hard condition on our part, and the Grace of the Covenant not so Free, as our disability doth necessarily require. But if all the Condition be our cordiall accepta∣tion, surely we deserve not the name of Purchasers. Thankfull ac∣cepting of a free acquittance, is no paying of the Debt. If life be offered to a condemned man, upon condition that he shall not refuse the offer, I think the favour is never the lesse free. Nay, though the condition were, that he should begge, and wait before he have his pardon, and take him for his Lord who hath thus redeemed him: All this is no satisfying of the justice of the Law: Especially when the condition is also given, as it is by God to all his chosen; surely then here's all free: If the Father freely give the Son, and the Son freely pay the debt, and if God do freely accept that way of pay∣ment, when he might have required it of the principall; and if both Father and Sonne do freely offer us the purchased life upon those fair conditions; and if they also freely send the Spirit to inable us to per∣form those conditions, then what is here that is not free? Is not e∣very

Stone that builds this Temple, Free-Stone? Oh, the everlast∣ing admiration that must needs surprize the Saints, to think of this Freenesse! What did the Lord see in me, that he should judge me meet for such a State? That I who was but a poor, disea••ed, despi∣sed wretch should be clad in the brightnesse of this Glory? That I a silly creeping breathing worm, should be advanced to this high dig∣nity. That I, who was but lately groaning, weeping▪ dying, should now be as full of joy as my heart can hold! Yea, should be taken from the grave, where I was rotting and stinking, and from the dust and darkness where I seemed forgotten, and here set before his Throne? that I should be taken with Mordecai from captivity, to be set next unto the King! and with Daniel from the Den, to be made ruler of Princes and Provinces! and with Saul from seeking Asses, to be advanced to a Kingdom! Oh, who can fathom unmeasurable Love? Indeed if the proud hearted, selfe-ignorant, selfe-admiring sinners should be thus advanced, who think none so fit for prefer∣ment as themselves; perhaps instead of admiring free Love, they would with those unhappy Angels be discontented yet with their estate. But when the selfe-denying, selfe-accusing, humble soule, who thought himselfe unworthy the ground he trod on, and the aire he breathed in, unworthy to eat, drink, or live, when he shall be taken vp into this Glory! He, who durst ••carce come among, or speak to, the imperfect Saints on earth, because he was unworthy; he who durst scarce hear, or scarce read the Scripture, or scarce pray and call God, Father; o•• scarce receive the Sacraments of his Cove∣nant, and all because he was unworthy! For this soul to finde it self rapt up into heaven and closed in the armes of Christ, even in a moment! Do but think with your selves what the transporting, astonishing admiration of such a soule will be. He that durst not lift up his eyes to heaven, but stood a farre off, smiting on his brest, and crying, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner; now to be lift up to heaven himself! He who was wont to write his name in Bradfords stile, The unthank••full, the hard-hearted, the unworthy sinner! And was wont to admire that patience could bear so long and just∣ice suffer him to live: Sure he will admire at this alteration, when he shall finde by experience that unworthinesse could not hind••r his salvation which he thought would have bereaved him of every mer∣cy. Ah Christian, There's no talk of our worthiness, nor unwor∣nesse; If worthiness were our condition for admittance, we might

sit down with S. John and weep,* 1.3 because none in heaven or earth is found worthy. But the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy and hath prevailed, & by that title must we hold the inheritance. We shal of∣fer there the offering that David refused, even praise for that which cost us nothing. Here our Commission runs, Freely, ye have received, Freely give: But Christ hath dearly received, yet Freely gives. The master heals us of our leprosie freely, but Gehazi who had no finger in the cure, will surely run after us, and take somthing of us, and falsly pretend, it is his masters pleasure. The Pope and his servants will be paid for their Pardons and Indulgencies; But Christ will take nothing for his. The fees of the Prelats Courts were large; and our Cōmutati∣on of Penance must cost our purses dear; or else we must be cast out of the Synagogue, and soul and body delivered up to the Devil. But none are shut out of that Church for want of money, nor is poverty any eye-sore to Christ: An empty heart may bar them out, but an empty purse cannot: His Kingdom of Grace hath ever been more consistent with despised poverty, then wealth and honour: and riches occasion the difficulty of entrance, far more then want can do. For that which is highly esteemed among men,* 1.4 is despised with God, And so is it also, The poor of the world, rich in faith, whom God hath chosen to be heires of that Kingdom,* 1.5 which he hath prepared for them that love him. I know the true labourer is worthy of his hire: And they that serve at the Altar, should live upon the Altar: And it is not fit to muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the corne: And I know it is either hellish malice, or penu∣rious baseness, or ignorance of the weight of their work and bur∣then, that makes their maintenance so generally Incompetent, and their very livelihood and subsistance, so envied and grudged at: and that it's a meer plot of the Prince of darkness for the diversion of their thoughts; that they must be studying how to get bread for their own and childrens mouths, when they should be preparing the bread of life for their peoples souls. But yet let me desire the right aiming Ministers of Christ, to consider, what is expedient as well as what is lawfull; and that the saving of one soul is better then a thousand pound a year; and our gain though due, is a cursed gain, which is a stumbling block to our peoples souls: Let us make the Free-Gospell as little burthensome and chargeable as is possible.* 1.6 I had rather never take their Tythes while I live, then by them to destroy the souls for whom Christ dyed; and though God hath or∣dained

that they which preach the Gospell,* 1.7 should live of the Gospell! yet I had rather suffer all things, then hinder the Gospell: and it were better for me to dye, then that any man should make this my glorying voyd.* 1.8 Though the well-leading Elders be worthy of double honour, especially the laborious in the word and doctrine; yet if the necessity of Souls, and the promoting of the Gospel should require it,* 1.9 I had rather preach the Gospell in hunger and ragges, then rigidly contend for what's my due: And if I should do so, yet, have I not whereof to Glory;* 1.10 for necessity is laid upon me, yea, wo be to me if I preach not the Gospell, though I never received any thing from men. How unbeseeming the messengers of this Free-Grace and Kingdom is it, rather to lose the hearts and souls of their people, then to lose a groat of their due? And rather to exas∣perate them against the message of God, then to forbear somewhat of their right? And to contend with them at law, for the wages of the Gospell? And to make the glad-tidings, to their yet carnall hearts seem to be sad tidings, because of this burthen? This is not the way of Christ and his Apostles, nor according to the self deny∣ing, yeelding, suffering Doctrine which they taught. Away with all those actions, that are against the main end of our studies and call∣ing, which is to win souls: and fie upon that gain, which hinders the gaining of men to Christ. I know flesh will here object necessi∣ties, and distrust will not want arguments: but we who have enough to answer to the diffidence of our people, let us take home some of our answers to our selves; and teach our selves first, before we teach them. How many have you known that God suffered to starve in his Vineyard?

But this is our exceeding consolation, That though we may pay for our Bibles and Books, and Sermons, and it may be pay for our free••dom to enjoy and use them: yet as we paid nothing for Gods eternal Love, and nothing for the Son of his Love, and nothing for his Spirit, and our grace and faith, and nothing for our pardon; so we shal pay nothing for our eternal Rest. We may pay for the bread and wine, but we shal not pay for the body and blood, nor for the great things of the Covenant which it seals unto us. And indeed we have a valua∣ble price to give for those, but for these we have none at all. Yet this is not all. If it were only for nothing and without our merit, the wonder were great; but it is moreover against our merit, and a∣gainst our long endeavoring of our own ruine. Oh, the broken

heart that hath known the desert of sin, doth both understand and feel what I say. What an astonishing thought it will be, to think of the unmeasurable difference between our deservings, and our re∣ceivings! between the state we should have been in, and the state we are in! To look down upon Hell, and see the vast difference that free-grace hath made betwixt us and them! to see the inherit∣ance there, which we were born to, so different from that which we are adopted to! Oh, what pangs of love will it cause within us, to think, yonder was my native right: my deserved portion: those should have been my hideous cries; my doleful groans; my easless pains; my endless torment: Those unquenchable flames I should have layen in; that never dying worm should have fed upon me: yonder was the place that sin would have brought me to; but this is it that Christ hath bought me to. Yonder death was the wa∣ges of my sin; but this Eternal life is the Gift of God, through Je∣sus Christ my Lord. Did not I neglect Grace, and make light of the offers of Life, and sleight my Redeemers Blood a long time, as well as yonder suffering souls? Did I not let passe my time, and for∣get my God, and soul, as well as they? And was I not born in sin and wrath as well as they? Oh, who made me to differ? Was my heart naturally any readier for Christ then theirs? Or any whit bet∣ter affected to the Spirits perswasions? Should I ever have begun to love, if God had not begun to me? or ever been willing, if he had not made me willing? or ever differed, if he had not made me to differ? Had I not now been in those flames, if I had had mine own way, and been let alone to mine own will? Did I not resist as powerful means, and lose as fair ad∣vantages as they? And should I not have lingered in Sodom t••ll the flames had seized on me, if God had not in mercy carryed me out? Oh how free was all this Love? and how free is this enjoyed Glory? Doubtless this will be our ever∣lasting admiration, That so Rich a Crown should fit the head of so vile a Sinner! That such high advancement, and such long unfruitfulness and unkindness, can be the state of the same person! and that such vile rebellions can conclude in such most precious Joys! But no thanks to us; nor to any of our duties and labors; much less to our neglects and la∣ziness: we know to whom the praise is due, and must be given for ever. And indeed to this very end it was, that in∣finite

Wisdom did cast the whole design of Mans Salvation into this mould of PVRCHASE and FREENES, that the Love and Joy of man might be perfected, and the Honor of Grace most highly advanced; that the thought of Merit might neither cloud the one, nor obstruct the other; and that on these two hinges, the gates of Heaven might turn. So then let [DESERVED] be written on the door of Hell, but on the door of Heaven and Life, [THE FREE GIFT].

Notes

• 2 1.1

  §. 2. 2 It is Freely given us.
• * 1.2

  1 King. 7.17.
• * 1.3

  Rev. 5.4, 5.
• * 1.4

  Jam. 2.5.
• * 1.5

  1 Cor. 9.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
• * 1.6

  1 Cor. 9.18▪ 19. Rom. 14.13, 15, 20, 21.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 15.1, 2. 1 Cor. 914 12
• * 1.8

  ver. 15. 1 Tim 5 17.
• * 1.9

  1 Cor. 4.10, 11, 12
• * 1.10

  1 Cor. 9.16.