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. III.* 1.1

THus far the Soul is passive.1 1.2 Let us next see by what acts this new Life doth discover it self, and this Divine Spark doth break forth; and how the soul touched with this Loadstone of the Spirit,1 1.3 doth presently move toward God. The first work I call Conviction,2 1.4 which indeed comprehends several Acts. 1. Know∣ledg. 2. Assent. It comprehends the knowledg of what the Scripture speaks against sin, and sinners; and that this Scripture which so speaks, is the Word of God himself. Whosoever knows not both these, is not yet thus convinced, (though it is a very great

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Question, Whether this last be an act of Knowledg, or of Faith? I think of both.* 1.5) It comprehends a sincere Assent to the verity of this Scripture; as also some knowledg of our selves, and our own guilt, and an acknowledgment of the verity of those Conse∣quences, which from the premises of sin in us, and threats in Scripture,* 1.6 do conclude us miserable. It hath been a great Questi∣on, and disputed in whole Volumns, which Grace is the first in the Soul; where Faith and Repentance are usually the onely com∣petitors. I have shewed you before, that in regard of the prin∣ciple, the power or habit (whichsoever it be that is infused) they are all at once, being indeed all one; and onely called several Graces, from the diversity of their subject, as residing in the seve∣ral faculties of the soul; the life and rectitude of which several faculties and affections, are in the same sense several Graces, as the Germane, French, British Seas, are several Seas. And for the Acts, it is most apparent, that neither Repentance, nor Faith (in the ordinary strict sense) is first, but Knowledg. There is no act of the Rational Soul about any object preceding Knowledg. Their eva∣sion is too gross, who tell us, That Knowledg is no Grace, or but a common act: When a dead Soul is by the Spirit enlivened, its first act is to know: and why should it not exert a sincere act of Knowing, as well as Believing, and the sincerity of Knowledg be requisite as well as of Faith, especially, when Faith in the Gospel-sense, is sometime taken largely, containing many acts, whereof Knowledg is one? in which large sense, indeed Faith is the first Grace. This Conviction implyeth also, the subduing and silencing in some measure of all their carnal Reasonings, which were wont to prevail against the Truth, and a discovery of the fallacies of all their former Argumentations.

2 1.72. As there must be Conviction, so also Sensibility: God works on the Heart, as well as the Head; both were corrupted, and out of order. The principle of new Life doth quicken both. All true Spiritual Knowledg doth pass into Affections. That Religion which is meerly traditional, doth indeed swim loose in the Brain; and the Devotion which is kindled but by Men and Means, is hot in the mouth,* 1.8 and cold in the stomack. The Work that had no higher rise, then Education, Example, Custom, Reading, or Hear∣ing, doth never kindly pass down to the Affections. The Under∣standing

which did receive but meer notions, cannot deliver them to the Affections as Realities. The bare help of Doctrine upon an unrenewed Soul produceth in the Understanding, but a super∣ficial apprehension, and half Assent, and therefore can produce in the Heart but small sensibility. As Hypocrites may know many things (yea, as many as the best Christian) but nothing with the clear apprehensions of an experienced man; so may they with as many things, be slightly affected, but they give deep rooting to none. To read and hear of the worth of Meat and Drink, may raise some esteem of them; but not such as the hungry and thirsty feel, (for by feeling they know the worth thereof.) To view in the Map of the Gospel, the precious things of Christ, and his Kingdom, may slightly affect: But to thirst for, and drink of the living waters; and to travel, to live in, to be heir of that King∣dom, must needs work another kinde of Sensibility. It is Christs own differencing Mark (and I had rather have one from him, then from any) that the good ground gives the good Seed deep root∣ing; but some others entertain it but into the surface of the soyl, and cannot afford it depth of Earth. The great things of Sin, of Grace, and Christ, and Eternity, which are of weight one would think to move a Rock, yet shake not the heart of the carnal Pro∣fessor, nor pierce his soul unto the quick. Though he should have them all ready in his Brain, and be a constant Preacher of them to others, yet do they little affect himself: When he is pressing them upon the hearts of others most earnestly, and crying out on the senslesness of his dull hearers; you would little think how in∣sensible is his own soul, and the great difference between his tongue and his heart: His study and invention, procureth him zealous and moving expressions; but they cannot procure him answerable affections. It is true, some soft and passionate Natures may have tears at command, when one that is truly gracious hath none; yet is this Christian with dry eyes, more solidly apprehensive and deeply affected, then the other is in the midst of his tears; and the weeping Hypocrite will be drawn to his sin again with a trifle, which the groaning Christian would not be hired to commit, with Crowns and Kingdoms.

The things that the Soul is thus convinced and sensible of,* 1.9 are especially these in the Description mentioned.

1 1.101. The evil of sin. The sinner is made to know and feel, that the sin which was his delight, his sport, the support of his credit, and estate, is indeed a more loathsom thing then Toads or Ser∣pents; and a greater evil then Plague or Famine, or any other calamity: It being a breach of the righteous Law of the most high God, dishonorable to him, and destructive to the sinner. Now the sinner reads and hears no more the reproofs of sin, as words of course, as if the Minister wanted something to say, to fill up his Sermon; but when you mention his sin, you stir in his wounds; he feels you speak at his very heart, and yet is contented you should shew him the worst, and set it home, though he bear the smart. He was wont to marvel what made men keep such a stir against sin; what harm it was for a man to take a little for∣bidden pleasure: he saw no such hainousness in it, that Christ must needs die for it, and most of the world be eternally tormented in Hell: He thought this was somewhat hard measure, and greater punishment then could possibly be deserved, by a little fleshly liberty, or worldly delight, neglect of Christ, his Word, or Wor∣ship, yea, by a wanton thought, a vain word, a dull duty, or cold affection. But now the case is altered; God hath opened his eyes to see that unexpressable vileness in sin, which satisfies him of the reason of all this.

2 1.112. The Soul in this great work is convinced and sensible, as of the evil of sin, so of its own misery by reason of sin. They who before read the threats of Gods Law, as men do the old stories of forraign wars, or as they behold the wounds and blood in a picture or piece of Arras, which never makes them smart or fear; Why now they finde its their own story, and they perceive they read their own doom, as if they found their names written in the curse, or heard the Law say as Nathan, Thou are the man. The wrath of God seemed to him before, but as a storm to a man in the dry house; or as the pains of the sick to the healthful stander∣by; or as the Torments of Hell to a childe, that sees the story of Dives and Lazarus upon the wall: But now he findes the disease is his own, and feels the pain in his own bowels, and the smart of

the wounds in his own soul. In a word, he findes himself a con∣demned man, and that he is dead and damned in point of Law, and that nothing was wanting but meer execution to make him most absolutely and irrecoverably miserable.* 1.12 Whether you will call this a work of the Law or Gospel (as in several senses it is of both, the Law expressing, and the Gospel intimating and implying our for∣mer condemnation.* 1.13) Sure I am it is a work of the Spirit, wrought in some measure in all the regenerate: And though some do judg it an unnecessary bondage, yet it is beyond my conceiving, how he should come to Christ for pardon that first found not himself guilty and condemned; or for life, that never found himself dead. The whole need not the Physitian,* 1.14 but they that are sick. Yet I deny not, but the discovery of the Remedy as soon as the misery, must needs prevent a great part of the trouble, and make the distinct effects on the soul, to be with much more difficulty discerned: Nay, the actings of the soul are so quick, and oft so confused, that the distinct order of these workings, may not be apprehended or re∣membred at all: And perhaps the joyful apprehensions of mercy may make the sense of misery the sooner forgotten.

3. So doth the spirit also convince the soul,3 1.15 of the creatures vanity and insufficiency. Every man naturally is a flat Idolater: our hearts turned from God, in our first fall; and ever since the Creature hath been our God: This is the grand sin of Nature: when we set up to our selves a wrong end, we must needs erre in all the means.* 1.16 The Creature is to every unregenerate man his God and his Christ. He ascribeth to it the Divine prerogatives, and alloweth it the highest room in his soul; Or if ever he come to be convinced of misery, he flyeth to it as his Saviour and sup∣ply. Indeed God and his Christ have usually the name; and shall be still called both Lord and Saviour: But the reall expecta∣tion is from the Creature, and the work of God is laid upon it; (how well it will perform that work, the sinner must know hereafter.* 1.17) It is His Pleasure, his profit, and his Honour, that is the natural mans Trinity; and his Carnal self, that is these in unity. Indeed it is that Flesh that is the Principal Idol; the other three are deified in their relation to our selves. It was our first sin, to as∣pire to be as Gods; and its the greatest sin that runs in our blood, and is propagated in our nature from Generation to Generation.

When God should guide us,* 1.18 we guide our selves; when he should be our Soveraign, we rule our selves. The Laws which he gives us, we would correct and finde fault with; and if we had the making of them, we would have made them otherwise: When he should take care of us, (and must, or we perish) we will care for our selves; when we should depend on him in daily receivings, we had rather keep our stock our selves, and have our portion in our own hands; when we should stand to his disposal, we would be at our own; and when we should submit to his provi∣dence, we usually quarrel at it; as if we knew better what is good, or fit for us, then he; or how to dispose of all things more wisely: If we had the disposal of the events of Wars, and the ordering of the affairs of Churches and States, or the choice of our own outward condition, it would be far otherwise then now it is; and we think we could make a better disposal, order and choice, then God hath made. This is the Language of a carnal heart, though it do not always speak it out. When we should study God▪ we study our selves; when we should minde God, we minde our selves; when we should love God, we love our carnal selves; when we should trust God, we trust our selves; when we should honor God, we honor our selves; and when we should ascribe to God, and admire him, we ascribe to, and admire our selves: And instead of God, we would have all mens eyes and dependance on us, and all mens thanks returned to us, and would gladly be the onely men on Earth, extolled, and admired by all. And thus we are naturally our own Idols:* 1.19 But down falls this Dagon, when God doth once renew the soul: It is the great busi∣ness of that great work, to bring the heart back to God himself. He convinceth the sinner. 1. That the Creature or himself, can neither be his God, to make him happy. 2. Nor yet his Christ, to recover him from his misery, and restore him to God, who is his happiness. This God doth, not onely by Preaching, but by Providence also: Because words seem but winde, and will hardly take off the raging senses; therefore doth God make his Rod to speak, and continue speaking, till the sinner hear and hath learned by it this great lesson. This is the reason, why affliction doth so ordinarily concur in the work of Conversion: These real Argu∣ments which speak to the quick, will force a hearing, when the most convincing and powerful words are slighted. When a sinner

made his credit his God, and God shall cast him into lowest dis∣grace; or bring him that idolized his riches, into a condition, wherein they cannot help him; or cause them to take wing and flie away, or the rust to corrupt, and the thief to steal his a∣dored god in a night, or an hour; what a help is here to this work of Conviction? When a man that made his pleasure his god, whether ease, or sports, or mirth, or company, or gluttony, or drunkenness, or cloathing, or buildings, or whatsoever a raging eye, a curious ear, a raging appetite, or a lustful heart could desire; and God shall take these from him, or give him their sting and curse with them, and turn them all into Gall and Wormwood; what a help is here to this Conviction? When God shall cast a man into languishing sickness, and inflict wounds and anguish on his heart, and stir up against him, his own Conscience, and then, as it were, take the sinner by the hand, and lead him to credit, to riches, to pleasure, to company, to sports, or whatsoever was dearest to him, and say, Now try if these can help you; can these heal thy wounded conscience? can they now support thy tottering cot∣age? can they keep thy departing soul in thy body? or save thee from mine everlasting wrath? will they prove to thee eternal pleasures? or redeem thy Soul from the eternal flames? cry aloud to them, and see now, whether these will be instead of God, and his Christ unto thee. O how this works now with the sinner! When sense it self acknowledgeth the truth? and even the flesh is convinced of the Creatures vanity? and our very deceiver is un∣deceived? Now he despiseth his former Idols, and calleth them all but silly Comforters, Wooden, Earthen, Dirty gods, of a few days old, and quickly perishing: He speaketh as contemptu∣ously of them, as Baruck of the Pagan Idols, or our Martyrs of the Papists god of Bread, which was yesterday in the Oven, and is to morrow on the Dunghil: He chideth himself for his former folly, and pitieth those that have no higher happiness. O poor Craesus, Caesar, Alexander, (thinks he) how small? how short was your happiness? Ah poor riches! base honors! woful pleasures! sad mirth! ignorant learning! defiled, dunghil, counterfeit righ∣teousness! poor stuff to make a god of! simple things to save souls! Wo to them that have no better a portion, no surer savi∣ours, nor greater comforts then these can yield, in their last and great distress and need! In their own place they are sweet and

lovely; but in the place of God, how contemptible and abomi∣nable? They that are accounted excellent and admirable, within the bounds of their own calling; should they step into the throne, and usurp Soveraignty, would soon in the eyes of all, be vile and insufferable.

4 1.204. The fourth thing that the Soul is convinced and sensible of, is, The Absolute Necessity, the Full Sufficiency, and Perfect Ex∣cellency of Jesus Christ. It is a great Question, Whether all the forementioned works are not common, and onely preparations unto this?* 1.21 They are preparatives, and yet not common: Every lesser work is a preparative to the greater; and all the first works of Grace, to those that follow: so Faith is a preparative to our continual living in Christ, to our Justification, and Glory. There are indeed common Convictions, and so there is also a common Believing: But this as in the former terms explained, is both a sanctifying and saving work; I mean a saving act of a sanctified Soul, excited by the Spirits special Grace. That it precedes Justi∣fication, contradicts not this; for so doth Faith it ••elf too: Nor that it precedes Faith is any thing against it; for I have shewed before, that it is a part of Faith in the large sense; and in the strict sense taken Faith is not the first gracious act, much less that act of fiducial recumbency, which is commonly taken for the justifying act: Though indeed it is no one single act, but many that are the condition of Justification.

1 1.22This Conviction is not by meer Argumentation, as a man is con∣vinced of the verity of some inconcerning consequence by dispute; but also by the sense of our desperate misery, as a man in famine of the necessity of food, or a man that hath read or heard his sentence of condemnation, is convinced of the absolute necessity of par∣don; or as a man that lies in prison for debt, is convinced of the necessity of a surety to discharge it. Now the sinner findes himself in another case, then ever he was before aware of; he feels an in∣supportable burden upon him, and sees there is none but Christ can take it off; he perceives that he is under the wrath of God, and that the Law proclaims him a Rebel and Out-law, and none but Christ can make his peace; he is as a man pursued by a Lyon, that must perish if he finde not present sanctuary; he feels the curse doth lie upon him, and upon all he hath for his sake, and

Christ alone can make him blessed; he is now brought to this Dilemma; either he must have Christ to justifie him, or be eter∣nally condemned; he must have Christ to save him, or burn in Hell for ever; he must have Christ to bring him again to God, or be shut out of his presence everlastingly. And now no wonder, if he cry as the Martyr Lambert, None but Christ, none but Christ. It is not Gold but Bread, that will satisfie the hungry; nor any thing but pardon that will comfort the condemned.* 1.23 All things are now but dross and dung; and what we accounted gain, is now but loss, in comparison of Christ. For as the sinner seeth his utter misery, and the disability of himself, and all things to relieve him; so he doth perceive, that there is no saving mercy out of Christ: The truth of the threatning, and tenor of both Covenants, do put him out of all such hopes.* 1.24 There is none found in Heaven or Earth, that can open the sealed Book, save the Lamb; without his blood there is no Remission; and without Remission there is no Salvation. Could the sinner now make any shift without Christ, or could any thing else supply his wants, and save his soul;* 1.25 then might Christ be disregarded: But now he is con∣vinced, that there is no other name, and the necessity is ab∣solute.

2. And as the Soul is thus convinced of the necessity of Christ,2 1.26 so also of his full sufficiency. He sees though the Creature cannot, and himself cannot, yet Christ can. Though the fig-leaves of our own unrighteous righteousness, are too short to cover our naked∣ness, yet the Righteousness of Christ is large enough: Ours is dis∣proportionable to the justice of the Law; but Christs doth extend to every title. If he intercede, there is no denial; such is the dignity of his person, and the value of his merits, that the Father granteth all he desireth:* 1.27 He tells us himself, that the Father heareth him always. His sufferings being a perfect satisfaction to the Law,* 1.28 and all power in Heaven and Earth being given to him, he is now able to supply every of our wants, and to save to the uttermost all that come to him.

Quest. How can I know his death is sufficient for me, if not for all? And how is it sufficient for all, if not suffered for all?

Answ. Because I will not interrupt my present discourse with controversie, I will say something to this Question by it self in another Tract, if God enable me.

3 1.293. The Soul is also here convinced of the perfect excellency of Jesus Christ; both as he is considered in himself, and as considered in relation to us, both as he is the onely way to the Father, and as he is the end being one with the Father: Before he knew Christs excellency, as a blinde man knows the light of the Sun; but now as one that beholdeth its glory.

And thus doth the Spirit convince the Soul.

Notes

• * 1.1

  § 3.
• 1 1.2

  The Soul is convinced •• e.
• 1 1.3

  Knoweth.
• 2 1.4

  Assenteth to the Truth of Scripture-threats.
• * 1.5

  And knows its own sin and guilt, and misery.
• * 1.6

  Therefore not any other, but this Knowledg is the first Grace, in re∣gard of the order of their acting; though in the vi••al Seed they are together.
• 2 1.7

  The Soul is sensible of what it is con∣vinced.
• * 1.8

  Necessity of sensibility.
• * 1.9

  What the Soul is convinced and sensible of.
• 1 1.10

  Of the evil of sin. Nall•• offensa D••i est venialis de se, nisi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 per resp••ctum ad divinam mise∣recordiam, quae non vult de facto quamlibet offensam impu∣tare ad mor∣tem; cum illud posset justissi∣me. Et ita concluditur quod peccatum mortale & ve∣niale in esse tasi non distinguun∣tur intrinsecè & essentiali∣ter, sed solum per respectum ad divinam gratiam, &c. Gerson. de vita Spirit. Corol. 1. So Papists then confess the damning merit of every sin.
• 2 1.11

  Of its own misery, by reason of sin. Quisquis de∣solationem non novit, nec con∣solationem ag∣noscere potest. Et quisquis consolationem ignorat esse necessariam, superes•• ut non habeat gratiam Dei. Inde est quod homines seculi negotiis & flagitiis implicati, dum miseriam non sentiunt, non attendunt misericordiam. Bernard. Serm. XXXI. de temp.
• * 1.12

  Whether this be the work of the Law or Gospel.
• * 1.13

  Necessity of this sense of sin and misery.
• * 1.14

  ☜ Why some gracious souls can scarce perceive, and others scarce remember this work of Hu∣miliation.
• 3 1.15

  Of the Creatures va∣nity and in∣sufficiency.
• * 1.16

  Every natural man is an Ido∣later, and doth not indeed take the Lord for his God.
• * 1.17

  ☜ Pride is the great sin against the first and great Command∣ment.
• * 1.18

  Man natural∣ly is his own Idol.
• * 1.19

  Regeneration works back the heart to God again▪

  It convinceth, fi••st, That the Creature can∣not be our God; se∣condly, Nor our Jesus. Providences, and especially Affliction, do ••sually much further this Conviction.
• 4 1.20

  Of the need of Christ, and his sufficiency, and worth.
• * 1.21

  Quest. Are not all the foremention∣ed works com∣mon, till this last? Answ. No.
• 1 1.22

  Of the necessity of Christ.
• * 1.23

  Phil. 3▪ 7, 8, 9.
• * 1.24

  Revel 5.3, 4, 5, 6. Heb. 9.22. & 13.12.
• * 1.25

  Acts 4.1••.
• 2 1.26

  Of Christs sufficiency.
• * 1.27

  John 11.42.
• * 1.28

  Heb. 7.25.
• 3 1.29

  And of his excellency.