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. IIII.

* 1.23. AFter this sensible conviction, the Will discovereth also its change; and that in regard of all the four foremention∣ed objects.

1 1.31. The sin which the understanding pronounceth evil, the will doth accordingly turn from with abhorrency. Not that the sensi∣tive appetite is changed, or any way made to abhor its object; but when it would prevail against the conclusions of Reason, and carry us to sin against God, when Scripture should be the rule, and Reason the Master, and Sense the Servant: This disorder and evil, the will abhorreth.

2 1.42. The misery also which sin hath procured, as he discerneth, so he bewaileth: It is impossible that the soul now living, should look either on its trespass against God, or yet on its own self-pro∣cured calamity, without some compunction and contrition. He that truly discerneth that he hath killed Christ, and killed himself, will surely in some measure be pricked to the heart. If he cannot weep,3 1.5 he can heartily groan; and his heart feels what his under∣standing sees.

3. The Creature he now renounceth as vain, and turneth it out of his heart with disdain. Not that he undervalueth it, or disclaim∣eth its use; but his idolatrous abuse, and its unjust usurpation.

There is a twofold sin; One against God himself, as well as his Laws; when he is cast out of the heart, and something else doth take his place: This is it that I intend in this place. The other is, when a man doth take the Lord for his God, but yet swerveth in some things from his commands; of this before. It is a vain distinction that some make, That the soul must be turned, first from sin; secondly, from the Creature to God: For the sin that

is thus set up against God, is the choice of something below in his stead; and no Creature in it self is evil but the abuse of it is the sin.* 1.6 Therefore to turn from the Creature, is onely to turn from that sinful abuse.

Yet hath the Creature here a twofold consideration. First, As it is vain and insufficient to perform what the Idolater expecteth; and so I handle it here. Secondly, As it is the object of such sinful abuse, and the occasion of sin; and so it falls under the former branch, of our [turning from sin,] and in this sense their division may be granted: but this is onely a various respect; for indeed it is still onely our sinful abuse of the Creature, in our vain admirati∣ons, undue estimations, too strong affections, and false expecta∣tions, which we turn from.

There is a twofold Error very common in the descriptions of the work of Conversion.* 1.7 The one, of those who onely mention the sinners turning from sin to God, without mentioning any receiving of Christ by Faith. The other of those, who on the contrary, onely mention a sinners believing, and then think they have said all. Nay, they blame them as Legalists who make any thing but the bare believing of the love of God in Christ to us, to be part of this work;* 1.8 and would perswade poor souls to question all their former comforts, and conclude the work to have been onely legal and unsound, because they have made their changes of heart, and turning from sin and Creatures, part of it; and have taken up part of their comfort from the reviewing of these, as evidences of a right work. Indeed, should they take up here without Christ, or take such change in stead of Christ, in whole or in part; the reprehension were just, and the danger great. But can Christ be the way, where the Creature is the end? Is he not onely the way to the Father? And must not a right end be intended, before right means? Can we seek to Christ for to re¦concile us to God, while in our hearts we prefer the Creature be∣fore him?* 1.9 Or, doth God dispossess the Creature, and sincerely turn the heart therefrom, when he will not bring the soul to Christ? Is it a work that is ever wrought in an unrenewed soul? You will say, That without Faith it is impossible to * 1.10 please God. True; but what Faith doth the Apostle there speak of? He that

cometh to God, must believe that God is, and that he is a reward∣er of them that diligently seek him. The belief of the Godhead must needs precede the belief of the Mediatorship; and the taking of the Lord for our God, must in order precede the taking of Christ for our Saviour; though our peace with God do follow this: Therefore Paul when he was to deal with the Athenian Idolaters, teacheth them the knowledg of the Godhead first, and the Mediator afterwards. But you will say, May not an unrege∣nerate man believe that there is a God? True; and so may he also believe there is a Christ: But he can no more cordially accept of the Lord for his God, then he can accept of Christ for his Saviour. In the soul of every unregenerate man, the Creature possesseth both places, and is both God and Christ. Can Christ be believed in, where our own Righteousness, or any other thing is trusted as our Saviour?* 1.11 Or doth God ever throughly discover sin, and misery, and clearly take the heart from all Creatures, and Self-righteousness, and yet leave the soul unrenewed? The truth is, where the work is sincere, there it is intire; and all these parts are truly wrought: And as turning from the Creature to God, and not by Christ, is no true turning; so believing in Christ, while the Creature hath our hearts, is no true believing. And therefore in the work of Self-examination, whoever would finde in himself a through-sincere work, must finde an entire work; even the one of these as well as the other. In the review of which intire work, there is no doubt but his soul may take com∣fort. And it is not to be made so light of, as most do, nor put by with a wet finger, That Scripture doth so ordinarily put Repent∣ance before Faith, and make them joyntly conditions of the Gospel: Which Repentance contains those acts of the Wills aversion, from sin and Creatures, before exprest. It is true, if we take Faith in the largest sense of all * 1.12, then it contains Repentance in it; but if we take it strictly, no doubt there is some acts of it go before Repentance, and some follow after.

Yet is it not of much moment, which of the acts before men∣tioned, we shall judg to precede; Whether our aversion from sin, and renouncing our Idols, or our right receiving Christ; seeing it all composeth but one work, which God doth ever perfect where he beginneth but one step, and layeth but one stone in sincerity. And the moments of time can be but few, that interpose

between the several acts. Yet though the disposition to all gracious acts,* 1.13 be given at once, I conceive in our Actual turning, the term from which, in order of nature, is considerable before the term to which we turn.

If any object, That every Grace is received from Christ, and therefore must follow our receiving him by Faith.

I answer, There be receivings from Christ before believing, and before our receiving of Christ himself.* 1.14 Such is all that work of the Spirit,* 1.15 that brings the soul to Christ: There is a passive recei∣ving before the active. Both power and act of Faith are in order of Nature before Christ, actually received; and the power of all other gracious acts, is as soon as that of Faith. Though Christ give pardon and Salvation, upon condition of believing; yet he gives not a new heart, a soft heart, Faith it self, nor the first true Repentance on that condition: No more then he gives the Preaching of the Gospel, the Spirits motions to believe, &c. up∣on a pre-requisite condition of believing.

Notes

• * 1.1

  § 4.
• * 1.2

  Now of the change of the Wi••••, and Af∣fection.
• 1 1.3

  It turneth from sin with abhorrency.
• 2 1.4

  Abhorreth and lamenteth its miserable state.
• 3 1.5

  Renounceth all his former Idols and Va∣nities.

  Sin is, first, Directly a∣gainst God as God

  Secondly, Di∣rectly onely against his Laws.

  Of the first sort, is onely gross idolatry.
• * 1.6

  In what sense we turn from the Creature.
• * 1.7

  A twofold Error in the descriptions of Conversion.
• * 1.8

  Our turning from sin, is as essential to true Conversi∣on as our be∣lieving in Christ.
• * 1.9

  Heb. 11.6.
• * 1.10

  Besides, though the person please not God, nor his actions so as for God to justifie them, or to take delight in them as gracious; yet some actions of wicked men, tending to Reformation, may please God in some respect secundum quid; as Ahabs Humiliation.
• * 1.11

  A flat necessi∣ty, both of coming to God, as the End, or our chief Good; and to Christ as the way to the Father.
• * 1.12

  Viz. As it is put for all o∣bedience to the Com∣mands proper to the Gospel. Which part of this turning goes first.
• * 1.13

  The terminus a quo con∣siderable, be∣fore the ter∣minus ad qu••m in order of nature.
• * 1.14

  Object.
• * 1.15

  Answ.