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. VI.

* 1.2ANd thus you have a naked enumeration of the Essentials of this People of God: Not a full pourtraiture of them in all their excellencies, nor all the notes whereby they may be discern∣ed; which were both beyond my present purpose. And though it will be part of the following Application, to put you upon tryal; yet because the Description is now before your eyes, and these e∣videncing works are fresh in your memory, it will not be unsea∣sonable, nor unprofitable for you, to take an account of your own

estates, and to view your selves exactly in this glass, before you pass on any further. And I beseech thee, Reader, as thou hast the hope of a Christian, yea, or the reason of a man, to deal throughly, and search carefully, and judg thy self as one that must shortly be judged by the righteous God; and faithfully answer to these few Questions which I shall here propound.

I will not enquire whether thou remember the time or the or∣der of these workings of the spirit; There may be much uncer∣tainly and mistake in that; But I desire thee to look into thy Soul, and see whether thou finde such works wrought within thee; and then if thou be sure they are there, the matter is not so great, though thou know not when or how thou camest by them.

And first; hast thou been throughly convinced of an universal depravation, through thy whole soul? and an universal wickedness through thy whole life? and how vile a thing this sin is? and that by the tenor of that Covenant which thou hast transgressed, the least sin deserves eternal death? dost thou consent to this Law, that it is true, and righteous? Hast thou perceived thy self sentenced to this death by it? and been convinced of thy natural undone con∣dition? Hast thou further seen the utter insufficiency of every Creature, either to be it self thy happiness, or the means of curing this thy misery, and thee happy again in God? Hast thou been convinced, that thy happiness is only in God as the end? And only in Christ as the way to him? (and the end also as he is one with the Father;) and perceived that thou must be brought to God by Christ, or perish eternally? Hast thou seen hereupon an absolute necessity of thy enjoying Christ? And the full sufficiency that is in him, to do for thee whatsoever thy case requireth, by reason of the fulness of his satisfaction, the greatness of his power, and dig∣nity of his person, and the freeness and indefiniteness of his pro∣mises? Hast thou discovered the excellency of this pearl, to be worth thy selling all to buy it? Hath all this been joyned with some sensibility? As the convictions of a man that thirsteth, of the worth of drink? and not been only a change in opinion, produced by reading or education, as a bare notion in the understanding? Hath it proceeded to an abhorring that sin? I mean in the bent and pre∣vailing inclination of thy will, though the flesh do attempt to re∣concile thee to it? Have both thy sin and misery been a burden to thy soul? and if thou couldest not weep, yet couldest thou hearti∣ly

groan under the insupportable weight of both? Hast thou re∣nounced all thine own Righteousness? Hast thou turned thy Idols out of thy heart? So that the Creature hath no more the sove∣raignty? but is now a servant to God and to Christ? Dost thou accept of Christ as thy only Saviour? and expect thy Justification, Recovery, and glory from him alone? Dost thou take him also for Lord and King? and are his Laws the most powerful com∣manders of thy life and soul? Do they ordinarily prevail against the commands of the flesh, of Satan, of the greatest on earth that shall countermand? and against the greatest interest of thy credit, profit, pleasure or life? So that thy conscience is directly subject to Christ alone? Hath he the highest room in thy heart and af∣fections? So that though thou canst not love him as thou wouldest, yet nothing else is loved so much? Hast thou made a hearty * 1.3 Co∣venant to this end with him? And delivered up thy self accor∣dingly to him? and takest thy self for His and not thine own? Is it thy utmost care and watchful endeavor, that thou maist be found faithful in this Covenant? and though thou fall into sin, yet wouldst not renounce thy bargain, nor change thy Lord, nor give up thy self to any other government, for all the world? If this be truly thy case, thou art one of these People of God which my Text speaks of: And as sure as the Promise of God is true, this Blessed Rest remaines for thee. Only see thou abide in Christ, and con∣tinue to the end; For if any draw back, his soul will have no plea∣sure in them.

But if all this be contrary with thee; or if no such work be found within thee; but thy soul be a stranger to all this; and thy con∣science tell thee, it is none of thy case; The Lord have mercy on thy soul, and open thine eyes, and do this great work upon thee, and by his mighty power overcome thy resistance: For * 1.4 in the case thou art in, there is no hope. What ever thy deceived heart may think, or how strong soever thy false hopes be, or though now a little while thou flatter thy soul in confidence and security; Yet wilt thou shortly finde to thy cost (except thy through con∣version do prevent it) that thou art none of these people of God, and the Rest of the Saints belongs not to thee. Thy dying hour draws neer apace and so doth that great day of separation, when God will make an everlasting difference between his peo∣ple and his enemies: Then wo, and for ever wo to thee, if thou

be found in the state that thou art now in: Thy own tongue will then proclaim thy wo, with a thousand times more dolor and ve∣hemence, then mine can possibly do it now.* 1.5 O that thou wert wise to consider this, and that thou wouldst remember thy latter end! That yet while thy soul is in thy body, and a price in thy hand, and day light, and opportunity, and hope before thee, thine ears might be open to instruction, and thy heart might yield to the perswasi∣ons of God; and thou mightest bend all the powers of thy soul about this great work; that so thou mightest Rest among his People, and enjoy the inheritance of the Saints in Light! And thus I have shewed you, who these People of God are.

Notes

• * 1.1

  § 6.
• * 1.2

  The Applica∣tion of this Description, by way of Examination.
• * 1.3

  Whether thy Infant Bap∣tism will serve or no, I am sure thy Infant Covenant will not now serve thy turne: But thou must Actually en∣ter Covenant in thy own person.

  John 15.4, 5, 6. Matth 24.13. Heb. 10.38, 39.
• * 1.4

  I speak not this to the dark and clouded Chri∣stian, who cannot discern ••hat which is indeed within him.
• * 1.5

  Deut. 32.29.