The Saint's Everlasting Rest: A Treatise of the Blessed State of the Saints in Their Enjoyment of God in HeavenBaxter, Richard
Religion
The Saint's Everlasting Rest: A Treatise of the Blessed State of the Saints in Their Enjoyment of God in Heaven
Baxter, Richard
Devotional literature
§ 30. As for you, whose hearts God hath weaned from all things here
below, I hope you will value this heavenly life, and take one walk every
day in the new Jerusalem. God is your love, and your desire, you would
fain be more acquainted with your Savior; and I know it is your grief,
that your hearts are not nearer to him, and that they do not more
feelingly love him, and delight in him. O try this life of meditation on
your heavenly rest! Here is the mount, on which the fluctuating ark of
your souls may rest. Let the world see by your heavenly lives that
religion is something more than opinions and disputes, or a task of
outward duties. If ever a Christian is like himself, and answerable to
his principles and profession, it is when he is most serious and lively
in this duty. As Moses before he died, went up unto mount Nebo, to take
a survey of the land of Canaan; so the Christian ascends this mount of
contemplation, and by faith surveys his rest. He looks upon the glorious
mansions, and says, "_Glorious things are_ deservedly _spoken of thee,
thou city of God_!" He hears, as it were, the melody of the heavenly
choir, and says, "_Happy is the people that is in such a case; yea,
happy is that people, whose God is the Lord!_" He looks upon the
glorified inhabitants, and says, "_Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like
unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who
is the sword of thine excellency!_" When he looks upon the Lord himself,
who is their glory, he is ready with the rest, to _fall down, and
worship him, that liveth for ever and ever_, and _say, "Holy, holy, holy
Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come! Thou art worthy, O
Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power!"_ When he looks on the
glorified Savior, he is ready to say, _Amen_, to that _new Song,
"Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever: For thou wast slain,
and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us, unto our God, kings
and priests!_" When he looks back on the wilderness of this world, he
blesses the believing, patient, despised saints; he pities the ignorant,
obstinate, miserable world; and for himself, he says, as Peter, "_It is
good to be here_"; or as Asaph, "_It is good for me to draw near to God;
for lo, they that are far from thee, shall perish._" Thus, as Daniel, in
his captivity, daily opened his window toward Jerusalem, though far out
of sight, when he went to God in his devotions; so may the believing
soul, in this captivity of the flesh, look towards _Jerusalem which is
above_: And as Paul was to the Colossians, so may the believer be with
the glorified spirits, _though absent in the flesh, yet with them in the
spirit, joying and beholding their_ heavenly _order_. And as the lark
sweetly sings, while she soars on high, but is suddenly silenced when
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