The saints' everlasting rest, or a treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory;

Front matter

The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.

BV4831.Bm"s2""i967""-"'"^ ^^'willlffiiMSaiillS?.?/. °f a treatise olin

Contents

7 16

CHAP. piOB

Editor's Preface . . . . . vii

Chapter I The Text Explained

It was not only our interest in God and actual fruition of Him which was lost in Adam's covenant-breaking fall, but all spiritual knowledge of Him and true disposition towards such a felicity. Man hath now a heart too suitable to his estate, a low state, and a low spirit. And (as some expound that of Luke xviii. 8) when the Son of God comes with recovering grace, and discoveries and tenders* of a spiritual and eternal happiness and glory. He finds not faith in man to believe it. But as the poor man that would not believe that any one man had such a sum as an hundred pounds, it was so far above what he possessed, so man will hardly now believe that there is such a happiness as once he had, much less as Christ hath now procured. When God would give the Israelites His Sabbaths of rest, in a land of rest. He had more ado to make them believe it than to overcome their enemies, and procure it for them. And when they had it, only as a small intimation and

A earnest of a more incomparably glorious rest through Christ, they stick there, and will yet believe no more than they do possess, but sit down and say, as the glutton at the feast, " Sure there is no other Heaven but this." Or if they do expect more by the Messiah, it is only the increase of their earthly felicity. The apostle bestows most of this Epistle against this distemper, and clearly and largely proves unto them : That it is the end of all ceremonies and shadows to direct them to Jesus Christ the substance, and that the rest of Sabbaths and Canaan should teach them to look for a further rest, which indeed is their happiness. My text is his conclusion after divers arguments to that end, a conclusion so useful to a believer, as containing the ground of all his comforts, the end of all his duty and sufferings, the life and sum of all Gospel promises and Christian privileges, that you may easily be satisfied why I have made it the subject of my present discourse. What more welcome to men under personal afflictions, tiring duty, successions of sufferings, than rest ! What more welcome news to men under public calamities, unpleasing employments, plundering losses, sad tidings, &c. (which is the common case), than this of rest ! Hearers, I pray God your attentions, intention of spirit, entertainment and improvement of it, be but half answerable to the verity, necessity, and excellency of this subject; and then you will have cause to bless God while you live that ever you heard it ; as I have, that ever I studied it.

II

The text is, as you may see, the apostle's assertion in an entire proposition with the concluding illative. The subject is "Rest"; the predicate, "It yet remains to the people of God." It is requisite we say somewhat,

THE TEXT EXPLAINED

briefly, for explication of the terms, and of the subject of them.

"Therefore," i.e. it clearly follows from the former argument. "There remains," in order of speaking, as the consequence follows the antecedent, or the conclusion the premises ; so there remains a rest, or it remains that there is another rest. But rather in order of being; as the bargain remains after the earnest, the performance after the promise, the anti-type after the type, and the ultimate end after all the means, so there remains a rest. "To the people of God." God hath a twofold people within the Church ; one His only by a common vocation, by an external acceptation of Christ and covenanting, sanctified by the blood of the covenant so far as to be separated from the open enemies of Christ and all without the Church ; therefore not to be accounted common and unclean in the sense as Jews and Pagans are, but holy, and saints in a larger sense, as the nation of the Jews and all proselyted Gentiles were holy before Christ's coming. These are called branches in Christ not bearing fruit, and shall be cut off, for they are in the Church and in Him by the foresaid profession and external covenant, but no further. There are in His kingdom things that offend and men that work' iniquity which the angels at the last day shall gather out, and cast into the lake of fire. There are fishes good and bad in His net, and tares with wheat in His field. The " son of perdition " is one of those given to Christ by the Father, though not as the rest.* These be not the "people of God" my text speaks of. But God hath a peculiar people that ai-e His by special vocation, cordial acceptation of Christ, internal, sincere covenanting, sanctified by the blood of the Covenant, and the Spirit of Grace, so far as not only to be separated

' John xvii. 12.

3 ■ from open infidels, but from all unregenerate Christians ; being branches in Christ bearing fruit : and for these remains the Rest in my text.

To be God's people by a forced subjection, i.e. under His dominion, is common to all persons, even open enemies, yea, devils : this yields not comfort.

To be His by a verbal covenant and profession and external call, is common to all in and of the visible Church, even traitors and secret enemies. Yet hath this many privileges, as the external seals, means of grace, common mercies, but no interest in this Rest.

But to be His by election, union with Christ, and special interest (as before-mentioned), is the peculiar property of those that shall have this Rest.

Ill

But is it to a determinate number of persons by name, or only to a people thus and thus qualified, viz. persevering believers, without determining by name who they are .''

I purpose in this discourse to omit controversies ; only in a word thus : It is promised only to persevering believers, and not to any particular persons by name. It is puj:posed, with all the conditions of it and means to it, to a determinate number, called the Elect, and known by name ; which evidently followeth these plain propositions.

There are few will deny that God foreknows from eternity who these are and shall be, numerically, personally, by name.

To purpose it only to such, and to know that only these will be such, is in efifect to purpose it only to these.

Especially if we know how little "knowledge" and "purpose" in God do differ.

However, we must not make His knowledge active and

THE TEXT EXPLAINED

His purpose idle, much less to contradict each other, as it must be, if from eternity He pui'posed salvation alike to all and yet from eternity knew that only such and such should receive it.-

To purpose all persevering believers to salvation, and not to purpose faith and perseverance absolutely to any particular persons, is to purpose salvation absolutely to none at all. Yet I know much more is necessary to be said to make this plain, which I purpose not (at least here) to meddle with.

IV

Is it to the people of God upon certainty, or only upon possibility ? If only possible, it cannot thus be called theirs.

While they are only elect, not called, it is certain to them (we speak of a certainty of the object) by Divine purpose ; for they are ordained to eternal life first, and therefore believe;^ and not first believe, and therefore elected.

When they are called according to His purpose, then it is certain to them by a certainty of promise also, as sure as if they were named in that promise ; for the promise is to believers, which they may, though but imperfectly, know themselves to be ; and though it be yet upon condition of overcoming, and abiding in Christ, and enduring to the end, yet that condition being absolutely promised, it still remaineth absolutely certain upon promise. And indeed, if glory be ours only upon a condition, which condition depends chiefly on our own wills, it were cold comfort to those that know what man's will is, and how certainly we should play the prodigals vith

' Acts xiii. 48.

this as we did with our first stock. But I have hitherto understood that in the behalf of the elect Christ is resolved, and hath undertaken for the working and finishing of their faith, and the full effecting His people's salvation ; and not only gives us a feigned sufficient grace, not effectual, leaving it to our wills to make it effectual, as some think. So that though still the promise of our justification and salvation be conditional, yet God having manifested His purpose of enabling us to fulfil those conditions, He doth thereby show us a certainty of our salvation, both in His promise and His purpose. Though God's eternal purpose gives us no right to the benefit (whatsoever some lately say to the contrary, it being the proper work of God's law or covenants to confer right or due), yet the event, or futurition of it, is made certain by God's unchangeable decree; His eternal willing it being the first and infallible cause that in time it is accomplished or produced.

Chapter II

Now let us see, what this rest is ; what these people of God, and why so called ; the truth of this from other Scripture arguments; why this rest must yet remain; why only to this people of God ; what use to make of it.

And though the sense of the text includes in the word " rest," all that ease and safety which a soul, wearied with the burden of sin and suffering, and pursued by law, wrath, and conscience, hath with Christ in this life, the " rest " of grace; yet because it chiefly intends the "rest" of eternal glory, as the end and main part, I shall therefore confine my discourse to this last.

Rest is the end and perfection of motion. The saints' rest, here in question, is the most happy estate of a Christian having obtained the end of his course. Or, it is the perfect endless fruition of God by the perfected saints, according to the measure of their capacity to which their souls arrive at death ; and both soul and body most fully after the resurrection and final judgment.

II

I call it the "estate" of a Christian (though perfection consists in action, as the philosopher thinks), to note both the active and passive fruition wherein a Christian's blessedness lies, and the established continuance of both. Our title will be perfect and perfectly cleared ; ourselves, and so our capacity, perfected ; our possession and security for its perpetuity perfect ; our reception from God perfect ; our motion or action in and upon Him perfect; and therefore our fruition of Him, and consequently our happiness, will then be perfect. And this is the estate which we now briefly mention, and shall afterwards more fully describe and open to you ; and which we hope by Jesus Christ very shortly to enter upon, and for ever to possess.

Ill

I call it the " most happy estate," to difference it not only from all seeming happiness which is to be found in the enjoyment of creatures, but also from all those beginnings, foretastes, earnests, first-fruits, and imperfect degrees which we have here in this life, while we are but in the way. It is the chief good which the world hath so much disputed, yet mistaken or neglected ; without which the greatest confluence of all other good leaves a man miserable ; and with the enjoyment of which all misery is inconsistent. The beginnings in our present state of grace, as they are a real part of this, may also be called a state of happiness. But, if considered disjunctly by themselves, they deserve not that title except in a comparative sense, as a Christian is compared to men out of Christ.

IV

I call it the estate of " a Christian," where I mean only the sincere, regenerate, sanctified Christian, whose soul, having discovered that excellency in God through Christ which is not in the world to be found, thereupon closeth with Him, and is cordially set upon Him. I do not mean every one that being born where Christianity is the religion of the country, takes it up as other fashions, and is become a Christian he scarce knows how or why ; nor mean I those that profess Christ in words but in works deny Him. (I shall describe this Christian to you more plainly afterward.) It is an estate to which many pretend, and that with much confidence; and because they know it is only the Christian's, therefore they all call themselves Christians. But multitudes will at last know, to their eternal sorrow, that this is only the inheritance of the saints ; and only those Christians shall possess it who are not of the world and therefore the world hates them; who have forsaken all for Christ and, having taken up the cross, do follow Him with patient waiting till they inherit the promised glory.

I add, that this happiness consists in obtaining "the end," where I mean the ultimate and principal end, not any end secundum quid, so called, subordinate or less principal. Not the end of conclusion in regard of time, for so every man hath his end ; but the end of intention which sets the soul a work and is its prime motive in all its actions. That the chief happiness is in the enjoyment of this end I shall fully show through the whole discourse, and therefore here omit. Everlasting woe to that man who makes that his end here (to the death) which, if he could attain, would not make him happy. Oh! how much doth our everlasting state depend on our right judgment and estimation of our end.

VI

Bat it is a great doubt with many, whether the obtainment of this glory may be our end ? nay, concluded, that it is mercenary; yea, that to make salvation the end of duty is to be a legalist, and act under a covenant of works, whose tenor is, " Do this and live." And many that think it may be our end, yet think it may not be our ultimate end; for that should be only the glory of God. I shall answer these particularly and briefly.

It is properly called mercenary when we expect it as wages for work done; and so we may not make it our end. Otherwise it is only such a mercenariness as Christ commandeth. For consider what this end is; it is the fruition of God in Christ; and if seeking Christ be mercenary, I desire to be so mercenary.

It is not a note of a legalist neither. It hath been the ground of a multitude of late mistakes in divinity to think that, " Do this and live," is only the language of the covenant of works. It is true in some sense it is ; but in other not. The law of works only saith, "Do this" (that is, perfectly fulfil the whole law) "and live" (that is, for so doing) ; but the law of grace saith, " Do this and live," too ; that is, believe in Christ, seek Him, obey Him sincerely as thy Lord and King, forsake all, suffer all things, and overcome, and by so doing, or in so doing, as the conditions which the Gospel propounds for salvation, you shall live. If you set up the abrogated duties of the law again you are a legalist; if you set up the duties of the Gospel in Christ's stead, in whole or in part, you err still. Christ hath His place and work; duty hath its place and work too ; set it but in its own place, and expect from it but its own part, and you go right. Yea, more (how unsavoury soever the phrase may

10 r J seem), you may, so far as this comes to, trust to your duty and works, that is, for their own part; and many miscarry in expecting no more from them (as to pray, and to expect nothing the more) that is, from Christ in a way of duty. For if duty have no share why may we not trust Christ as well in a way of disobedience as duty? In a word, you must both use and trust duty in subordination to Christ, but neither use it nor trust it in co-ordination with Him. So that this derogates nothing from Christ ; for He hath done and will do all His work perfectly, and enableth His people to [do] theirs. Yet He is not properly said to do it Himself; He believes not, repents not, &c., but worketh these in them ; that is, enableth and exciteth them to do it. No man must look for more from duty than God hath laid upon it; and so much we may and must [look for].

vn

If I should quote all the Scriptures that plainly prove this, I should transcribe a great part of the Bible. I will bring none out of the Old Testament, for I know not whether their authority will here be acknowledged ; but I desire the contrary minded, whose consciences are tender of abusing Scripture and wresting it from the plain sense, to study what tolerable interpretation can be given of these following passages, which will not prove that life and salvation may be, yea, must be the end of duty: "Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life."^ "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."* "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." * " Work out your salvation with fear

= Matt. vii. 13 ; Luke xiii. 24.

and trembling.'" 1 "To them who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life. Glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good," &c.^ "So run that ye may obtain."^ "A man is not crowned, except he strive lawfully."* "If we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him." 6 "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life."" "That they do good works, laying up a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."'' "If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. I press towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling," &c.* " Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in by the gates into the city." * " Come ye blessed of my father, inherit," &c., " for I was hungry, and ye," 8ic.^° " Blessed are the pure in heart," &c., " they that hunger and thirst," &c. "Be glad and rejoice, for great is your reward in heaven." ^^ " Blessed are they that ,hear the word of God, and keep it." ^^ Yea, the escaping of hell is a right end of duty to a believer. "Let us fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."^^ "Fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell ; yea (whatsoever others say), I say unto you, fear him." i* " I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away." 1^ Multitudes of Scriptures and Scripture arguments might be brought, but these may sufiSce to any that believe Scripture.

' 1 Tim. vi. IS, 19. 8 Phil. iii. 14. 9 Rev. xxii. 14.

"> Matt. X3CV. " Matt. t. 12 Luke xi. 28.

For those that think this Rest may be our end, but not our ultimate end, which must be God's glory only ; I will not gainsay them. Only let them consider, what God hath joined man must not separate. The glorifying Himself and the saving of His people, as I judge, are not two decrees with God but one decree, to glorify His mercy in their salvation ; though we may say, that one is the end of the other. So I think they should be with us together intended ; we should aim at the glory of God not alone considered without our salvation, but in our salvation. Therefore I know no warrant for putting such a question to ourselves, as some do, whether we could be content to be damned, so God were glorified ? Christ hath put no such questions to us, nor bid us put such to ourselves. Christ had rather that men would enquire after their true willingness to be saved than their willingness to be damned. Sure I am, Christ Himself is offered to faith in terms for the most part respecting the welfare of the sinner, more than His own abstracted glory. He would be received as a Saviour, Mediator, Redeemer, Reconciler, Intercessor, &c. And all the precepts of Scripture being backed with so many promises and threatenings, every one intended of God as a motive to us, do imply as much. If any think they should be distinguished as two several ends, and God's glory preferred; so they separate them not asunder, I contend not. But I had rather make that high pitch, which Gibieuf and many others insist on, to be the mark at which we should all aim, than the mark by which every weak Christian should try himself.

IX

In the definition, I call a Christian's happiness the end of " his course," thereby meaning, as Paul,i the whole scope of his life. For as salvation may, and must be our end ; so not only the end of our faith (though that principally), but of all our actions ; for, as whatsoever we do must be done to the glory of God, whether eating, drinking, &c., so must they all be done to our salvation. That we may believe for salvation some will grant, who yet deny that we may do or obey for it. I would it were well understood, for the clearing of many controversies, what the Scripture usually means by faith. Doubtless the Gospel takes it not so strictly as philosophers do, but in a larger sense, for our accepting Christ for our King and Saviour. To believe in His name, and to receive Him, are all one ; ^ but we must receive Him as King as well as Saviour ; therefore believing doth not produce heart subjection as a fruit but contains it as an essential part ; except we say that faith receives Christ as a Saviour first, and so justifies before it take Him for King (as some think) ; which is a maimed, unsound, and no Scripture faith. I doubt not but the soul more sensibly looks at salvation from Christ than government by him in the first work ; yet, whatever precedaneous act there may be, it never conceives of Christ, and receives him to justification, nor knows Him with the knowledge which is eternal life, till it conceive of Him and know Him and receive Him for Lord and King. Therefore there is not such a wide difference between faith and Gospel obedience or works as some judge. Obedience to the Gospel is put for faith, and disobedience put for unbelief, ofttimes in the New Testament. But of this I have spoken more fully elsewhere.

Lastly, I make happiness to consist in this "end obtained," for it is not the mere promise of it that immediately makes perfectly happy, nor Christ's mere purchase, nor our mere seeking, but the apprehending and obtaining which sets the crown on the saint's head ; when we can say of our work, as Christ of the price paid, " It is finished " ; and as Paul, " I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course ; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of salvation."^ Oh that we did all heartily and strongly believe that we shall never be truly happy till then. Then should we not so dote upon a seeming happiness here.

Chapter III

For the clearer understanding yet of the nature of this rest, you must know there are some things necessarily presupposed to it ; some things really contained in it. All these [twelve] things are presupposed to this Rest : A person in motion seeking rest. This is man here in the way. Angels and glorified spirits have it already. And the devils and damned are past hope.

II

An end toward which he moveth for rest, which end must be sufficient for his rest, else when it is obtained it deceiveth him. This can be only God, the chief good. He that taketh anything else for his happiness is out of the way the first step. The principal damning sin is to make anything besides God our end or rest. And the first true saving act is to choose God only for our end and happiness.

Ill

A distance is presupposed from this end, else there can be no motion towards it. This sad distance is the woful case of all mankind since the fall. It was our God that we principally lost, and were shut out of His gracious presence. Though some talk of losing only a temporal, earthly felicity, sure I am, it was God we fell from, and Him we lost, and since are said to be without Him in the world. And there would have been no death but for sin ; and to enjoy God without death is neither an earthly nor temporal enjoyment ; nay, in all men at age, here is supposed not only a distance from God but also a contrary motion ; for sin hath not overthrown our being, nor taken away our motion, but our well-being and the rectitude of our motion. When Christ comes with regenerating, saving grace, He finds no man sitting still, but all posting to eternal ruin, and making haste toward hell ; till, by conviction. He first bring them to a stand ; and, by conversion, turn first their hearts, and then their lives sincerely to Himself. Even those that are sanctified and justified from the womb are yet first the children of Adam, and so of wrath ; at least in order of nature, if not in time.

IV

Here is presupposed a knowledge of the true ultimate end and its excellency, and a serious intending it. For so the motion of the rational creature proceedeth ; an unknown end is no end ; it is a contradiction. We cannot make that our end which we know not: nor that our chief end which we know not, or judge not, to be the chief good. An unknown good moves not to desire or endeavour. Therefore, where it is not truly known that God is this end and containeth all good in Him, there is no obtaining rest in an ordinary known way ; ^ whatsoever may be in ways that by God are kept secret.

1 I speak all this of men of age converted by the Word, not of those sanctified in infancy.

Here is presupposed not only a distance from this rest but also the true knowledge of this distance. If a man have lost his way and know it not, he seeks not to return. If he lose his gold and know it not, he seeks it not. Therefore they that never knew they were without God, never yet enjoyed Him; and they that never knew they were naturally and actually in the way to hell did never yet know the way to heaven.^ Nay, there will not only be a knowledge of this distance and lost estate but also affections answerable. Can a man be brought to find himself hard by the brink of hell and not tremble ? or to find he hath lost his God and his soul, and not cry out, "I am undone"? Or can such a stupid soul be so recovered ? This is the sad case of many thousands ^ and the reason why so few obtain this rest, they will not be convinced or made sensible that they are, in point of title distant from it, and in point of practice contrary to it. They have lost their God, their souls, their rest, and do not know it; nor will believe him that tells them so. Who ever travelled towards a place which he thought he was at already ; or sought for that which he knew not he had lost? "The whole need not the physician, but they that are sick."

VI

Here is also presupposed a superior moving cause and an influence therefrom ; else should we all stand still, and not move a step forward toward our rest ; no more than the inferior wheels in the watch would stir if you take

^ I mean those that were converted at years of discretion and received not holiness insensibly in their infancy, as I doubt not bnt many thousands do.

away the spring or the first mover. This Primum Movens is GOD. What hand God hath in evil actions, or whether He afford the like influence to their production, I will not here trouble this discourse and the reader to dispute. The case is clear in good actions ; if God move us not we cannot move. Therefore it is a most necessary part of our Christian wisdom, to keep our subordination to God and dependence on Him, to be still in the path where He walks, and in that way where His Spirit doth most usually move. Take heed of being estranged or separated from God, or of slacking your daily expectations of renewed help, or of growing insensible of the necessity of the continual influence and assistance of the Spirit. When you once begin to trust your stock of habitual grace, and to depend on your own understanding or resolution for duty and holy walking, you are then in a dangerous declining state. In every duty remember Christ's words : " Without Me ye can do nothing." ^ And 2 Cor. iii. 5 : "Not that we ai'e sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God."