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

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Chapter 1. This Rest Defined

XT was not only our interest in God, and actual fruition of him, which was lost in Adam's fall ; but all spiritual knowledge of him, and true disposition towards such felicity. Man hath now an heart too suitable to his estate ; a low state, and a low spirit. As the poor man that would not believe that anj r one man had Buch a sum as an hundred pounds, it was sofar above what he possessed : so man will hardly now believe, that there is such an happiness as once he had, much less as Christ hath now procured.

The apostle bestows most of this epistle in proving to the Jews, that the end of all ceremonies and shadows, is ta direct them to Jesus Christ, the substance ; and that the rest of sabbaths, and Canaan, should teach them to look for a future rest. 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, that you may easily be satisfied, wh}> I have made it the subject of my present discourse. What more welcome to men under afflictions, than rest ? What more welcome news to men under public calamities? Hearers, I pray God your entertainment of it, be buthalf answerable to the excellency of the subject ; and then you will have cause to bless God, while you live, that ever jou beard it, as 1 have that ever I studied it

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& THE SAINTS EVERLASTING REST.

Let us see, I. What this rest is. 2. What these people of God, aud why so called. 3. The truth of this from other scripture-arguments. 4. Why this rest must yet remain. 5* Why only to the people of God. 6. 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* bath with Christ in this life, the rest of grace : yet because it chiefly intends the rest of eternal glory, I shall confine my discourse to thi*.

The 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.

1. I caii it the estate of a christian, 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 ; 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.

2. 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, and imperfect degrees which we have in this life.

3. I call it the estate of a christian, where I mean only the sincere, regenerate, sanctified christian, whose soul having 1 discovered that excellency in God through Christ, closeth with him, and is cordially set upon him.

4. I add, That this happiness consists in obtaining the end where 1 mean the ultimate and principal end, not any subordinate or less principal end. O how much doth our everlasting* state depend on our right judgment and estimation of our end ?

But it is a. doubt with many, whether the attainment of this glory may be our end ? Nay, concluded, that it is mercenary; yea, that to make salvation the end of duty, is tebe a Legalist, and act under a covenant of works, whose tenor is s Do this and

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live. 9 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 briefly.

1. 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 rnercenariness as Christ coramandeth. For consider what this end is ; it is the fruition of God in Christ; and if seeking" Christ tie mercenary, I desire to be so mercenary.

2. 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, peifectly fulfil the whole law) and live (that is, for so doing :) But the law of grace aairb, 'Do this and live,' too: that is, believe in Christ, seek bim, obey him sincerely, as thy Lo,rd and King : forsake all, •suffer all things, and overcome, and by so doing, or in so doing, you shall live. If you set up the abrogated duties of the law again, you are a Legalist ; if ycu 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 scever the phrase may seem) you may, so far as this comes to, trust to your duty and works, that is, for their own part; and many miscany in expecting nothing 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 them nor trust them in co-ordination with him. So that this derogates nothing from Christ; for he hath done, and will do ail 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, but workeih these in thern ; that is, enableth and exciteth them to it. No man must look for more from duty than God hath laid upon it ; and so much we may and must.

3. If I should quote all the scriptures that plainly prove this, . I should transcribe a great part of the bible: 1 will therefore only desire you to study what tolerable interpretation can be given of the following places, which will not prove that life and salvation may be, yea, must be the end of duty. John v. 40. ' Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.' Matt. xii. 1 2. * The kingdom of heaven sufTereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 5 Matt. vii. 13. Lukexiii. 24, * Strive to enter in at the strait gate.' Phil. li. 12. ' Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.' Rom. ii. 7, 10. ' To them who by patient continuance in welldoing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life. Glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good.' 1 Cor. ix. 24. \ So run that ye may obtain.' 2 Tim. ii. 12. * If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him.' 1 Tim. vi. 12. ' Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.' 1 Tim. vi. ltf, 19. < That they do good works, laying up a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.' Rev. xxii. 14. 1 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,' Matt. xxv. 34, 35, 36. < Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit,' &c. 'Fori was an hungered and ye,' &c. — Luke xi. 23. ' 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. Heb. iv. 1. * Let us fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should come short of it- Luke xii. 5. 'Fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell ; yea,' (whatsoever others say) 'I say unto you, fear him.' 1 Cor. ix. 27. c 1 keep under my body, and bring it into subjection ; lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.' Multitudes of scriptures and scripturearguments might be brought, but these may suffice to any that believe scripture.

4. For those that think this rest may be our end, but not our ultimate end, that 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 ends with God, but one ; to glorify his mercy in their salvation ; 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 questiona to us, nor bid us put such to ourselves. Christ had rather that men would inquire after their true willingness to be saved, than their willingness to be damned. Sure 1 am, Christ himself is offered to faith, in terms for the most part respecting the welfare of the sinner, more than bis own abstracted glory, fie would be received as a Saviour, mediator, redeemer, reconciler, and intercessor. And all the precepts of scripture being backed with so many promises and threatenings, every one intended of God, as a motive to us, imply as much.

5. I call a christian's happiness, the end of his course, thereby meaning, as Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 7< the whole scope of his life. For salvation may and must be our end ; and 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, so must they all be done to our salvation.

6. 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 en the saint's head.

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WHAT THIS REST PRE-SUPPOSETH.

For the clearer understanding the nature of this rest, you must know, (1.) There are some things pre-supposed to it. (2.) Some things contained in it. (1.) All these things are pre-supposed to this rest.

1. A person in motion, seeking rest. This is man here in the way : angels have it already ; and the devils are past hope.

2. An end towards which he moveth for rest. This can be only God. He that taketh any thing else for happiness, is out of the way the first step. The principal damning sin is, tomake any thing besides God our end or rest And the first true saving act is, to choose God only for our end and happiness.

3. A distance is pre-supposed from this end, else there can be no motion towards it. This sad distance is the case of alt f2 THE SAINTS EVERLASTING REST.

mankind since the fall : it was our God that we principally lost, and were shut out of his gracious presence ; and since are said to be without him in the world: nay, in all men, at age here, is supposed, not only a distance, but also a contrary motion. — When Christ comes with regenerating, saving grace, he finds no man sitting still, but all posting to eternal ruin ; till by conviction, he first brings them to a stand, and by conversion, turns first their hearts, and then their lives to himself.

4. Here is pre-supposed the knowledge of the true ultimate end and its excellency ; and a serious intending it. For so the motion of the rational creature proceeded: 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. Therefore where this is not known, that God is this end ; there is no obtaining rest in any ordinary way, whatsoever may be in ways that by God are kept secret.

5. Here is pre-supposed, 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 : therefore they that never knew they were without God, never yet enjoyed him : and they that never knew they were 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 affections answerable. Can a man find himself on the brink of hell, and not tremble ? Or find he hath lost his God, and his sou!, and not cry out, lam undone t.

6. Here is also pre-supposed, a superior moving cause, else, should we all stand still, and not move a step forward toward our rest j no more than the inferior wheels in the Watch would stir, if you take away the spring, or the first mover. This is God. 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 dependance on him ; to be still in the path where he walks, and in that way where his Spirit doth most usually move.

7. Here is pre-supposed, an internal principle of life in the person. God moves not man like a stone, but by enduing him first with life, not to enable him to move without God, but thereby to qualify him to move himself, in subordination to God, the first mover.

S. Here is pre- supposed also, such a motion as is rightly ordered and directed toward the end. Not all motion or labour brings to rest. Every way leads not to this end ; but he whose goodness hath appointed the end, hath in his wisdom, and by his sovereign authority, appointed the way. Christ is the door, the only way to this rest. Some will allow nothing else to be called the way, lest it derogate from Christ. The truth is, Christ is the only way to the Father : yet faith is the way to Christ ; and gospel obedience, or faith and works, the way for those to walk in, that are in Christ.

9. There is supposed also, a strong and constant motion, which may reach the end. The lazy world, that think all too much, will find this to their cost one day : they that think less ado might have served, do but reproach Christ for making us so much to do. They that have been most holy, watchful, painful to g^t to heaven, find, when they come to die, all too little : we see daily the best christians, when dying, repent their negligence : I never knew any then repent his holiness and diligence. It would grieve a man's soul to see a multitude ©f mistaken sinners lay out their care and pains for a thing" of nought, and think to have^eternal salvation with a wish. If the way to heaven be not far harder than the world imagines, Christ and his apostles knew not the way : for they have told us, ' That the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence ; that the gate is strait and the way narrow, and we must strive, if we will enter; for many shall seek to enter, and not be able,' (which implies the faintness of their seeking, and that they put not strength to the work :) and that c the righteous themselves are scarcely saved.'

1 have seen this doctrine also thrown by with contempt by others, who say, What ! do ye set us a working for heaven ! Doth our duty do any thing ? Hath not Christ done all? Is not this to make him a # n half Saviour, and to preach the law ?

Am, It is to preach the law of Christ; his subjects are not lawless : it is to preach duty to Christ. None a more exact requirer of duty or hater of sin, than Christ. Christ hath done, and will do, all his work; and therefore is a perfect Saviour: but yet leaves us a work to do : he hath paid all the price, and left us none to pay ; yet he never intended his purchase should put us into absolute title to glory, in point of law, much less into immediate possession. He hath purchased the crown to be-

B stow, only on condition of believing, denying* all for him, suffer* ing with him, persevering' and overcoming. He hath purchased justification to bestow, only on condition of believing, yea, repenting and believing : though it is Christ that enableth also to perform the condition. It is not a Saviour offered, but received also, that must save : it is not the blood of Christ shed only, but applied also, that must fully deliver ; nor is it applied to the justification or salvation of a sleepy soul. Nor doth Christ carry us to heaven in a chair of security. Our righteousness? which the law of works requireth, and by which it is satisfied, is wholly in Christ, and not one grain in ourselves : nor must we dare to think of patching up a legal righteousness of Christ's and our own together ; that is, that our doings can be the least part of satisfaction for our sins. But yet ourselves must personally fulfil the conditions of the new covenant; and so have the perfect evangelical righteousness, or never be saved by Christ's righteousness. Therefore say not, it is not dutj r , but Christ ; for it is Christ in a way of duty. As duty cannot do it without Christ, so Christ will not do it without duty.

And as this motion must be strong, so must it be constant, or it will fall short of rest. To begin in the spirit, and end in the flesh, will not bring to the end of the saints. Men as holy as the best of us, have fallen off. Read but the promises, Rev. ii. and iii. ' To him that overcometh.' Christ's own disciples must be commanded to continue in his love, and that by keeping his commandments ; and to abide in him, and his word in them. See John xv. 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10.

Chapter III. What This Rest Contajneth

There is contained in this Rest : .

1. A cessation from motion or action. Not from all action, but of that which implies the absence of the end. When we have obtained the haven, we have done sailing : when we are at our journey's end, we have done with the way. Therefore prophesying ceaseth, tongues fail, and knowledge shall be done away ; that is, so far as it was imperfecta There shall be no more prayer, because no more necessity, but the full enjoyment of what we prayed for. Neither shall we need to fast, and weep and watch any more, being out of the reach of sin and temptations. Nor will there be use for instructions and exhortations : preaching: is done : the ministry of man ceaseth : sacraments useless : the labourers called in, because the harvest is gathered : the unregenerate past hope, the saints past fear, for ever. Much less shall there be any need of labouring for inferior ends, as here we do : seeing they shall all devolve themselves into the ocean of the ultimate end, and the lesser good be swallowed up in the greatest.

2. This rest containeth a perfect freedom from all the evils that accompany us through our course, and which necessarily follow cur absence from the chief good : besides our freedom from those eternal flames, which the neglecters of Christ must endure* There is no such a thing as grief and sorrow known there : nor is there such a thing as a pale face, a languid body, feeble joints, unable infancy, decripid age, peccant humours, painful sickness, griping fears' consuming cares, nor whatsoever deserves the name of evil. Indeed a gale of groans and sighs, a stream of tears, accompanied us to the very gates, and there bid us farewell for ever. c We did weep and lament, when the world did rejoice ; but our sorrow is turned into joy, and our joy shall no man take from us.'

3. This rest containeth the highest degree of perfection, both of soul and body. This qualifies them to enjoy the glory, and thoroughly to partake the sweetness of it. Were the glory never so great, and themselves not made capable of it, it would be little to them. But the more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical the ear, the more pleasant the melody. The more perfect the soul, the more joyous those, joys, and the more glorious is that glory. Nor is it only sinful imperfection that is removed, nor only that which is the fruit of sin, but that which adhered to us in our pure nature. There is far more procured by Christ, than was lost by Adam. It is the misery of wicked men here, that all without them is mercy, but within them an heart full of sin, shuts the door against all, and makes them but the more miserable. When all is well within, then all is well indeed. Therefore will God, as a special part of his saints' happiness, perfect themselves as well as their con* tlition.

4. This rest containeth, as the principal part, our nearest fruition of God. As all good whatsoever is comprised in God, and all in the creature are but drops of this ocean ; so all the glory of the blessed is comprised in their enjoyment of God : and if there be any mediate joys there, they are but drops from this. If men and angeh should study to speak the blessedness of that estate, in one word, what can they say beyond this, That it is the nearest enjoyment of God ? Say, they have God ; and you say, they have all that is worth the having. O the full joys offered to a believer in that one sentence of Christ's ! I would not for all the world that verse had been left out of the bible ; ' Father, I will, that those whom thou hast given Me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.' John xvii. 24. Every word is full of life and joy. If the queen of Sheba had cause to say of Solomon's glory, ' Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants that stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom ;' then sure they that stand continually before God, and see his glory, and the glory of the Lamb, are somewhat more than happy ; to them will Christ c give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.' Rev. ii. 7.

5. This rest containeth a sweet and constant action of all the powers of the soul and body in this fruition of God. But great will the change of our bodies and senses be, even so great, as now we cannot conceive. If grace makes a christian differ so much from what he was, that the christian could say to his companion, Ego non sum ego ; " 1 am not the man I was ;" how much more will glory make us differ ? We may then say much more, This is not the body 1 had, and these are not the senses lhad. Yet because we have no other name for them, let us call them senses ; call them eyes and ears, seeing and hearing : but conceive, that as much as a body spiritual, above the sun in glory, exceedeth these frail, noisome, diseased lumps of flesh, that we now carry about us ; so far shall our senses of seeing and hearing exceed these we now possess : for the change of the senses must be conceived proportionable to the change of the body. And doubtless as God advanceth our sense, and enlargeth our capacity : so will he advance the happiness of those senses, and nil up with himself all that capacity. And certainly the body should not be raised up, if it should not share in the glory : for as it hath shared in the obedience and sufferings, so shall it also do in the blessedness : and as Christ bought the whole man, so shall the whole partake of the everlasting* benefits of the purchase.

And if the body shall be thus employed, O how shall the soul be taken up ! As its powers and capacities are greatest, so its actions are strongest, and its enjoyments sweetest. As the bodily senses have their proper aptitude and action, whereby they receive and enjoy their objects ; so doth the soul in its own action enjoy its own object : by knowing, by thinking, and remembering, by loving, and by delightful joying ; by these eyes it sees, and by these arms it embraceth. If it might be said of the disciples with Christ on earth, much more that behold him in his glory, < Blessed are the eyes that see the things that you see, and the ears that hear the things that you hear : for many princes and great ones have desired (and hoped) to see the things that you see, and have not seen them/ &c. Matt. xiii. 16, 17.

Knowledge of itself is very desirable. As far as the rational soul exceeds the sensitive, so far the delights of a philosopher, in discovering the secrets of nature, and knowing the mystery of sciences, exceeds the delights of the glutton, the drunkard, and of all voluptuous sensualists whatsoever : so excellent is all truth. What then is their delight, who know the God of truth ? What would 1 not give, so that all the uncertain principles in logic, natural philosophy, metaphysics, and medicine, were but certain ? And that my dull, obscure, notions of them, were but quick and clear ? O what then would I not perform or part with, to enjoy a clear and true apprehension of the most true God ! How noble a faculty of the soul is the understanding J It can compass the earth ; it can measure the sun, moon 3 stars, and heaven ; it can foreknow each eclipse to a minute, many years before : yea, but this is the top of all its excellency, it can know God, who is infinite, who made all these ; a little here, and much more hereafter. O the wisdom and goodness of our blessed Lord ! he hath created the understanding with a natural bias to truth, and its object ; and to the prime truth as its prime object : and lest we should turn aside to any creature * he hath kept this as his own divine prerogative, not communicable to any creature, viz. to be the prime truth.

Didst thou never look so long upon the Son of God, till thine eyes wercdazzled with his astonishing glory ? and did not the splendor of it make all things below seem black and dark to b2 tbee, when thou lookedst down again, especially in the days of suffering for Christ (when he usually appears most manifestly to his people ?) didst thou never see ■ one walking in the midst of the fiery furnace with thee, like the Son of God ? If thou know him, value him as thy life^ and follow on to know him ; and thou shalt know incomparably more than this. Or if 1 do but renew thy grief, to tell thee what thou once didst feel, but now hast lost ; I counsel thee to ' remember whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, and be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain ; and 1 dare promise thee, (because God hath promised) thou shalt see and know that which here thine eye could not see, nor thy understanding conceive. Believe me, christians, yea, believe God ; you that have known most of God in Christ here, it is nothing to that you shall know: it scarce, in comparison of that, deserves to be called knowledge. The difference betwixt our knowledge now, and our knowledge then, will be as great as that between our fleshly bodies now, and our spiritual bodies then. — For as these bodies, so that knoweldge must cease, that a more perfect may succeed. Our silly childish thoughts of God, which now is the highest we can reach to, must give place to a more manly knowledge.