The Blessedness of the Righteous, To the reader 2
Christian Reader.
YOu whose hearts are set on Heaven, who are dayly laying up a treasure there, here is a welcome messenger, to tell you more th…n perhaps you have well considered, of the nature of your future Blessedness, and to illustrate …he Map of the Land of promise, and to bring you another cluster of its grapes: Here is a useful help to make you know that Holiness doth perticipate of Glory, and that Heaven is at least Virtually in …he Seed of Grace: Though this life be properly called a life of Faith, as contradistinct from the …ntuition and fruition hereafter, as well as from the lower life of sence; yet is it a great truth, and not sufficiently considered and improved, that we have here more than Faith, to acquaint us with the Blessedness expected: Between Faith and Glory, there is the Spirit of Holiness, the love of God, the heavenly desires, which are kindled by Faith and are th…se branches on which the happy flower and fruit must grow: They are the name and mark of God upon us: They are our Earnest, our Pledg, and the first fruits; And is not this more than a word of pr…mise only? Therefore though all Christians must lively Faith, marvell not that I tell you, that you may, you must have more than Faith. Is not a Pledge, and Earnest, a first Fruits more? Therefore have Christians, not only a Spirit to evidence their Title, but also some foretast …f Heaven it self: for Faith in Christ is to recover us to God and so much as we have of God, so much of fruition And so much as Faith hath kindled in you of … love of God, so much foretaste you have of He… ven: for you are deceived if you think that any … Notion speaketh more to you of Heaven and of y… Ultimate end, than THE LOVE OF GOD And though no unsound ill-grounded Faith, … serve to cause this sacred Love, yet when it caused, it over-tops this cause, and he that pe… ceiveth the operations of a strong effectual Lov… hath an acquaintance with God and Heaven whi… is above that of believing: Faith seeth the Fea… but Love is the tasting of it. And therefore it that the Holiest souls sticks closest unto God, because (though their re…soning faculty may be d… fective) they know him by the highest and m… Tenacious kind of knowledge, which this Wor… …ff…rdeth, (as I have lately shewed elsewhere; … Here you have described to you, the true witness the spirit; Not that of supposed Internal Voice… which they are usually, most taken up with, wh… have the smallest knowledge, and Faith, and Love and the greatest self esteem or spiritual pride, with the strongest phantasies and p…ssi…ns, But the objective and the sealing Testimony, the Divin… Nature, the renewed Image of God, whose Children are known by being like to their Heavenly Father, even by being Holy as he is Holy. This is the Spirit of Adoption, by which we are inclined, by Holy Love to God, and confidence in him, to cry Abba Father, and to flie unto him: The Spirit of Sanctification is thereby in us the Spirit of Adoption: For both signifie but the giving us that Love to God, which is the filial nature, and our …athers Image.
And this Treatise doth happily direct thee, to …at faithful beholding God in Righteousness, which …ust here begin this blessed Assimilation, which full …tuition will for ever perfect.
It is a happy sign that God is about to repair our …ins and divisions, when he stirreth up his ser…ants to speak so much of Heaven, and to call … the minds of impatient complainers, and con…tious censurers, and ignorant self conceited di…ders, and of worldly, unskilful, and unmerciful …stors, to look to that state where all the godly shall one; and to turn those thoughts to the furtherance Holiness, to provoke one another to Love and to …od works, which two many lay out upon their hay …d stubble, And to call men from judging and …spising each other (and worse then both those) out their Meats, and Drinks, and Dayes, to study …ghteousness, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost. …r he that in these things serveth Christ (in which … Kingdom doth consist) is acceptable to God, and proved of men (that are wise and good.) Let us …erefore follow after the things which make for …ace, and things wherewith one may edifie ano…er; whilest the contentious for meat will destroy …e work of God. Rom. 14. 17, 18, 19, 20. The …ion between Peace and Holiness is so strict that he …o truly promoteth one, promoteth both. Heb. 12. …4. Jam. 3. 17. The true way of our Union is ex…lently described, Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, …6.
If any plain unlearned Readers, shall blame the …curateness of the stile, they must remember that those persons have not the least need to hear of He… ven, and to be drawn up from the vanities of ear… who cannot digest a looser stile.
As God hath endued the worthy Authour with more th…n ordinary measure of judiciousness, … soundness and accurateness of understanding, … seriousness, spirituality, and a heavenly mind; we have for our common benefit, the effects of these happy qualifications, in this judicious, he… venly discourse. And if my recommendations m… in any measure, further your acceptance, in provement and practising of so edifying a Treat… it will answer the ends of him who waiteth with … in hope for the same Salvation.
Rich. Baxter. Acton May 30. 1668▪