The Heavenly Life

Greetings,

The following is from The Saints’ Everlasting Rest  (1650) by Richard Baxter.  I especially commend it to those engaged in serious spiritual growth.

Reader, heaven is above thee, and dost thou think to travel this steep ascent without labour and resolution?  Canst thou get that earthly heart to heaven, and bring that backward mind to God, while thou liest still and takest thine ease?  If lying down at the foot of a hill, and looking toward the top and wishing we were there, would serve the turn, then we should have daily travellers for heaven.  But “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and violent men take it by force.”  There must be violence used to get these first-fruits, as well as to get the full possession.  Dost thou not feel it so, though I should not tell thee?  Will thy heart get upwards, except thou drive it?  Thou knowest that heaven is all thy hopes; that nothing below can yield thee rest; that a heart seldom thinking of heaven can fetch but little comfort thence; and yet dost thou not lose thy opportunities, and lie below, when thou shouldst walk above and live with God?  Dost thou not commend the sweetness of a heavenly life, and judge those the best Christians who use it, and yet never try it thyself?  As the sluggard that stretches himself on his bed and cries, O that this were working! so dost thou talk, and trifle, and live at thine ease and say, O that I could get my heart to heaven!  How many read books and hear sermons, expecting to hear of some easier way, or to meet with a shorter course to comfort than they are ever likely to find in Scripture?  Or they ask for directions for a heavenly life, and if the hearing them will serve, they will be heavenly Christians; but if we show them their work, and tell them they cannot have these delights on easier terms, then they leave us, as the young man left Christ, sorrowful.

Yours & His,

DED