may appear, the labor of it (if it may be called a labor) has been, I bless God, one of the most delightful labors of my life. be Certainly the thoughts of Everlasting Rest may as delightful to souls in the present day, as they have ever been to those of past generations. I am sure such thoughts are as absolutely necessary now; nor are temptations to neglect them, either fewer, or weaker, now than formerly. The worth of everlasting rest is not felt because it is not considered; it is forgotten, because a thousand trifles are preferred before it. But were the divine reasonings of this book duly attend to, (and Oh that the Spirit and grace of a Redeemer may make them so!) then an age of vanity would become serious; minds enervated by sensuality, would soon resume the strength of reason, and display the excellence of Christianity; the delusive names of pleasure would be blotted out, by the glorious reality of heavenly joy upon earth; every station and relation in life would be filled up with the propriety and dignity of serious religion, every member of society would then effectually contribute to the beauty and happiness of the whole; and every soul would be ready for life or death, for one world or another, in a well grounded and cheerful persuasion of having secured a title to that rest which remaineth to the People of God. Kidderminster, Dec. 25, 1758. B. F. CONTENTS. PAGE. 3. The Saint's personal perfection in body and soul, ib. The great preparatives to the Saint's Rest. The happiness of having a way into paradise open, 39 1. The people of God, who shall enjoy it, are cho- PAGE. ib. 4. They are deeply convinced of the evil of sin, their misery by sin, the vanity of creatures, and the All-sufficiency of Christ, 5. Their will is proportionably changed, 6. They engage in covenant with Christ, 7. They persevere in their engagements, The reader is invited to self-examination, That the people of God shall enjoy this rest, and none but they, is further proved by scripture: 4. The blessed society of angels and glorified spirits, ib. The misery of those, who, besides losing the Saint's Rest, lose the enjoyments of time, and suffer the tor- The enjoyments of time, which the damned lose, 95 PAGE. How to discern our title to the Saint's Rest. Men's folly in not inquiring after a title to it, '- nor does self-examination soon bring assurance, 134 nor do all true Christians attain to it, 3. From considering how easy, common and dan- gerous it is to be mistaken; that trying is safer than neglect; that God will try us soon, and to ib. PAGE. The Saint's Rest is not to be expected on Earth. The sin and folly of expecting rest here, appears, 106 5. They chiefly incommode our flesh; and 5. Under them are often the best foretastes of rest, 169 forts, 170 |