THE SAINT'S REST. 15 I that write, nor you that read, this book, may ever be turned from this path of life ; " lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, we should come short of it," through our own unbelief or negligence.(a) § 2. The saint's rest is, the most happy state of a Christian ; or it is, the perfect endless enjoyment 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 must fully after the resurrec- tion and final judgment. According to this definition of the saint's rest, a larger account of its nature will be given in this chapter ; of its preparatives, chap. ü. its excellencies, chap. iii ; and chap. iv. the persons for whom it is designed. Farther to illustrate this subject, some description will be given, chap. v. of their misery who lose this rest ; and chap. vi. who also lose the enjoyment of time, and suffer the torments of hell: next will be shewed, chap. vii. the necessity of diligently seeking this rest; chap. viii. how our title to it may be discerned ; chap. ix. that they who dis- cern their title to it should help those that cannot; and chap. x. that this rest is not to be expected on earth. It will then be proper to consider, chap. xi.. the importance of a heavenly life upon earth, chap. xii. how to live an heavenly life upon earth ; chap. xiii. the nature of heavenly contemplation, with the time, place, and temper, fittest for it; chap. xiv. what use heavenly contemplation makes of considerations, affec- tions, soliloquy, and prayer ; and likewise, chap. xv. how heavenly contemplation may be assisted by sensi- ble objects, and guarded against a treacherous heart. Heavenly contemplation will be exemplified, chap. xvi. and the whole work concluded. 3. There are some things necessarily presup. posed in the nature of this rest; as, for instance, that mortal men are the persons seeking it. For angels and glorified spirits have it already, and the devils and damned are past hope: That they choose God only for their end and happiness. He that takes any thing else, for his happiness, is out of the way the first (a) Heb. iv: L.
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