Baxter - BV4831 84 F3 1830

46 THE EXCELLENCIES OF [Chap. 3. tell how to undeceive them. But there we shall conspire in one truth, as being one in him who is the truth. We shall also rest from all the sin of our will, affection, and conversation. We shall no more retain this rebelling prin- ciple, which is still drawing us fromGod; no more be op- pressed with the power of our corruptions, nor vexed with their presence : no pride, passion, slothfulness, insensibi- lity, shall enter with us; no strangeness to God, and the things of God; no coldness of affectigns, nor imperfection in our love ; no uneven walking, nor grieving of the Spirit; no scandalous action, nor unholy conversation : we shall rest from all these for ever. Then shall our will correspond to the divine will, as face answers face in a glass, and from which, as our law and rule, we shall never swerve. "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Our sufferings were but the consequences of our sin- ning, and in heaven they both shall cease together. We shall rest from all our doubts of God's love. It shall no more be said, that " Doubts are like the thistle, a bad weed, but growing in good ground." They shall now be weeded out, and trouble the gracious soul no more. We shall hear that kind of language no more, " What shall I do to know my state ? How shall I know that God is my Father? that my heart is upright? that my conversion is true ? that faith is sincere ? I am afraid my sins are unpar- doned; that all I do is hypocrisy; that God will reject me ; that he does not hear my prayers." All this is there turned into praise. We shall rest from all sense of God's displeasure. Hell shall not be mixedwith heaven. At times the gracious soul remembered God, and was troubled ; complained, and was overwhelmed, and refused to be comforted; divine wrath lay hard upon him, and God afflicted him with all his waves. But that blessed day shall convince us, that, though God hid his face from us for a moment, yet with everlasting kindness will he have mercy on us. We shall rest from all the temptations of Satan. What a grief is it to a Christian, though he yield not to the temptation, yet to be solicited to deny his Lord ! What a torment to have such horrid motions made to his soul ! such blasphemous ideas presented to his ima- gination ! sometimes cruel thoughts of God, underval »fig

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