The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-11-11
THRsAINr,S HEST.


When l was a child it was one of my
duties to dust grandmother's room. On
the three-legged stand by her bed was
her large print Bible, watts Select
Hymns" 1.-THE Pilgrims Progress" and
"Baxter's Saints Res" The Bible, the
hymns. and "Pilgrim's Progress were
books which could well understand why
grandmother could enjoy reading. But
when l busted the plain cover of "Bax-
ter's Saints Rest" locked inside at its
gloomy pages with no pictures, and so
much Obout "the everlasting rest" l
wondered what grandmother found in
the book that made her read it so often.
This world looked very bright then,
childhood days did not long for rest, they
were all too short for the many pleasures
sought. 1t was activity that was the life
of the childish soul. Fathers green
pastures on the old farm with the sill
very brooks running through them, were
full of beauty to me, and fathers loving
arms round about me gave sense OF
protection and love that comes from
walking by sight instead of faith. The
chapter where grandmother's bookmark
"God is love-" worked on card board in
letters of blue and sewed on to blue rib
bon, was with it's heading "COntempla-
ton of Heaven" had no significance for
the child whose tie of earth were so
many, so strong, and so unbrOken.
Years passed, and "Baxter's Saints
Rest" drifted out of sight and memory,
until the years began IT, come when the
"keepers of the house began to tremble."
After dear one had been suddenly sum-
moned to the Fathers house, and the
walk the rest of the way to the city
would be a lonely one, grandmother
book came to mind. On shelf in Sc
cluded part of the house the book was
found, with the dust of time accumulat-
ed on it, But the little bOokmark was
still in its place, just as she had left it,
only the bright blue had faded into a
pale tint.
Then did understand why grand,
mother read it so often. Turning over
its pages was like taking walk every
day through the New Jerusalem. and the
"ContemplatiOns of Heaven" brought
the realities very near. In our young
DAYS when time and thought must be so
largely given to the daily duties OF life,
when we are in the thickest of the fray,
we contemplate the heavenly world i'll a
way, but not in such a way as we do
when nearly all of those who began the
march with us have finished the journey,
and have entered in, and only few of
us, like strngglers on the road, have been
left to make our way behind them. I'VE
are like little children strayed from
home, and God is now fetching us home,
and perhaps wo are still ready TO turn
into any house, stay and play with every
thing in our way, and sit down on every
green bank, and much ado there is to
get us home"
Grandmother had marked n passage
which made her soul find great comfort.
'"The nObleSt of Christians are they
whose faces are set most direct for
heaven. Such a heavenly saint who hath
been wrapped up to God in his contem-
platiOns, and is newly come down from
the views of Christ, what discoveries
will lie make of those superior regions?
The most famous mountains and trees
are those which reach nearest to heaven;
and lie is the CHI icest Christian whose
heart is most frequently and delightfully."-
there. What then shall we judge of him
who daily travels as far as heaven, and
there hath seen the King of Kings, hath
frequent admittance into the Divine
presence, aud feasteth his soul upon the
tree of life? For my part l value this
man before the nOblesU, the richest, the
most learned in the world. A heavenly
mind is the nearest and truest way to a
life of comfort"
When our loved ones whose lives have
been busy ones, and who have enjoyed
the blessedness of occupation, are sud
denly called in the midst of their tasks
to go up higher, we wonder what the
higher life has for them. They rest from
their labors on earth, but what are they
doing for their King in the celestial city?
i'll
many times the work wearied them and
the burdens were heavy. Baxter says
1.-The rest in heaven contains Il sweet and
constant action of all the powers of the
soul and body in the enjoyment of God.
This body shall be so chonged that it
shall be no more flesh and blood, which
cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but
spiritual body. We saw not that body
that shall be, but God giveth it a body
as it hath pleased Him. If grace makes
Christian differ SO much from what he
was as to say i am not the man | was,
how much more will glory make us
differ. o blessed the employment of
glorifed body! Rest from sin, but not
from worship; from suffering and sor-
row. but not from joy! Then the perfect
soul and body shall together perfectly
enjoy the most perfect God; when God
who is love itself shall perfectly love me,
and rest in this love to me as | shall rest
in my love to him, and rejoice over me
with joy, as shall rejoice in him."
Richard Baxter wrote "The Saints
Rest in 1850, when he was about thirty
years old. 1t was written by him when
languishing in the suspense of life and
death, and Mr.. Fllvel in the preface said:
'Mr. Baxter is almost in heaven, living
i'm the daily views and cheerful expecta-
ton of the saints everlasting rest with
God; and is left with us for little while
Rs great example of the life of faith"
This everlasting rest promised the chill
1ren ofiGod is something that is real.
There is nothing on earth that we are
Bure of; we cannot plan for this or that
without but" or an ''if" in the way.
Dur rest in heaven is assured usl and
when we think of it how strange it seems
hat we think so seldom of it, and speak
10 little about the beautiful country to
which we are travelling so fast. 1t is