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ferved of him, that he had cultivated every Subject' "he had handled; that if he had lived in the primi"tive Times, he would have been one of the Fathers "of the Church; and that it was enough for one "Age to produce fuch a Perfon as Mr. Baxter." Archbishop Uber had fuch high Thoughts of him, that by his earnest Importunity he put him upon wri-" ting feveral of his practical Difcourfes, particularly that celebrated Piece, his Call to the Unconverted.

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Dr. Manton, as he freely expreffed it," thought Mr. "Baxter came nearer the apoftolical Writings than "any Man in the Age."And it is bath as a' Preacher, and a Writer, that Dr. Bates confiders' him, when, in his funeral Sermon for him, he says," In his Sermons there was a rare Union of Argu"ments and Motives, to convince the Mind, and gain the Heart. All the Fountains of Reafon and. Perfuafion were open to his difcerning Eye. There "was no refifting the Force of his Difcourfes, with"out denying Reafon and divine Revelation. He "had a marvellous Facility and Copioufnefs in fpeak "ing. There was a noble Negligence in his Stile, "for his great Mind could not ftoop to the affected Eloquence of Words; he despised flashy Oratory; "but his Expreffions were clear and powerful, fo "convincing the Understanding, fo entering into the "Soul, fo engaging the Affections, that those were 65 as deaf as Adders who were not charmed by fo "wife a Charmer. He was animated with the Holy "Spirit, and breathed celeftial Fire, to infpire Heat " and Life into dead Sinners, and to melt the Obdu"rate in their frozen Tombs. His Books, for "their Number, [which it feems was more than "one hundred and twenty,] and Variety of Matter "in them, make a Library.They contain a "Treafure

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"Treafure of controverfial, cafuiftical, and practical "Divinity.His Books of practical Divinity have "been effectual for more numerous Converfions of "Sinners to God, than any printed in our Time; "and, while the Church remains on Earth, will be

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of continual Efficacy to recover loft Souls. There "is a vigorous Pulfe in them, that keeps the Reader: "awake and attentive.” -To thefe Teftimonies not improperly be added that of the Editors of his practical Works in four Folio Volumes; in the Preface to which they lay, "Perhaps there are no' Writings among us that have more of a true "Chriftian Spirit, a greater Mixture of Judgment and Affection, or a greater Tendency to revive pure and undefiled Religion; that have been more "esteemed abroad, or more bleffed at home, for the awakening the Secure, inftructing the Ignorant, confirming the Wavering, comforting the De"jected, recovering the Prophane, or improving fuch

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as are truly ferrous, than the practical Works of this Author:"Such were the Apprehenfions of cminent Perfons, who were well acquainted with Mr. Baxter and his Writings. It is therefore the lefs re markable that Mr. Addifon, from an accidental and very imperfect Acquaintance, but with his ufual Pleafantnefs and Candour, fhould mention the following Incident; "once met with a Page of Mr. Baxter.

Upon the Perufal of it, conceived fo good an "Idea of the Author's Piety, that I bought the whole "Book."

WHATEVER other Caufes might concur, it must chiefly be ascribed to Mr. Baster's diftinguishing Reputation as a Preacher, and a Writer, that prefently after the Restoration he was appointed one of the Chaplains in Ordinary to King Charles II, and preached

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once before him in that Capacity; as also that he had an Offer made him by the Lord Chancellor Clarendon, of the Bishoprick of Hereford, which, in a respectful Letter to his Lordship, he faw proper to decline.

-THE Saints Reft is defervedly efteemed one of the most valuable Parts of his practical Works. He wrote it when he was far from Home, without any Book to confult but his Bible, and in fuch an ill State of Health, as to be in continual Expe&ation of Death for many Months; and therefore, merely for his own Ufe, he fixed his Thoughts on this heavenly Subject, "which "(fays he) hath more benefitted me than all the "Studies of my Life." At this Time he could be little more than thirty Years old. He afterward preached over the Subject in his weekly Lecture at Kidderminster, and in 1650 he published it; and indeed it appears to have been the first that ever he publifhed of all his practical Writings. Of this Book Dr. Bates Lays, "It was written by him when lan"guifhing in the Sufpenfe of Life and Death, but "has the Signatures of his holy and vigorous Mind. "To allure our Defires, he unvails the Sanctuary "above, and difcovers the Glories and Joys of the "Bleffed in the divine Prefence, by a Light fo ftrong "and lively, that all the glittering Vanities of this "World vanish in that Comparifon, and a fincere "Believer will defpife them, as one of mature Age "does the Toys and Baubles of Children. To excite our Fear, he removes the Skreen, and makes the "everlasting Fire of Hell fo vifible, and reprefents "the tormenting Paffions of the Damned in thofe "dreadful Colours, that, if duly confidered, would "check and controul the unbridled licentious Appe"tites of the most fenfual Wretches."

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HEAVENLY Reft is a Subject, in its own Nature, fo univerfally important and interesting, and at the fame Time fo truly engaging and delightful, as fuffi ciently accounts for the great Acceptance which this Book has met with; and partly alfo for the uncommon Bleffing which has attended Mr. Baxter's Manner of treating the Subject, both from the Pulpit, and the Prefs. For where are the Operations of divine Grace more reafonably to be expected, or where have they in Fact been more frequently difcerned, than in Concurrence with the beft adapted Means? And fhould it appear, that Perfons of diftinguishing Judg ment and Piety, have exprefsly afcribed their firft religious Impreffions to the hearing or reading the important Sentiments contained in this Book; or, after a long Series of Years, have found it, both the Counterpart, and the Improvement, of their own divine Life, will not this be thought a confiderable Recommendation of the Book itself?

AMONG the Inftances of Perfons that dated their true Converfion from hearing the Sermons on the Saints Reft, when Mr. Baxter first preached them, was the Rev. Mr. Thomas Doolittle, M. A. who was a Native of Kidderminster, and at that Time a Scholars about feventeen Years old; whom Mr. Baxter himself afterwards fent to Pembroke-Hall, in Cambridge, where he took his Degree. Before his going to the Univerfity, he was upon Trial as an Attorney's Clerk, and under that Character, being ordered by his Mafter to write fomething on a Lord's Day, he obeyed with great Reluctance, and the next Day returned home, with an earnest Defire that he might not apply him flf to any Thing, as the Employment of Life, but ferving Chrift in the Miniftry of the Gospel. His Praife is yet in the Churches, for his pious and useful Libours, as a Minifter, a Tutor, and a Writer.:

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In the Life of the Rev Mr. John Janeway, Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, who died in 1657, we are told, that his Converfion was, in a great Meafure, occafioned by his reading feveral Parts of the Saints Reft. And in a Letter which he afterwards wrote to a near Relative, speaking with a more immediate Reference to that Part of the Book which treats of heavenly Contemplation, he fays, "There is a "Duty, which, if it were exercifed, would difpet all "Caufe of Melancholy; I mean, heavenly Medita"tion, and Contemplation of the Things which true "Chriftian Religion tends to. If we did but walk "clofely with God one Hour in a Day in this Duty, "oh, what Influence would it have upon the whole "Day befides, and, duly performed, upon the whole "Life! This Duty, with its Ufefulness, Manner,

and Directions, I knew in fome Meafure before, "but had it more preffed upon me by Mr. Baxter's "Saints everlafting Reft, [a Book] that can fcarce ❝be over-valued, for which I have Caufe for ever to "blefs God."This excellent young Minifter's Life is worth reading, were it only to fee how delightfully he was engaged in heavenly Contemplation, according to the Directions in the Saints Reft.

IT was the Example of heavenly Contemplation, at the Clofe of this Book, which the Rev. Mr. Joseph Alleine, of Taunton, fo frequently quoted in Converfation, with this folemn Introduction, " Moft di"vinely fays that Man of God, holy Mr. Baxter."

DR. Bater, in his Dedication of his funeral Sermon for Mr. Baxter to Sir Henry Afhurft, Bart. tells that religious Gentleman, and most diftinguished Friend and Executor of Mr. Baxter, "He was moft worthy of your highest Efteem and Love; for the firft Im་་ preffions of Heaven upon your Soul, were in reading "his invaluable Book of the Saints everlafting Reft."

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