Richard Baxter on the joy of reaching eternity in Christ

The 17th century puritan pastor Richard Baxter has a beautiful book titled “the saint’s
everlasting rest”. In chapter 3 of the book Baxter waxes on the particular delight of eternity
secured in Christ. I hope these words stir you this day to hope, joy, faith, and good works:

The Purchased Possession

It is a most singular honor of the saints’ rest, to be called the purchased possession; that
is, the fruit of the blood of the Son of God; yea, the chief fruit, the end and perfection of
all the fruits and efficacy of that blood. Greater love than this there is not, to lay down the
life of the lover. And to have this our Redeemer ever before our eyes, and the liveliest
sense and freshest remembrance of that dying, bleeding love, still upon our souls! How
will it fill our souls with perpetual joy, to think that in the streams of this blood we have
swum through the violence of the world, the snares of Satan, the seductions of flesh, the
curse of the law, the wrath of an offended God, the accusations of a guilty conscience,
and the vexing doubts and fears of an unbelieving heart, and are arrived safely at the
presence of God! Now he cries to us, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold,
and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow!” And we scarce regard the mournful
voice,—scarce turn aside to view the wounds. But then our perfected souls will feel, and
flame in love for love. With what astonishing apprehensions will redeemed saints
everlastingly behold their blessed Redeemer! the purchaser, and the price, together with
the possession! Neither will the view of his wounds of love renew our wounds of sorrow.
He, whose first words after his resurrection were to a great sinner, “Woman, why
weepest thou?” knows how to raise love and joy, without any cloud of sorrow or storm of
tears. If any thing we enjoy was purchased with the life of our dearest friend, how highly
should we value it! If a dying friend deliver us but a token of his love, how carefully do we
preserve it, and still remember him when we behold it, as if his own name were written
on it! And will not, then, the death and blood of our Lord everlastingly sweeten our
possessed glory? As we write down the price our goods cost us; so, on our
righteousness and glory write down the price, The precious blood of Christ. His
sufferings were to satisfy the justice that required blood, and to bear what was due to
sinners, and so to restore them to the life they lost, and the happiness from which they
fell. The work of Christ’s redemption so well pleased the Father, that he gave him power
to advance his chosen, and give them the glory which was given to himself; and all this
“according to his good pleasure and the counsel of his own will.” (1)

Richard Baxter – “The Saint’s Everlasting Rest”
Citations –
(1) Baxter, Richard., Fawcett, Benjamin. The Saint’s Everlasting Rest: Or, A Treatise of the
Blessed State of the Saints in Their Enjoyment of God in Heaven. United Kingdom:
Jonathan Howe, 1822