1653/4 RICHARD BAXTER. The Saints Everlasting Rest. Complete, with Thomas Gataker's Additions.

Richard Baxter’s The Saints' Everlasting Rest remains a seminal Puritan devotional work written during his severe, life-threatening illness. The work offers Christians a vision of eternal joy and exhorts sufferers toward daily faithfulness even in the midst of affliction. Between the regular plagues, city-wide fires, and the on and off Civil Wars of the period, it was a much needed and oft-reprinted work.

The work, some 800 pages in total, offered a comprehensive vision of eternal communion with Christ and, Baxter always being practical, a recommended structured method for daily contemplation of the afterlife, designed to strengthen faith and encourage a holy life in the present.

It remains a classic of Puritan literature and has remained in almost constant print for centuries, though often heavily edited, even finding its way on to John Wesley’s recommended library list for Methodist devotion.

A nicely preserved fourth edition [complete, with the additions of Gataker not present in earlier editions, and often edited in later editions] and bearing mid 18th century ownership and genealogical information for Michael and Ann Walford, including notice of a still born daughter, etc., 

Baxter, Richard. The Saints Everlasting Rest. The First Part. London. Printed for Thomas Underhill, and Francis Tyton, and are to be Sold at the Sign of the Anchor and Bible in St. Paul's Church yard, and at the Three Daggers in Fleetstreet. 1654. 183pp. 

[Bound with]

Baxter, Richard. The Saints Everlasting Rest. The Second Part. London. Printed for Thomas Underhill, and Francis Tyton, and are to be Sold at the Sign of the Anchor and Bible in St. Paul's Church yard, and at the Three Daggers in Fleetstreet. 1654. -304pp [contiguous with part 1]. 

[Bound with]

Baxter, Richard. The Saints Everlasting Rest. The Third Part. London. Printed for Thomas Underhill, and Francis Tyton, and are to be Sold at the Sign of the Anchor and Bible in St. Paul's Church yard, and at the Three Daggers in Fleetstreet. 1653. 368pp. 

[Bound with]

Baxter, Richard. The Saints Everlasting Rest. The Fourth Part. London. Printed for Thomas Underhill, and Francis Tyton, and are to be Sold at the Sign of the Anchor and Bible in St. Paul's Church yard, and at the Three Daggers in Fleetstreet. 1653. 311pp. 

[Bound with]

[Thomas Gataker] Baxter, Richard. An Addition to the 11th Chapter of the 3d Part of the Saints Rest. 8pp. 

Bound in 19th century full calf with raised bands in reasonable imitation of a Cambridge style 17th century binding. A very reasonable 17th century example, textually complete, and ready for more use.  Lacks half title, title to part 1, and engraving. Remaining three titles remain and textually complete. One leaf of the additions by Gataker trimmed at foredge, not affecting text.