N17286:117
The saints everlasting rest
The saints everlasting rest: or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory: extracted from the works of Mr. Richard Baxter, by John Wesley, M.A. late fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford.
Philadelphia: printed by Prichard & Hall, 1790
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, It is a perfect rest from suffering. When the cause is gone, the effect ceaseth. Our sufferings were but the consequents of our sinning, and here they both shall cease together.
1. 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 still solicited to deny his LORD? That such a thought should be cast into his heart? That he can set about nothing that is good, but Satan is still dissuading him from it, distracting him in it, or discouraging him after it? What a torment, as well as a temptation is it, to have such horrid motions made to his soul? Sometime cruel thoughts of GOD; sometime undervaluing thoughts of Christ; sometime unbelieving thoughts of scripture; sometime injurious thoughts of Providence: to be tempted sometime to turn to present things; sometime to play with the baits of sin; sometime to venture on the delights of the flesh; and sometime to Atheism itself? Especially when we know the treachery of our own hearts, that they are as tinder, ready to take fire, as soon as one of these sparks shall fall upon them: but when the day of our deliverance comes, we shall fully rest from these temptations: Satan is then bound up, the time of tempting is done; the time of torment to himself, and his conquered captives, ⟨p. 61⟩is then come; and the victorious saints shall have triumph from temptation. Now we walk among his snares, and are in danger to be circumvented with his wiles: but then we are quite above his snares. He hath power here to tempt us in the wilderness, but he entereth not the holy city: he may s•• on the pinnacle of the temple in the earthly Jerusalem, but the new Jerusalem he […] not approach. Perhaps he may bring us to an exceeding high mountain; but the mount Sim, and city of the living GOD, he cannot ascend. Or if he should, yet all the kingdoms of the world, and he glory of them, would be but a poor bait to the soul which is possessed of the kingdom of our LORD.
1. 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 still solicited to deny his LORD? That such a thought should be cast into his heart? That he can set about nothing that is good, but Satan is still dissuading him from it, distracting him in it, or discouraging him after it? What a torment, as well as a temptation is it, to have such horrid motions made to his soul? Sometime cruel thoughts of GOD; sometime undervaluing thoughts of Christ; sometime unbelieving thoughts of scripture; sometime injurious thoughts of Providence: to be tempted sometime to turn to present things; sometime to play with the baits of sin; sometime to venture on the delights of the flesh; and sometime to Atheism itself? Especially when we know the treachery of our own hearts, that they are as tinder, ready to take fire, as soon as one of these sparks shall fall upon them: but when the day of our deliverance comes, we shall fully rest from these temptations: Satan is then bound up, the time of tempting is done; the time of torment to himself, and his conquered captives,