N17286:121
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.
But for-ever blessed be omnipotent love, which saves us out of all these, and makes our straits but the advantages of the glory of his grace! And blessed be the LORD, who hath not given our souls for a prey: our ⟨p. 63⟩soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler; the snare is broken and we are escaped. Now, our houses, our clothes, our sleep, our food, our physic, our father, mother, wife, children, friends, goods, lands, are all so many temptations; and ourselves the greatest snare to ourselves: but in heaven, the danger and trouble is over; there is nothing but what will advance our joy. Now every companion is beckoning us to sin, and we can scarce tell how to say to them, nay: but our rest will free us from all these. As Satan hath no entrance there, so neither any thing to serve his malice: but all things there with us conspire the praises of our great Deliverer.
3. And as we rest from temptations, so also from all abuses and persecutions which we suffer at the hands of wicked men. We shall be scorned, derided, imprisoned, banished by them no more; the prayers of the souls under the altar will then be answered, and GOD will avenge their blood on those that dwell on the earth. This is the time for crowning with thorns, buffeting, spitting on: that is the time for crowning with glory. Now the law is decreed on, That whosoever will live godly in CHRIST JESUS, shall suffer persecutions: then they that suffered with him, shall be glorified with him. Now we must be hated of all men for CHRIST's name sake: then will CHRIST be admired in his saints that were thus hated. We are here as the scorn and off-scouring of all things; as men set up for a gazing-stock to angels and men, even for signs and wonders amongst professing christians; they put us out of their synagogues, and cast out our name as evil, and separate us from their company: but we shall then be as much gazed at for our glory, and they will be shut out of the church of the saints, and separated from us, whether they will or no. They now thi••• strange that we run not with them to all excess of riot: they will then think more strange that they