N17286:148
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.
3. So doth the spirit also convince the soul, of the creature's vanity and insufficiency. Every man naturally is a flat idolater, our hearts were turned from GOD in our first fall; and ever since the creature hath been our GOD: this is the grand sin of nature: when we set up to ourselves a wrong end, we must needs err in all the means. The creature is to every unregenerate man his GOD: he ascribeth to it the divine prerogatives, and alloweth it the highest room in his soul, or if ever he come to be convinced of misery, he fleeth to it as his Saviour. Indeed GOD and his Christ have usually the name; but the real expectation is from the creature, and the work of GOD is laid upon it. His pleasure, his profit, and his honour, is the natural man's trinity; and his self, that is these in unity: indeed, it is that flesh that is the principal idol; the other three are deified in their relation to ourselves. It was our first sin, to aspire to be as gods; and it is the greatest sin that runs in our blood, and is propagated in our nature from generation to generation.
When GOD should guide us, we guide curselves; when he should be our sovereign, we rule ourselves. The laws which he gives us, we find fault with; and if we had had the making of them, we would have ⟨p. 75⟩made them otherwise: when he should take care of us, (and must, or we perish) we will care for ourselves; when we should depend on him daily, we had rather keep our stock ourselves, and have our portion in our own hands; when we should stand at his disposal, we would be at our own; and when we should submit to his Providence, we usually quarrel at it; as if we knew better what is good for us than he, or how to dispose all things more wisely. This is the language of a carnal heart, though it doth not always speak out. When we should study GOD, we study ourselves; when we should mind GOD, we mind ourselves; when we should love GOD, we love ourselves; when we should trust GOD, we trust ourselves; when we should honour GOD, we honour ourselves; when we should ascribe to GOD and admire him, we ascribe to, and admire ourselves: and instead of GOD, we would have all mens eyes and dependence on us, and all mens thanks returned to us, and would gladly be the only men on earth extolled and admired by all.