N17286:149
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.
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.
And thus we are naturally our own idols: but down falls this Dagon, when GOD does once renew the soul: it is the great business of that great work to bring the heart back to GOD. He convinceth the sinner, 1. That the creature can neither be his GOD, to make him; 2. Nor yet his Christ, to recover him from his misery, to restore him to GOD, who is his happiness. This GOD doth not only by preaching, but by Providence a so; because words will hardly take off the raging senses, therefore doth GOD make his rod to speak, and continue speaking, till the sinner hear, and hath learned this great lesson.
This is the great reason why affliction doth so ordinarily concur in the work of conversion; these real arguments which speak to the quick, will force a hearing when the most powerful words are slighted.