N17286:336
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
Part 2 › Chapter 6: An Exhortation to Seriousness in seeking Rest.
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. Quest. If it were GOD's ordinary course to punish every sin with some present judgment, so that every time a man swears, or is drunk, or speaks a lie, or backbiteth his neighbour, he should be struck dead or blind, or lame, in the place: if GOD did punish every cold prayer, or neglect of duty with some remarkable plague; what manner of persons would you be? If you should suddenly fall down dead like Ananias and Sapphira with the sin in your hands; or the plague of GOD should seize upon you as upon the Israelites, while their sweet morsels were yet in their mouths: If but a mark should be set in the forehead of every one that neglected a duty, or committed a fin; what kind of lives would you then lead? And is not eternal wrath more terrible than all this?
3. Quest. If it were GOD's ordinary course to punish every sin with some present judgment, so that every time a man swears, or is drunk, or speaks a lie, or backbiteth his neighbour, he should be struck dead or blind, or lame, in the place: if GOD did punish every cold prayer, or neglect of duty with some remarkable plague; what manner of persons would you be? If you should suddenly fall down dead like Auanias and Sapphira with the sin in your hands; or the plague of GOD should seize upon you as upon the Israelites, while their sweet morsels were yet in their mouths: If but a mark should be set in the forehead of every one that neglected a duty, or committed a fin; what kind of lives would you then lead? And is not eternal wrath more terrible than all this?
4. Quest. If you had seen the general dissolution of the world, and all the pomp and glory of it consumed to ashes; if you saw all on fire about you, sumptuous buildings, cities, kingdoms, land, water, earth, heaven, all flaming about your ears: if you had seen all that men laboured for, and sold their souls for, •one; friends gone; the place of your former abode ⟨p. 156⟩gone; the history ended, and all come down; what would such a sight as this persuade you to do? Why, such a sight thou shalt certainly see. I put my question to thee in the words of the apostle,