N17286:339
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.
Quest. What if you had once seen hell open, and all the damned there in their ceaseless torments, and had heard them crying out of their slothfulness in the day of their visitation, and wishing that they had but another life to live, and that GOD would but try them once again? one crying out of his neglect of duty, and another of his loitering and trifling, ⟨p. 157⟩when he should have been labouring for his life? What manner of persons would you have been after such a sight as this? What if you had seen heaven opened, as Stephen did, and all the saints there triumphing in glory, and enjoying the end of their labours and sufferings? What a life would you lead after such a sight as this? Why, you will see this with your eyes before it be long.
Quest. What if you had once seen hell open, and all the damned there in their ceaseless torments, and had heard them crying out of their slothfulness in the day of their visitation, and wishing that they had but another life to live, and that GOD would but try them once again? one crying out of his neglect of duty, and another of his loitering and trisling, ⟨p. 157⟩when he should have been labouring for his life? What manner of persons would you have been after such a sight as this? What if you had seen heaven opened, as Stephen did, and all the saints there triumphing in glory, and enjoying the end of their labours and sufferings? What a life would you lead after such a sig•t as this? Why, you will see this with your eyes before it be long.
7. Quest. What if you had lain in hell but one year, or one day, or hour, and there felt those torments that now you do but hear of? and GOD should turn you into the world again, and try you with another lifetime, and say, I will see whether thou wilt be yet any better; what manner of persons would you be? If you were to live a thousand years, would you not gladly live as strictly as the precisest saints, and spend all those years in prayer and duty, so you might but escape the torment which you suffered? How seriously then would you speak of hell! and pray against it! And hear, and read, and watch, and obey! How earnestly would you admonish the careless to take heed, and look about them to prevent their ruin! And will not you take GOD'S word for the truth of this, except you feel it? Is it not your wisdom to do as much now to prevent it, as you would do to remove it when it is too late? Is it not more wisdom to spend this life in labouring for heaven, while ye have it, than to lie in torment, wishing for more time in vain?