N17286:353
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.
Are these men alive or dead? Are they waking, or asleep? What do they think on? Where are their hearts? If they have but a weighty suit at law, how careful are they to know whether it will go for them, or against them? If they were to be tried for their lives, how careful would they be to know whether they should be saved or condemned, especially if their care might surely save them? If they be dangerously sick, they will enquire of the physician; what think you sir, shall I escape or no? But for the business of their salvation, they are content to be uncertain. If you ask most men a reason of their hopes to be saved, they will say it is because GOD is merciful, and Christ died for sinners, and the like general reasons, which any man in the world may give as well as they; but put them to prove their interest in Christ, and the saving mercy of GOD, and they can say nothing at all; at least nothing out of their hearts and experience.
If GOD should ask them for their souls, as he did Cain for his brother Abel, they could return but such an answer as he did. If GOD or man should say to them, what case is thy soul in, man? Is it regenerate, and pardoned or no? Is it in a state of life, or a state of death? He would be ready to say, I know not; am I my soul's keeper. I hope well, I trust GOD with my soul, I shall speed as well as other men do, I thank GOD I never made any doubt of my salvation. Thou hast the more cause to doubt a great deal, because thou never didst doubt; and yet more because thou hast been so careless in thy confidence. What do these expressions discover, but a wilful neglect of thy own salvation? As a ship-master that should let his vessel alone, and say, I will venture it among the rocks, and the waves, and winds; I will trust GOD with it; it will speed as well as other vessels do. Indeed as well as other men's that are as careless and idle, but not so well as other men's that are diligent and ⟨p. 164⟩watchful. What horrible abuse of GOD is this, for men to pretend they trust GOD, to cloak their own wilful negligence! If thou didst truly trust GOD, thou wouldest also be ruled by him, and trust him in that way which he hath appointed thee. He requires thee to give all diligence to make thy calling and election sure, and so to trust him,