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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 12: An Advice to some more particularly to help others to this 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.
2. You will else be witnesses against your own souls: your great care and pains, and cost for their bodies, will condemn you for your neglect of their precious souls: you can spend yourselves in toiling and caring for their bodies, and even neglect your own souls, and venture them sometimes upon unwarrantable courses, and all to provide for your posterity: and have you not as much reason to provide for their souls? Do you not believe that your children must be everlastingly happy or miserable? And should not that be fore-thought in the first place?
3. Consider, GOD hath made your children to be your charge; yea, and your servants too: every one will confess they are the minister's charge, and what a dreadful thing is it for them to neglect them, when GOD hath told them, That if they tell not the wicked ⟨p. 243⟩of their sin and danger, their blood shall be required at that minister's hands! and is not your charge as great and as dreadful as theirs? Have not you a greater charge of your own families than any minister hath? Yea, doubtless, and your duty it is to teach, and admonish, and reprove them, and watch over them, at your hands else will GOD require the blood of their souls. The greatest charge it is, that ever you were entrusted with, and woe to you if you prove unfaithful, and betray your trust, and suffer them to be ignorant for want of your teaching, or wicked for want of your admonition or correction.
3. Consider, GOD hath made your children to be your charge; yea, and your servants too: every one will consess they are the minister's charge, and what a dreadful thing is it for them to neglect them, when GOD hath told them, That if they tell not the wicked ⟨p. 243⟩of their sin and danger, their blood shall be required at that minister's hands! and is not your charge as great and as dreadful as theirs? Have not you a greater charge of your own families than any minister hath? Yea, doubtless, and your duty it is to teach, and admonish, and reprove them, and watch over them, at your hands else will GOD require the blood of their souls. The greatest charge it is, that ever you were intrusted with, and wo to you if you prove unfaithful, and betray your trust, and suffer them to be ignorant for want of your teaching, or wicked for want of your admonition or correction.