N17286:561
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.
Let us next hear what is usually objected against this by negligent men.
Object. 1. We do not see but those children prove as bad as others, that are taught the scriptures, and brought up so holily; and those prove as honest men, that have none of this ado with them.
Answ. Who art thou, O man, that disputest against GOD? Hath GOD charged you to teach your children diligently his word, speaking of it as you sit at home, and as you walk abroad, as you lie down, and as you rise up; and dare you reply, that it is as good let it alone? Why, this is to set GOD at defiance; and as it were to spit in his face, and give him the lie. Will you take it well at your servants, if when you command them to do a thing, they should return you an answer, that they do not see but it were as good let it alone? Wretched worm! darest thou thus lift up thy head against the Lord that made thee, and must judge thee? Is it not he that commandeth thee? If thou believe that this is the word of GOD, how darest thou say, It is as good disobey it? This is devilish pride indeed, when such sottish, sinful dust shall think themselves wiser than the living GOD.
2. But what if some prove bad that are well brought up? It is not the generality of them. Will you say that Noah's family was no better than the drowned world, because there was one Ham in it? Nor David's, because there was one Absalom? Nor Christ's, because there was one Judas?