N17286:647
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.
5. Consider, the frequent believing views of glory are the most precious cordial in all afflictions. 1. To sustain our spirits, and make our sufferings far more easy. 2. To stay us from repining. And 3. To strengthen our resolutions, that we forsake not Christ for fear of trouble. A man will more quietly endure the lancing of his sores, when he thinks on the ease that will follow. What then will not a believer endure, when he thinks of the rest to which it tendeth? What if the way be never so rough, can it be tedious if it lead to heaven? O sweet sickness, sweet reproaches, imprisonments, or death, which is accompanied with these tastes of our future rest! Believe it, thou wilt suffer heavily, thou wilt die most sadly, if thou hast not at hand the foretastes of this rest. Therefore as thou wilt then be ready with David to pray, Be not far from me, for trouble is near: so let it be thy chief care not to be far from GOD and heaven, when trouble is near, and thou wilt find him a very present help in trouble.
All sufferings are nothing to us, so far as we have the foresight of this salvation. No bolts, nor bars, nor distance of place can shut out these supporting joys, because they cannot confine our faith and thoughts, although they may confine our flesh. Christ and faith are spiritual, and therefore prisons and banishments cannot hinder their intercourse. Even when persecution and fear hath shut the doors, Christ can come in, and stand in the midst, and say, Peace be unto you. It is not the place that gives the rest, but the presence and beholding of Christ in it. If the Son of GOD will walk with us in it, we may walk safely ⟨p. 295⟩in the midst of those flames, which shall devour those that cast us in: why then, keep thy soul above with Christ; be as little as may be out of his company, and then all conditions will be alike to thee. What made Moses choose affliction with the people of God, rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season? He had respect to the recompense of reward. Yea, our LORD himself did fetch his encouragements to sufferings from the foresight of his glory: for to this end he both died and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living,