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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 3 › Chapter 3: Containing some Hinderances of Heavenly-mindedness.
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.
It may be thou holdest on thy course of duty, and prayest as oft as thou didst before; it may be thou keepest in with good ministers, and with good men, and seemest as forward in religion as ever: but what is all this to the purpose? Mock not thy soul, man; for GOD will not be mocked. Thine earthly mind may consist with thy common duties; but it cannot consist with this heavenly duty. I need not tell thee this, if thou wouldst not be a traitor to thy own soul: thou knowest thyself how seldom and cold, how cursory and strange thy thoughts have been of the joys hereafter, ever since thou didst trade so eagerly for the world.
Methinks I even perceive thy conscience stir now, and tell thee plainly, that this is thy case: hear it, man! O hear it now; lest thou hear it in another manner when thou wouldst be full loth. O the cursed madness of many that seem to be religious! who thrust themselves into the multitude of employments, and think they can never have business enough, till they are so loaded with labours, and clogged with cares, that their souls are as unfit to converse with GOD, as a man to walk with a mountain on his back. And when all is done, and they have lost that heaven they might have had upon earth, they take up a few rotten arguments to prove it lawful, and then they think that they have salved all. They miss not the pleasures of this heavenly life, if they can but quiet ⟨p. 300⟩their consciences, while they fasten upon lower and baser pleasures:
Methinks I even perceive thy conscience stir now, and tell thee plainly, that this is thy case: hear it, man! O hear it now; lest thou hear it in another manner when thou wouldst be full loth. O the cursed madness of many that seem to be religious! who thrust themselves into the multitude of employments, and think they can never have business enough, till they are so loaded with labours, and clogged with cares, that their souls are as unfit to con•erse with GOD, as a man to walk with a mountain on his back. And when all is done, and they have lost that heaven they might have had upon earth, they take up a few rotten arguments to prove it lawful, and then they think that they have salved all. They miss not the pleasures of this heavenly life, if they can but quiet