N17286:673
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 4: Some general Helps to 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.
HAVING thus showed thee what hinderances will resist thee in the work. I shall now lay down some positive helps. But first, I expect that thou resolve against the fore-mentioned impediments, that ⟨p. 310⟩thou read them seriously, and avoid them faithfully, or else thy labour will be all in vain; thou dost but go about to reconcile light and darkness, Christ and Belial, heaven and hell in thy spirit; I must tell thee also, that I expect thy promise, faithfully to set upon the helps which I prescribe thee; and that the reading of them will not bring heaven into thy heart, but in their constant practice the Spirit will do it.
HAVING thus shewed thee what hinderances will resist thee in the work. I shall now lay down some positive helps. But first, I expect that thou resolve against the fore-mentioned impediments, that ⟨p. 310⟩thou read them seriously, and avoid them faithfully, or else thy labour will be all in vain; thou dost but go about to reconcile light and darkness, Christ and Belial, heaven and hell in thy spirit; I must tell thee also, that I expect thy promise, faithfully to set upon the helps which I prescribe thee; and that the reading of them will not bring heaven into thy heart, but in their constant practice the Spirit will do it.
As thou valuest then these fore-tastes of heaven, make conscience of performing these following duties.
1. Know heaven to be the only treasure, and labour to know what a treasure it is; be convinced that thou hast no other happiness, and be convinced what happiness is there: if thou dost not soundly believe it to be the chief good, thou wilt never set thy heart upon it; and this conviction must fink into thy affections: for if it be only a notion, it will have little operation.