N17286:700
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 5: A Description of heavenly Contemplation.
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.
If thou shouldst study nothing but heaven while thou livest, and shouldst have thy thoughts at command, to turn them hither on every occasion, and yet shouldst proceed no further than this; this were not the meditation that I intended: as it is thy whole soul that must possess GOD hereafter, so must the whole in a lower manner, possess him here. I have shown you in the beginning of this treatise, how the soul must enjoy the LORD in glory, to wit, by knowing, by loving, by joying in him: why, the very same way must thou begin thy enjoyment here.
If thou shouldst study nothing but heaven while thou livest, and shouldst have thy thoughts at command, to turn them hither on every occasion, and yet shouldst proceed no further than this; this were not the meditation that I intended: as it is thy whole soul that must possess GOD hereafter, so must the whole in a lower manner, possess him here. I have shewn you in the beginning of this treatise, how the soul must enjoy the LORD in glory, to wit, by knowing, by loving, by joying in him: why, the very same way must thou begin thy enjoyment here.
So much as thy understanding and affections are sincerely acted upon GOD, so much dost thou enjoy him: and this is the happy work of this meditation. So that you see here is somewhat more to be done, than barely to remember and think of heaven: as running, and such like labours, do not only stir a hand or foot, but strain and exercise the whole body; so doth meditation the whole soul.
As the whole was filled with sin before, so the whole must be filled with GOD now: as St. Paul saith of knowledge, and gifts, and faith to remove mountains, that if thou hast all these without love, thou art but as a sounding brass, or as a tinkling cym••l, so I may say of the exercise of these, if in this work of meditation, thou exercise knowledge, and gifts, and faith of miracles, and not love and joy, thou dost nothing; if thy meditation tends to fill thy note-book with notions and good sayings concerning GOD, and not thy heart with longings after him, and delight in