N17286:732
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.
I am next to advise thee somewhat concerning the preparations of thy heart. The success of the work doth much depend on the frame of thy heart. When man's heart had nothing in it that might grieve the Spirit, then was it the delightful habitation of his Maker. GOD did not quit his residence there, till man did repel him by unworthy provocations. There grew no strangeness, till the heart grew sinful, and too loathsome a dungeon for GOD to delight in. And were this soul restored to its former innocency, GOD would quickly return to his former habitation: yea, […] far as it is renewed and repaired by the Spirit, the ⟨p. 337⟩LORD will yet acknowledge it his own, and Christ will manifest himself unto it, and the Spirit will take it for its temple and residence. So far as the soul is qualified for conversing with GOD, so far it doth actually enjoy him. Therefore keep thy heart with all diligence, for from thence are the issues of life.
I am next to advise thee somewhat concerning the preparations of thy heart. The success of the work doth much depend on the frame of thy heart. When man's heart had nothing in it that might grieve the Spirit, then was it the delightful habitation of his Maker. GOD did not quit his residence there, till man did repel him by unworthy provocations. There grew no strangeness, till the heart grew sinful, and too loathsome a dungeon for GOD to delight in. And were this soul restored to its former innocency, GOD would quickly return to his former habitation: yea, 〈…〉 far as it is renewed and repaired by the Spirit, the ⟨p. 337⟩LORD will yet acknowledge it his own, and Christ will manifest himself unto it, and the Spirit will take it for its temple and residence. So far as the soul is qualified for conversing with GOD, so far it doth actually enjoy him. Therefore keep thy heart with all diligence, for from thence are the issues of life.
More particularly, when thou settest on this duty, 1. Get thy heart as clear from the world as thou canst; wholly lay by the thoughts of thy business, of thy troubles, of thy enjoyments, and of every thing that may take up any room in thy soul. Get thy soul as empty as possibly thou canst, that so it may be the more capable of being filled with GOD. It is a work that will require all the powers of thy soul, if they were a thousand times more capacious and active than they are, and therefore you have need to lay by all other thoughts and affections while you are busied here.