N17286:759
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 will look and desire: I will breathe out, How long, LORD, how long! How long, LORD holy and true, wilt thou suffer this soul to pant and groan! and wilt not open and let him in, who waits and longs to be with thee!
Thus, reader, let thy thoughts aspire: thus whet the desires of thy soul by meditation; till thy soul long (as David's for the waters of Bethlehem) and say, O that one would give me to drink of the wells of salvation! and till thou canst say as he, I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord!
3. The next affection to be acted, is hope. This is of singular use to the soul. It helpeth exceedingly to support it in sufferings; it encourageth it to adventure upon the greatest difficulties; it firmly establisheth it in the most shaking trials, and it mightily enlivens the soul in duties.
Let faith then show thee the truth of the promise, and judgment the goodness of the thing promised; and what then is wanting for the raising thy hope? Show thy soul from the word and from the mercies, and from the nature of GOD, what possibility, yea, what probability, yea, what certainty thou hast of possessing the crown. Think thus, and reason thus with thy own heart: why should I not confidently and comfortably hope, when my soul is in the hands of so compassionate a Saviour, and when the kingdom is at the disposal of so bounteous a GOD? Did he ever manifest any backwardness to my good, or discover the least inclination to my ruin? Hath he not sworn to the contrary to me in his word, that he delights