N17286:87
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 1 › Chapter 4: The four great Preparatives to our Rest.
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.
Indeed to be KING of kings, and LORD of lords, is our LORD'S own title: but to be kings and reign with him, is ours: the fruition of this kingdom, is as the fruition of the light of the sun, each hath the whole, and the rest never the less. [Prepared for you] GOD is the Alpha, as well as the Omega of our blessedness. Eternal love hath laid the foundation. He prepared the kingdom for us, and then prepared us for the kingdom. This is the preparation of his counsel: for the execution whereof Christ was yet to make a further preparation. [For you] Not for believers only in general, but for you in particular. [From the foundation of the world] Not only from the promise after Adam's fall, but from eternity.
But a difficulty ariseth in our way. In what sense is our improvement of our talent, our well-doing, our overcoming, our harbouring, visiting, feeding Christ in his little ones, alleged as a reason of our coronation and glory? Is it not the purchased possession, and mere fruit of Christ's blood? If every man must be judged according to his works, and receive according to what they have done in the flesh, whether good or evil; if GOD will render to every man according to his deeds, Rom. ii. 6, 7. and give eternal life to all men, if they patiently continue in well-doing; if he will give right to the tree of life, Rev. xxii. 14. and entrance into the city, to the doers of his commandments; and if this last absolving sentence […] the completing of our justification; and so the do•• […] law be justified, Rom. ii. 13. then what is ⟨p. 43⟩become of free grace? or justification by faith only? of the sole righteousness of Christ to make us accepted? I answer,
But a difficulty ariseth in our way. In what sense is our improvement of our talent, our well-doing, our overcoming, our harbouring, visiting, feeding Christ in his little ones, alledged as a reason of our coronation and glory? Is it not the purchased possession, and mere fruit of Christ's blood? If every man must be judged according to his works, and receive according to what they have done in the flesh, whether good or evil; if GOD will render to every man according to his deeds,