Richard Baxter's dying thoughts upon Phil. I, 23 written for his own life and…

§ 34. Yet it is very probable that there will be a Nearer Union of holy Souls with God and Christ, and one another, than we can here conceive of: But this […] so far from being to be feared, that it is the highest of our hopes. 1. God himself (though equally every where in his Essence) doth operate very variously on his Creatures. On the wicked he operateth as the first Cause of Nature (as his Sun shineth on them:) On some he operateth by common Grace: To some he ⟨p. 24⟩giveth Faith to prepare them for the Indwelling of his Spirit: In Believers he dwelleth by Love, and they in him: And if we may use such a comparison as Satan acteth on some only by suggestions, but on others so despotically as that it's called His Possessing them; so God's Spirit worketh on holy Souls so powerfully and constantly, as is called his Possessing them. And yet on the Humane Nature of Christ, the Divine Nature of the Second Person hath such a further extraordinary Operation, as is justly called a Personal Union; which is not by a more Essential Presence (for that is every where) but by a peculiar operation and relation: And so holy Souls being under a more felicitating operation of God, may well be said to have a Nearer Union with him than now they have.

§ 34. Yet it is very probable that there will be a Nearer Union of holy Souls with God and Christ, and one another, than we can here conceive of: But this 〈…〉 so far from being to be feared, that it is the highest of our hopes. 1. God himself (though equally every where in his Essence) doth operate very variously on his Creatures. On the wicked he operateth as the first Cause of Nature (as his Sun shineth on them:) On some he operateth by common Grace: To some he ⟨p. 24⟩giveth Faith to prepare them for the Indwelling of his Spirit: In Believers he dwelleth by Love, and they in him: And if we may use such a comparison as Satan acteth on some only by suggestions, but on others so despotically as that it's called His Possessing them; so God's Spirit worketh on holy Souls so powerfully and constantly, as is called his Possessing them. And yet on the Humane Nature of Christ, the Divine Nature of the Second Person hath such a further extraordinary Operation, as is justly called a Personal Union; which is not by a more Essential Presence (for that is every where) but by a peculiar operation and relation: And so holy Souls being under a more felicitating operation of God, may well be said to have a Nearer Union with him than now they have.