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

§ 1. IV. Man differeth so much from Brutes in the Knowledge of God, and of his future possibilities, that it proveth that he differeth as much in his capacity and certain hopes. 1. As to the Antecedent, Man knoweth that there is a God by his works: He knoweth that this God is our absolute Lord, our Ruler, and our End: He knoweth that naturally we owe him all our Love and Obedience: He knoweth that Good men use not to let their faithfullest Servants be losers by their Fidelity; nor do they use to set them to labour in vain: He knoweth that Man's Soul is Immortal, (or at least that it is far most probable that it is so); and therefore that it must accordingly be well or ill for ever; and that this should be most cared for. 2. And why should God give him all this Knowledge more than to the Brutes, if he were made for no more enjoyment than the Brutes, of what he knoweth: Every wise Man maketh his work fit for the use that he intendeth it to: And will not God? So that the consequence also is proved from the Divine Perfection: And if God were not Perfect, he were not God: The denial of a God therefore is the result of the denial of Man's future hopes.

§ 1. IV. Man differeth so much from Bruits in the Knowledg of God, and of his future possibilities, that it proveth that he differeth as much in his capacity and certain hopes. 1. As to the Antecedent, Man knoweth that there is a God by his works: He knoweth that this God is our absolute Lord, our Ruler, and our End: He knoweth that naturally we owe him all our Love and Obedience: He knoweth that Good men use not to let their faithfullest Servants be losers by their Fidelity; nor do they use to set them to labour in vain: He knoweth that Man's Soul is Immortal, (or at least that it is far most probable that it is so); and therefore that it must accordingly be well or ill for ever; and that this should be most cared for. 2. And why should God give him all this Knowledge more than to the Bruits, if he were made for no more enjoyment than the Bruits, of what he knoweth: Every wise Man maketh his work fit for the use that he intendeth it to: And will not God? So that the consequence also is proved from the Divine Perfection: And if God were not Perfect, he were not God: The denial of a God therefore is the result of the denial of Man's future hopes.