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

2. And do you not know the next and better Habitation? Is Faith no knowledge? If you believe God's Promise you know that such a state there is: And you know in general that it is Better than this World: And you know that we shall be in Holiness and Glorious happiness with Christ: And is this no knowledge? 3. And what we know not, Christ, that prepareth and promiseth it, doth know: And is that nothing to us, if really we Trust our Souls to him? He that knoweth not more Good by Heaven than by Earth, is yet so earthly and unbelieving, that it is no wonder if he be afraid and unwilling to depart.

§ 4. II. In Departing from this Body and Life, I must depart from all its ancient Pleasures: I must taste no more sweetness in meat or drink, or rest, or sport, or any such thing that now delighteth me; House and Lands, and Goods and Wealth must all be left; and the place where I live must know me no more. All my possessions must be no more to me, nor all that I laboured for or took delight in than if they had never been at all.

And what though it must be so? Consider O my Soul, 1. Thy ancient Pleasures are all past already: Thou losest none of them by Death, for they are all lost before, (if immortal Grace have not by sanctifying them, made the benefits of them to become immortal.) All the sweet draughts, and morsels, and sports, and laughters, all the sweet Thoughts of thy worldly Possessions, or thy Hopes, that ever thou hadst till this present Hour, are past by, dead, and gone already. All that Death doth to such as these is to prevent such, that on Earth thou shalt have no more.