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

If a Physician be to describe the parts of Man, and the latent Diseases of his Patient, he is fain to search hard, and bestow many Thoughts of it, besides his long reading and converse to make him capable of knowing: and when all is done, he goeth much upon Conjectures, and his knowledge is mixed with many uncertainties, yea and mistakes; but when he openeth the Corps, he seeth all, and his knowledge is more full, more true, and more certain, besides that it is easily, and quickly attained, even by a present look: A Country Man knoweth the Town, the Fields, and Rivers where he dwelleth (yea, and the Plants and Animals) with ease and certain clearness; when he that must know the same things by the study of Geographical Writings and Tables, must know them but with a General, an unsatisfactory, and oft a much mistaking kind of knowledge: Alas, when our present knowledge hath cost a Man the study of Forty, or Fifty, or Sixty Years, how lean and poor, how doubtful and unsatisfactory is it after all? But when God will show ⟨p. 94⟩us himself and all things, and when Heaven is known as the Sun by its own Light, this will be the clear, su•• and satisfactory knowledge: Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God, Mat. 5. And without Holiness, none can see him, Heb. 12. 14.) This sight will be worthy the Name of Wisdom, when our present glimpse is but Philosophy, a love and desire of Wisdom: So far should we be from fearing Death through the fear of losing our knowledge, or any of the means of knowledge, that it should make us rather long for the World of Glorious Light, that we might get out of this darkness, and know all that with an easy look, to our joy and satisfaction, which here we know with troublesome doubtings, or not at all. Shall we be afraid of darkness in the Heavenly Light, or of Ignorance when we see the Lord of Glory.

If a Physician be to describe the parts of Man, and the latent Diseases of his Patient, he is fain to search hard, and bestow many Thoughts of it, besides his long reading and converse to make him capable of knowing: and when all is done, he goeth much upon Conjectures, and his knowledge is mixt with many uncertainties, yea and mistakes; but when he openeth the Corps, he seeth all, and his knowledg is more full, more true, and more certain, besides that it is easily, and quickly attained, even by a present look: A Countrey Man knoweth the Town, the Fields, and Rivers where he dwelleth (yea, and the Plants and Animals) with ease and certain clearness; when he that must know the same things by the study of Geographical Writings and Tables, must know them but with a General, an unsatisfactory, and oft a much mistaking kind of knowledge: Alas, when our present knowledge hath cost a Man the study of Forty, or Fifty, or Sixty Years, how lean and poor, how doubtful and unsatisfactory is it after all? But when God will shew