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

And with our faithful Friends, we have here a mixture, partly of useless and burdensome Persons, and partly of unfaithful Hypocrites, and partly of self-conceited factious Wranglers, and partly of malicious envious underminers▪ and partly of implacable Enemies: And how many of all these set together is there for one worthy faithful Friend? And how great a number i• there to trouble you? For one that will indeed comfort you? But in Heaven there are none but the Wise, ⟨p. 96⟩and Holy: No Hypocrites, no burdensome Neighbours, no treacherous, or oppressing or persecuting Enemies are there? And is not all good and amiable better than a little good with so troublesome a mixture of noisome Evils?

And with our faithful Friends, we have here a mixture, partly of useless and burdensom Persons, and partly of unfaithful Hypocrites, and partly of self-conceited factious Wranglers, and partly of malicious envious underminers▪ and partly of implacable Enemies: And how many of all these set together is there for one worthy faithful Friend? And how great a number i• there to trouble you? For one that will indeed comfort you? But in Heaven there are none but the Wise, ⟨p. 96⟩and Holy: No Hypocrites, no burdensom Neighbours, no treacherous, or oppressing or persecuting Enemies are there? And is not all good and amiable better than a little good with so troublesome a mixture of noisome Evils?

Christ loved his Disciples, his Kindred; yea, and all Mankind, and took pleasure in doing good to all; and so did his Apostles: But how poor a requital had he or they from any but from God? Christ's own Brethren believed not in him, but wrangled with him; almost like those that said to him on the Cross, If thou be the Son of God, come down and we will believe. Peter himself was once a Satan to him,