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

§ 12. Willingly submit then O my Soul: It is not thou, but this Flesh that must be dissolved; this troublesome, vile and corruptible Flesh: It is but the other half thy meat and drink, which thy presence kept longer uncorrupted, going after the excremental part. Thou diest not when Man (the compositum) dieth, by thy departure. And as thou livest not to thy self, I die not to my self; whether I live or die, I am the Lords: He that set up the Candle, knoweth how long he hath use for the light of it. Study thy duty, and work while it is Day, and let God choose thy time, and willingly stand to his disposal. The Gospel dieth not when I die: The Church dieth not: The Praises of God die not; the World dieth not: And perhaps it shall grow better, and those Prayers shall be answered which seemed lost: Yea, & it may be some of the Seed that I have sown, shall spring up to some benefit of the dark unpeaceable World when I am dead. And is not this much of the end of life? & is not that Life good, which attaineth its End? If my End was to do Good and Glorify God, if Good be done, and God be Glorified, when I am dead, yea though I were ⟨p. 116⟩annihilated, is not my End attained: Feign not thy self to be God, whose Interest (that is, the pleasing of his Will) is the End of all things: And whose will is the measure of all Created good: Feign not thy self to be All the World: God hath not lost his work; the World is not dissolved, when I am dissolved! O how strong and unreasonable a Disease is this inordinate SELFISHNESS! Is not God's Will Infinitely better than mine? And fitter to be fulfilled: Choose the fulfilling of his Will, and thou shalt always have thy choice: If a Man be well that can always have his will, let this always be thy Will, that God's Will may be done, and thou shalt always have it.

§ 12. Willingly submit then O my Soul: It is not thou, but this Flesh that must be dissolved; this troublesom, vile and corruptible Flesh: It is but the other half thy meat and drink, which thy presence kept longer uncorrupted, going after the excremental part. Thou diest not when Man (the compositum) dieth, by thy departure. And as thou livest not to thy self, I die not to my self; whether I live or die, I am the Lords: He that set up the Candle, knoweth how long he hath use for the light of it. Study thy duty, and work while it is Day, and let God choose thy time, and willingly stand to his disposal. The Gospel dieth not when I die: The Church dieth not: The Praises of God die not; the World dieth not: And perhaps it shall grow better, and those Prayers shall be answered which seemed lost: Yea, & it may be some of the Seed that I have sowen, shall spring up to some benefit of the dark unpeaceable World when I am dead. And is not this much of the end of life? & is not that Life good, which attaineth its End? If my End was to do Good and Glorifie God, if Good be done, and God be Glorified, when I am dead, yea though I were