A26921:359
Richard Baxter's dying thoughts upon Phil. I, 23 written for his own life and…
Richard Baxter's dying thoughts upon Phil. I, 23 written for his own life and the latter times of his corporal pains and weakness.
London: printed by Tho. Snowden for B. Simmons, 1683
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§ 10. I. Aquinas, and many others took it for the chief Natural proof of the Souls Immortality, that Man by Nature desireth not only to know Effects, and second Causes, but to rise up to the Knowledge of the first Cause; and therefore was made for such Knowledge in the state of his Perfection: But Grace hath much more of this desire than Nature: Not that we must not be content to be without a great deal of Knowledge, which would be unmeet for us, useless, troublesome or dangerous to us; nor must we aspire to that which is above our capacity; and to know the unsearchable things of God: But not to know God is to know nothing; and to have an understanding worse than none. I presume not to pry into the secrets of the Almighty, nor to pretend to know more of God than indeed I know; but O that I might know more of his glorious Perfections, of his Will, and Love, and Ways, with that knowledge which is Eternal Life! Blessed be that Love that sent the Son of God from Heaven to reveal him to us in the Gospel as he hath done: But all that hear the same Words and Believe them, have not the same degree of Light or Faith? If an Angel from Heaven came down on Earth to tell us all of God that we would know, and might lawfully desire and ask him, who would not turn his Back on Libraries and Universities, and the Learned men, to go and discourse with such a Messenger? What travel should I think too far? What cost too great for one Hours talk with such a Messenger? But we must have here but such intimations as will exercise Faith and excite desire, and try us under the Temptations of the World and Flesh: The glorious Light is the reward of the Victory obtained by the conduct of the Light of Grace. God in ⟨p. 150⟩great Mercy even here beginneth the reward: They that are true to the initial Light, and faithfully follow on to know the Lord, do find usually such increase of Light, (not of vain Notions, but of quickening and comforting knowledge of God) as greatly encourageth them, and draweth them still on to seek for more: It is very pleasant here to increase in holy Knowledge, though it usually bring an increase of malignant opposition, and so of sorrows to the Flesh. The pleasure that the mind hath in common knowledge brings men through a great deal of labour to attain it: How many Years travel over Land and Sea do some men take, to see and know more of this lower World?
§ 10. I. Aquinas, and many others took it for the chief Natural proof of the Souls Immortality, that Man by Nature desireth not only to know Effects, and second Causes, but to rise up to the Knowledge of the first Cause; and therefore was made for such Knowledge in the state of his Perfection: But Grace hath much more of this desire than Nature: Not that we must not be content to be without a great deal of Knowledge, which would be unmeet for us, useless, troublesome or dangerous to us; nor must we aspire to that which is above our capacity; and to know the unsearchable things of God: But not to know God is to know nothing; and to have an understanding worse than none. I presume not to pry into the secrets of the Almighty, nor to pretend to know more of God than indeed I know; but O that I might know more of his glorious Perfections, of his Will, and Love, and Ways, with that knowledge which is Eternal Life! Blessed be that Love that sent the Son of God from Heaven to reveal him to us in the Gospel as he hath done: But all that hear the same Words and Believe them, have not the same degree of Light or Faith? If an Angel from Heaven came down on Earth to tell us all of God that we would know, and might lawfully desire and ask him, who would not turn his Back on Libraries and Universities, and the Learned men, to go and discourse with such a Messenger? What travel should I think too far? What cost too great for one Hours talk with such a Messenger? But we must have here but such intimations as will exercise Faith and excite desire, and try us under the Temptations of the World and Flesh: The glorious Light is the reward of the Victory obtained by the conduct of the Light of Grace. God in