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

VII. And among all these works, I shall specially know more, the nature and excellency of Gods mercies and gifts of Love, which here we too unthankfully undervalued & and made light of! The special works of Love, should be the matter of our most constant, sweet and serious Thoughts, and the fuel of our constant Love and Gratitude! The lively sense of Love and Mercy, maketh lively Christians, abounding in Love to God, and Mercy to others: But the Enemy of God and Man most laboureth to obscure, diminish, and disgrace God's Love and Mercies to us, or to put us out of relish to them, that they be unfruitful as to their excellent ends and uses. Little do most Christians know how much they wrong God and themselves, and how much they lose, by the diminutive poor Thoughts which they have of God's Mercies: Ingratitude is a grievous misery to ⟨p. 159⟩the Sinner, as gratitude is a very pleasant work. Many a Thousand Mercies we now receive, which we greatly undervalue. But when I come to the state and work of perfect gratitude, I shall have a more perfect knowledge of all the Mercies which ever I received in my Life, and which my Neighbours and Friends, and God's Church and the World did ever receive: For though the thing be past, the use of it is not past: Mercies remembered must be the matter of our everlasting thanks: And we cannot be perfectly thankful for them, without a perfect knowledge of them: The worth of a Christ, and all his grace, the work of the Gospel, the worth of our Church-privileges, and all God's Ordinances, the worth of our Books, and Friends, and Helps of our Life and Health, and all conveniences will be better understood in Heaven, than the most holy and thankful Christian here understandeth them.

VII. And among all these works, I shall specially know more, the nature and excellency of Gods mercies and gifts of Love, which here we too unthankfully undervalued & and made light of! The special works of Love, should be the matter of our most constant, sweet and serious Thoughts, and the fuel of our constant Love and Gratitude! The lively sense of Love and Mercy, maketh lively Christians, abounding in Love to God, and Mercy to others: But the Enemy of God and Man most laboureth to obscure, diminish, and disgrace God's Love and Mercys to us, or to put us out of relish to them, that they be unfruitful as to their excellent ends and uses. Little do most Christians know how much they wrong God and themselves, and how much they lose, by the diminutive poor Thoughts which they have of God's Mercies: Ingratitude is a grievous misery to