A26921:401
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.
Richard Baxter's Dying Thoughts. › Part 4: IV. The Constitutive Reasons from the state of my will.
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.
§ 11. 3. And he is near to me, and not a distant God out of my reach, and so unsuitable to my Love: Blind Unbelievers may dream that he is far off; but he is as near us even now, as we are to our selves: He is not far from any of us, for in him we live, and move, and ⟨p. 171⟩have our being: The Light of the Sun is not so nea• my Eyes, as God will be for ever to my Mind. When he would sanctify us to love him, he bringeth us nigh to him in Christ. As we love our selves easily as being, as they say, the nearest to our selves: So we shall as easily love God as our selves, when we see ••at he is as near us as we are to our selves, as well as that he is infinitely more Amiable in himself.
§ 11. 3. And he is near to me, and not a distant God out of my reach, and so unsuitable to my Love: Blind Unbelievers may dream that he is far off; but he is as near us even now, as we are to our selves: He is not far from any of us, for in him we live, and move, and ⟨p. 171⟩have our being: The Light of the Sun is not so nea• my Eyes, as God will be for ever to my Mind. When he would sanctifie us to love him, he bringeth us nigh to him in Christ. As we love our selves easily as being, as they say, the nearest to our selves: So we shall as easily love God as our selves, when we see ••at he is as near us as we are to our selves, as well as that he is infinitely more Amiable in himself.
§ 12. 4. And because of the imparity of the Creature and the Creator, he hath provided such Means to demonstrate to us his nearness, as are necessary to the exercise of our Love: We shall see his G•o•y and taste his Love in our glorified Mediator, and in the Goy of the Church and World: God will condescend to show himself to us according to our Capacities of beholding him: Here we see him in his Works and Word, and there we shall see him in the glory of all his perfect Works. But this leadeth me to the second Object of my Love.