A26921:420
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.
Look upon the Sun and think thus with thy self, [How wonderful is the Emanation of this Sun: Its motion, light, and heat communicated to so many Millions of Creatures all over the Earth, and in the Seas: What if all these beams of light and heat, were proportionable beams of perfect Knowledge, Love, and Joy? and that all Creatures that are under the Sun had from its influx as much Wisdom, Love, and Joy, as they have Light, Heat, and Motion: 1Would not then this Earth be as a World of Angels, and a Heaven? O what a blessed World would it be? And what a benefactor would the Sun be to the World? Why, even such will Jesus Christ be to the Celestial World! He is the Sun of Glory: His Influence will send forth LIFE, and LIGHT and JOYFUL LOVE upon all the blessed from the Face of the God, as the Sun sends forth from God, its Motion, Light, and Heat, upon this World. Now therefore begin and live upon him: live upon the influence of his Grace, his Teaching, Love-kindling, and Quickening Grace, that thou mayest have his Name and Mark, and he may find in thee something of himself or of his own, when thou comest to his Righteous ryal. His Grace is not in my power, not at my command: ⟨p. 183⟩It is not meet it should be so: But he hath not bid me seek and beg in vain: If he had never told me that he will give it me, it is equal to a promise if he do but bid me seek and ask: But I have more! He teacheth me to pray: He maketh my Prayers: He writeth me out a Prayer Book on my Heart: He giveth me desires, and he loveth to be importuned by them! His Spirit is first a Spirit of supplication, and after of Consolation, and in both a Spirit of Adoption: so far is he from being loth to be troubled with my importunity, that he seeketh to me to seek his grace, and is displeased with me that I will ask and have no more!
Look upon the Sun and think thus with thy self, [How wonderful is the Emanation of this Sun: Its motion, light, and heat communicated to so many Millions of C•eatures all over the Earth, and in the Seas: What if all these beams of light and heat, were proportionable beams of perfect Knowledge, Love, and Joy? and that all Creatures that are under the Sun had from its influx as much Wisdom, Love, and Joy, as they have Light, Heat, and Motion: 1