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

To know what thou hast written in the Sacred Book, is nor enough to make me know my glorified Saviour, my Father, and my home. It must be a Light from Heaven, that must show me Heaven; and a Light accompanied with Vital heat, that must turn to Love and Joy within me: O Let me not have only dreaming knowledge, of Words and Signs, but quickening Light, to show the Things which these words do signify, to my M•nd, and Heart! Surely the Faith By which we must live, must be a l•ving Faith! And must reach further than to Words, how true soever. Can Faith live in the Dark? What is it but an effect of thine Illumination! What is my Unbelief but the Darkness of my Soul! Lord Jesus scatter all these mists: Make thy way O thou Son of Righteousness into this benighted mind! O send thine Advocate to silence every temptation that is against thy truth and thee, and thine Agent to prosecute thy cause against thine Enemies and mine, and to be the resident Witness of thy Verity, and my Sonship, and Salvation. Hearing of thee is not satisfactory to me! It must be the Presence and Operation of thy Light and Love, shed abroad by thy Spirit on my Heart, that must quiet and content my Soul! I confess with shame that I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am unworthy to have any glimpse or taste of Heaven! But so did many that are now entertained and feasted by thy Love in Glory! My Lord, I know that Heaven is not far from me! It is not (I believe) one Days or Hours journey to a separated Soul! How quick is the communion of my Eyes with the Sun, that seems far off! And couldst thou not show it me in a moment? Is not Faith a seeing ⟨p. 188⟩Grace? It can see the invisible God, and the unseen World, the new Jerusalem, the innumerable Angels, and the Spirits of the perfected Just, if it be animated by thine influx! Without which it can do nothing, and is nothing! Thou that oft healedst the Blind here in the Flesh, didst tell us that it is much more thy work to illuminate Souls! It is but forgiving all my sins, and removing this film that sin hath gathered, and my illuminated Soul will see thy Glory: I know that the veil of Flesh must be also rent before I shall see thee with open Face, and know my fellow Citizens above as I am known! It is not Heaven on Earth that I am begging for, But that I may see it from Mount Nebo, and have the bunch of Grapes; the Pledge, and the first Fruits;

To know what thou hast written in the Sacred Book, is nor enough to make me know my glorified Saviour, my Father, and my home. It must be a Light from Heaven, that must shew me Heaven; and a Light accompanied with Vital heat, that must turn to Love and Joy within me: O Let me not have only dreaming knowledge, of Words and Signs, but quickning Light, to shew the Things which these words do signifie, to my Mnd, and Heart! Surely the Faith By which we must live, must be a lving Faith! And must reach further than to Words, how true soever. Can Faith live in the Dark? What is it but an effect of thine Illumination! What is my Unbelief but the Darkness of my Soul! Lord Iesus scatter all these mists: Make thy way O thou Son of Righteousness into this benighred mind! O send thine Advocate to silence every temptation that is against thy truth and thee, and thine Agent to prosecute thy cause against thine Enemies and mine, and to be the resident Witness of thy Verity, and my Sonship, and Salvation. Hearing of thee is not satisfactory to me! It must be the Presence and Operation of thy Light and Love, shed abroad by thy Spirit on my Heart, that must quiet and content my Soul! I confess with shame that I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am unworthy to have any glimpse or taste of Heaven! But so did many that are now entertained and feasted by thy Love in Glory! My Lord, I know that Heaven is not far from me! It is not (I believe) one Days or Hours journey to a separated Soul! How quick is the communion of my Eyes with the Sun, that seems far off! And couldst thou not shew it me in a moment? Is not Faith a seeing