A26921:430
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.
Little know we how great a Mercy it is to be here commanded to love our Neighbours as our selves; and much more to be effectually taught of God so to love one another. And did we all here live in such unfeigned Love, we should be like to Heaven, as bearing the Image of the God of Love: But alas, our Societies here are small; our Goodness which is our Amiableness woefully imperfect, and mixed with loathsome sin and discord: But there a whole Heaven ful• of blessed Spirits will flame for ever in perfect Love to God, to Christ, and one another.
Little know we how great a Mercy it is to be here commanded to love our Neighbours as our selves; and much more to be effectually taught of God so to love one another. And did we all here live in such unfeigned Love, we should be like to Heaven, as bearing the Image of the God of Love: But alas, our Societies here are small; our Goodness which is our Amiableness wofully imperfect, and mixt with loathsom sin and discord: But there a whole Heaven ful• of blessed Spirits will flame for ever in perfect Love to God, to Christ, and one another.
Go then, go willingly, O my Soul! Love joineth with LIGHT to draw up thy desires! Nature inclineth all things unto Union! Even the lifeless Elements have an Aggregative motion, by which the parts when violently separated, do hastily return to their Natural adhesion. Art thou a Lover of Wisdom, and wouldst thou not be united to the Wise? Art thou a Lover of Holiness, and of Love itself, and wouldst thou not be united to the Holy who are made of Love? Art thou a hater of enmity, discord and divisions, and a Lover of Unity here on Earth, and wouldst thou not be where all the just are One? It is not an unnatural Union to thy loss: Nothing shall be taken from thee by it: Thou shalt ⟨p. 191⟩receive by it more than thou canst contribute: It shall not be forced against thy will: It is but a Union of Minds and Wills; a perfect Union of Loves. Let not natural or sinful selfishness cause thee to think suspiciously or hardly of it: For it is thy happiness and end: What got the Angels that fell to selfishness from Unity? And what got Adam that followed them herein! The further any man goeth from UNITY by SELFISHNESS, the deeper he falleth into sin and misery from God! And what doth Grace but call us back, from sin and selfishness to Gods Unity again! Doe not then on this dark divided World! Is not thy Body, while the parts by a uniting Soul are kept together and make One, in a better state than when it is crumbled into lifeless dust? And doth not death creep on thee by a gradual dissolution? Away then from this sandy incoherent state! The further from the Centre the further from Unity: A Unity indeed there is of all things; but it is One heavenly LIFE, and LIGHT, and LOVE which is the true felicitating Union.