A26921:455
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. › The Concluding Application.
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.
§ 3. 1. And why should I strive by the fears of Death, against the common course of Nature, and against my only hopes of Happiness? Is it not appointed for all men once to die? Would I have God to alter this determinate Course, and make sinful Man immortal ⟨p. 205⟩upon Earth? When we are sinless we shall be immortal. The love of life was given to teach me to preserve it carefully and use it well, and not to torment me with the continual troubling foresight of Death: Shall I make my self more miserable than the Vegetatives and Brutes? Neither they nor I do grieve that my Flowers must fade and die, and that my sweet and pleasant Fruits must fall, and the Trees be unclothed of their beauteous leaves, until the Spring. Birds, and Beasts, and Fishes, and Worms, have all a self-preserving fear of Death, which urgeth them to fly from danger: But few if any of them have a tormenting fear arising from the fore-thoughts that they must die. To the Body death is less troublesome than sleep: For in sleep I may have disquieting pains or dreams: And yet I fear not going to my bed. But of this before.
§ 3. 1. And why should I strive by the fears of Death, against the common course of Nature, and against my only hopes of Happiness? Is it not appointed for all men once to die? Would I have God to alter this determinate Course, and make sinful Man immortal ⟨p. 205⟩upon Earth? When we are sinless we shall be immortal. The love of life was given to teach me to preserve it carefully and use it well, and not to torment me with the continual troubling foresight of Death: Shall I make my self more miserable than the Vegetatives and Bruits? Neither they nor I do grieve that my Flowers must fade and die, and that my sweet and pleasant Fruits must fall, and the Trees be uncloathed of their beauteous leaves, until the Spring. Birds, and Beasts, and Fishes, and Worms, have all a self-preserving fear of Death, which urgeth them to fly from danger: But few if any of them have a tormenting fear arising from the fore-thoughts that they must die. To the Body death is less troublesom than sleep: For in sleep I may have disquieting pains or dreams: And yet I fear not going to my bed. But of this before.