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

But Man hath no cause to grudge at God! The Devils before their fall were not made indefectible! Divine Wisdom is delighted in the diversity of his Works, and maketh them not all of equal excellency. Free will was to act its part! Hell is not to be as good as Heaven! And sin hath made Earth to be next to Hell! So much Sin, so much Hell! What is sin but a wilful forsaking of God? And can we forsake him and yet love him and enjoy his love! God's Kingdom is not to be judged of by his Jail, or Gibbets. We wilfully forsook the Light, and made the World a Dungeon to our selves! And when recovering Light doth shine unto us, how unthankfully do we usually entertain it! We cannot have the conduct and comfort of it while we shut our Eyes and turn away. And what though God give not to all men an overcoming measure, nor to the best so much as they desire? The Earth ⟨p. 211⟩is but a spot or point of God's Creation; not so much as an Ant hillock to a Kingdom, or perhaps to all the Earth: And who is scandalized because the World hath an heap of Ants in it, yea, or a Nest of Snakes, that are not men! The vast unmeasurable Worlds of Light which be above us are possessed by Inhabitants suitable to their Glory! A Casement or Crevice of Light, or a Candle in this darksome World, is an unspeakable Mercy! yea, that we may but hear of a better World, and may seek it in Hope! we must not grudge that in our Prison we have not that presence of our King, and pleasures of the Kingdom, as innocent and free Subjects have hope of Pardon, & of a speedy deliverance are great Mercies to Malefactors.

But Man hath no cause to grudge at God! The Devils before their fall were not made indefectible! Divine Wisdom is delighted in the diversity of his Works, and maketh them not all of equal excellency. Free will was to act its part! Hell is not to be as good as Heaven! And sin hath made Earth to be next to Hell! So much Sin, so much Hell! What is sin but a willful forsaking of God? And can we forsake him and yet love him and enjoy his love! God's Kingdom is not to be judged of by his Jail, or Gibbets. We willfully forsook the Light, and made the World a Dungeon to our selves! And when recovering Light doth shine unto us, how unthankfully do we usually entertain it! We cannot have the conduct and comfort of it while we shut our Eyes and turn away. And what though God give not to all men an overcoming measure, nor to the best so much as they desire? The Earth ⟨p. 211⟩