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

19. I must be at his disposal whether I will or not: I shall live while he will, and die when he will, and go whither he will: I may sin and vex my Soul with fears, and cares, and sorrows, but I shall never prevail against his will.

20. Therefore there is no Rest for Souls but in the Will of God: That will created us, and that will did govern us, and that will shall be fulfilled on us. It was our Efficient and our Regent Cause, and it shall be our ⟨p. 222⟩End. Where else is it that we should rest? In the will of men, or Angels, or in our own wills? All Creatures are but Creatures: And our own Wills have undone us: They have misgoverned us, and they are our greatest Enemies; our Disease, our Prison, and our Death, till they are brought over to the will of God: Till then they are like a Foot out of joint; like a Child or Subject in Rebellion! There is no rectitude or health, no order, no peace or true felicity, but in the Conformity of our wills to the will of God. And shall I die in distrustful striving against his will, and desiring to keep up my own before it.

21. What abundant experience have I had of God's fidelity and love? and after all this shall I not trust him? His undeserved Mercy gave me being, it chose my Parents; it gave them a tender love to me, and desire of my good; it taught them to instruct me early in his Word, and to Educate me in his fear: It chose me suitable Company and Habitation: It gave me betimes a teachable ingeny: It chose my School-masters: It brought to my Hands many excellent and suitable Books: It gave me some profitable public Teachers: It placed me in the best of Lands on Earth; and I think in the best of Ages which that Land had seen: It did early destroy all great expectations and desires of the World, teaching me to bear the Yoke from my youth, and causing me rather to groan under my infirmities, than to fight with strong and potent Lusts: It chastened me betimes, but did not destroy me. Great Mercy hath trained me up all my days, since I was Nineteen years of Age, in the School of Affliction, to keep my sluggish Soul awake in the constant expectations of my change, and to kill my Pride, and overvaluing of this World, and to lead all