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

Nature teacheth Man to love best those Animals that are tame and tractable, that trust us and love us, that will come to our hands and love our Company, that will be familiar with us and follow us; be it Horse or Dog, Beasts or Birds: But those that are wild and live in Woods, and fly from the Face of Man, are taken to be the Game and Preys of any one that can catch and kill them. And shall my foolish Soul thus wildly fly from the Face of God? Shall his Children be like the fearful Hare? Or like a guilty Cain? Or like an unbelieving Sadducee, that either believeth not, or hopeth not for, the forgiveness of sin, and the life Everlasting? Doth not the Spirit of Adoption incline ⟨p. 229⟩us to love our Fathers presence, and to be loth to be long from home? To distrust all Creatures, even thy self, is not unreasonable; but to distrust God hath no just excuse. Fly from Sin, from Satan, from Temptations, from the World, from sinful Flesh and Idol-self: But fly not from him that is Goodness, Love and Joy itself: Fear thine Enemy, but Trust thy Father: If thy Heart be reconciled to Him and his Service, by the Spirit, he is certainly reconciled to thee through Christ▪ And if he be for thee, and justify and love thee, who shall be against thee, or condemn thee, or separate thee from his Love? If thy unreconciled will, do make thee doubt of his reconciliation, it's time to abhor and lay by thy Enmity: Consent, and be sure that he consenteth: Be willing to be his, and in Holiness to serve him, and to be united in joyful Glory to him, and then be sure that he is willing to accept thee, and receive thee to that Glory. O dark and sinful Soul! how little dost thou know thy Friend, thy Self, or God, if thou canst more easily and quietly trust thy Life, thy Soul and Hopes to the will of thy Friend or of thy self (if thou hadst power) than to the will of God? Every Dog would be at home and with his Master; much more every ingenuous Child with his Father: And tho Enemies distrust us, Wife and Children will not do so, while they believe us just. And hath God ever showed himself either unfaithful or unmerciful to me?

Nature teacheth Man to love best those Animals that are tame and tractable, that trust us and love us, that will come to our hands and love our Company, that will be familiar with us and follow us; be it Horse or Dog, Beasts or Birds: But those that are wild and live in Woods, and fly from the Face of Man, are taken to be the Game and Preys of any one that can catch and kill them. And shall my foolish Soul thus wildly fly from the Face of God? Shall his Children be like the fearful Hare? Or like a guilty Cain? Or like an unbelieving Sadduce, that either believeth not, or hopeth not for, the forgiveness of sin, and the life Everlasting? Doth not the Spirit of Adoption incline