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

Love is the Perfection of all thy Preparations: It desireth to Please God; and therefore to be in the most pleasing state, and freed from all that is displeasing to him; which is not to be hoped for on Earth: It desireth all suitable nearness, acquaintance, union and communion: It is weary of distance, estrangedness, and alien society, and affairs: It taketh advantage of every notice, intimation, or mention of God, to renew and exercise these desires: Every Message, and Mercy from him is fuel for Love, and while we are short of Perfection stir up our desires after more! When Love tasteth of the Grapes it would have the Vine: When it tasteth of the Fruits it would dwell where they grow, and possess the Land! Its thoughts of Proximity and fruition are sweet. No other Person or Thing can satisfy it. The Soul is where it loveth: If our Friend dwell in our Hearts by Love; and if fleshly Pleasure, Riches, and Honour, do dwell in the Heart of the Voluptuous, the Covetous, and the Proud, surely God and our Redeemer, the heavenly Society, Holiness, and Glory, do dwell in the Heart which loveth them with a fervent Love! And if Heaven dwell in my Heart, shall I not desire to dwell in Heaven? Light and Light, Fire and Fire are not more inclined to union then Love and Love; Gracious Love, and Glorious Love: Would Divine Original, Universal LOVE, communicate and pour out itself more plentifully upon my Heart, how easy would it be to leave this Flesh and World? And to hear the Sentence of my departure to my God? Death and the Grave would be but a Triumph ⟨p. 238⟩for victorious Love: It would be easier to die in Peace and Joy, than to rest at Night, or to come home from my Travel to my beloved Friends, or to go when I am hungry to a Feast: A Little Love hath made me study willingly, and preach willingly, and write willingly, yea, and suffer somewhat willingly; and would not more make me go more willingly to God? Shall the imagination of House, Gardens, Walks, Libraries, Prospects, Meadows, Orchards, Hills, and Rivers, allure the desires of deceived Minds? And shall not the Thoughts of the heavenly Mansions, Society and Delights, much more allure and draw up my desires? The reading of a known Fiction of a Civitas Solis, an Utopia, an Atlantis, &c. hath pleased many:

Love is the Perfection of all thy Preparations: It desireth to Please God; and therefore to be in the most pleasing state, and freed from all that is displeasing to him; which is not to be hoped for on Earth: It desireth all suitable nearness, acquaintance, union and communion: It is weary of distance, estrangedness, and alien society, and affairs: It taketh advantage of every notice, intimation, or mention of God, to renew and exercise these desires: Every Message, and Mercy from him is fewel for Love, and while we are short of Perfection stir up our desires after more! When Love tasteth of the Grapes it would have the Vine: When it tasteth of the Fruits it would dwell where they grow, and possess the Land! Its thoughts of Proximity and fruition are sweet. No other Person or Thing can satisfie it. The Soul is where it loveth: If our Friend dwell in our Hearts by Love; and if fleshly Pleasure, Riches, and Honour, do dwell in the Heart of the Voluptuous, the Covetous, and the Proud, surely God and our Redeemer, the heavenly Society, Holiness, and Glory, do dwell in the Heart which loveth them with a fervent Love! And if Heaven dwell in my Heart, shall I not desire to dwell in Heaven? Light and Light, Fire and Fire are not more inclined to union then Love and Love; Gracious Love, and Glorious Love: Would Divine Original, Universal LOVE, communicate and pour out itself more plentifully upon my Heart, how easy would it be to leave this Flesh and World? And to hear the Sentence of my departure to my God? Death and the Grave would be but a Triumph