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

IV. The Fourth Article is [Preached to the Gentiles.] The Jews having the Covenant of Peculiarity, were proud of their Privilege, even while they unworthily abused it: And despised the rest of the World, and would not so much as eat with them, as if they had been God's only People. And indeed the rest of the World was so corrupted, that we find no one Nation that as such renounced ⟨p. 274⟩Idolatry, and was devoted in Covenant to the true God alone, as the Jews were. Now that God should be manifested in Flesh, to reconcile the Heathen World to himself, and extend greater Privileges indefinitely to all Nations than ever the Jews had in their state of Peculiarity, this was a Mystery of Godliness, which the Jews did hardly yield belief to.

IV. The Fourth Article is [Preached to the Gentiles.] The Jews having the Covenant of Peculiarity, were proud of their Priviledge, even while they unworthily abused it: And despised the rest of the World, and would not so much as eat with them, as if they had been God's only People. And indeed the rest of the World was so corrupted, that we find no one Nation that as such renounced ⟨p. 274⟩Idolatry, and was devoted in Covenant to the true God alone, as the Jews were. Now that God should be manifested in Flesh, to reconcile the Heathen World to himself, and extend greater Priviledges indefinitely to all Nations than ever the Jews had in their state of Peculiarity, this was a Mystery of Godliness, which the Jews did hardly yield belief to.

And that which aggravateth this wonder is, 1. That the Gentile World was drowned in all Idolatry and Unnatural Wickedness, such as Paul describeth, Rom. 1. &. 2. Eph. 2. & 3. 18, &c. 2. And that God should suddenly and freely send them the Message of reconciliation, and be found of them that sought him not, is that wonder, which obligeth us Gentiles who once lived as without God in the World to be thankful to him.