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

And must Christ's Sufferings and Death have such preparation, and must not mine have much premeditation, and do I not need the consolatory messages of God? Carnal men would rather have chosen pleasanter discourse, than the talk of Sufferings and Death. But that which must be undergone, and requireth greatest strength, must be forethought of, and requireth the most preparing Thoughts. It's worse than madness to be surprised with Sufferings and Death, before it's seriously forethought of? So sharp a trial and so great a change, require the greatest preparation. He that can refuse to suffer and die, may refuse to talk or think of it. If Christ must have men from Heaven to talk with him of his Cross, what cause have we to study the Cross? Even all our lives to foresee it, and by obedient consent to submit unto it, and take it up to follow Christ, and even to determine with Paul to know nothing in the World but Christ and him Crucified, that is, to take this for the only needful and excellent Learning: But, alas, how senslesly is Death and Suffering talked of till it comes! We are to learn how to suffer when suffering is upon us; and to learn how to die till Nature or the Physician pass the sentence of Death on us at hand. And it is God's Mercy to some of us to make our sufferings long, that we may have ⟨p. 313⟩a competent time of learning. As we learn to write by writing, and to discourse by discoursing, and every Art and Trade by practice; even so by suffering we learn to suffer. And the Lesson is very hard: Malefactors suffer without Learning, whether they will or not, but to suffer Obediently with Child-like affections is the Lesson to be learnt. O little, too little do many honest Christians think how much of their most excellent Obedience consisteth in Child-like holy Suffering. Therefore they little expect it, and provide for it: And then they are overwhelmed with the unexpected surprisal when it comes. Even in the sufferings which men bring on the Faithful for Righteousness sake, how many shrink and shift off their duty, or venture on forbidden things for safety, because they were not prepared for it: The loss of goods or imprisonment and want, seem to many almost unsufferable trials: But I can tell such by some experience, that bodily pain and torment is a far greater trial, which none of them is secured from;

And must Christ's Sufferings and Death have such preparation, and must not mine have much premeditation, and do I not need the consolatory messages of God? Carnal men would rather have chosen pleasanter discourse, than the talk of Sufferings and Death. But that which must be undergone, and requireth greatest strength, must be forethought of, and requireth the most preparing Thoughts. It's worse than madness to be surprized with Sufferings and Death, before it's seriously forethought of? So sharp a trial and so great a change, require the greatest preparation. He that can refuse to suffer and die, may refuse to talk or think of it. If Christ must have men from Heaven to talk with him of his Cross, what cause have we to study the Cross? Even all our lives to foresee it, and by obedient consent to submit unto it, and take it up to follow Christ, and even to determine with Paul to know nothing in the World but Christ and him Crucified, that is, to take this for the only needful and excellent Learning: But, alas, how senslesly is Death and Suffering talkt of till it comes! We are to learn how to suffer when suffering is upon us; and to learn how to die till Nature or the Physician pass the sentence of Death on us at hand. And it is God's Mercy to some of us to make our sufferings long, that we may have