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

Our burdens are heavy enough of themselves: Impatience maketh them heavier, and is more painful than the thing which we suffer: Some have gone mad with crosses which oft to another would have been light. Patience is our cordial and nepenthes: yea, the Health of the Soul by which it is able to bear its infirmities. In our patience we possess our Souls, Luk. 21. 19. whatever else we lose, we lose not our selves. He that keepeth his Faith, and Hope, and Love by patience keepeth his Soul. But the impatient lose themselves; as if their other losses were not enough. A poor Man singeth that gets his living only by his Day-labour: When a Lord or Knight would be tormented with sorrow, if he were reduced to his degree. Striving under our yoke and burden maketh it Gall the more: And we cannot so hopefully or comfortably pray for deliverance from the pain which we make our selves, as from that which God layeth on us: Though also there, we must pray for the Grace that must save us from our own impatience.

Our burdens are heavy enough of themselves: Impatience maketh them heavier, and is more painful than the thing which we suffer: Some have gone mad with crosses which oft to another would have been light. Patience is our cordial and nepenthes: yea, the Health of the Soul by which it is able to bear its infirmities. In our patience we possess our Souls, Luk. 21. 19. whatever else we lose, we lose not our selves. He that keepeth his Faith, and Hope, and Love by patience keepeth his Soul. But the impatient lose themselves; as if their other losses were not enough. A poor Man singeth that gets his living only by his Day-labour: When a Lord or Knight would be tormented with sorrow, if he were reduced to his degree. Striving under our yoak and burden maketh it Gall the more: And we cannot so hopefully or comfortably pray for deliverance from the pain which we make our selves, as from that which God layeth on us: Though also there, we must pray for the Grace that must save us from our own impatience.

Patience preventeth many sins; which impatience causeth: Hard thoughts of God, if not hard and unseemly Words; Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly: Impatience tempteth men to think that Piety and Prayer are in vain, and to condemn the Generation of the Just, and to leave off Duty, and say, Why should I wait on God any longer; yea, and to venture on false and sinful means, in hopes of deliverance and ease.