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

§ 32. Luke 9. 15. There came a Voice out of the Cloud, This is my beloved Son; hear him: Had I heard such a Testimony from Heaven, would it not have set my Faith above all doubts and unbelief? For the Voice that thus owned Christ and his Word, might embolden me fully to trust all his Promises, as it bindeth me to obey his Precepts.

God's Love is effective and communicative; and as his Life and Light cause Life and Light, so his Love causeth Love; and Christ that is called his Beloved Son, is likest him in Love: None loveth us so much as God our Father, and his Beloved Son, who is also as God Essential Love. And shall I think with cold or little Love, of such a God, and such a Saviour? It is as unreasonable to fly from God or Christ, as fearing that he wanteth Love, to a capable Soul, as to fly from the Sun, as wanting heat or light. O what an unruly froward thing is the corrupted Soul of Man? When we think of God's judgment, and how we are in his hands as to all our hopes, for Soul & Body, we fear and are uncomfortable, lest he have not so much Love and Mercy, as should cause us confidently to trust him: We could trust ⟨p. 345⟩some Friends with Life and Soul were we in their power: but infinite love itself, and a loving Saviour we can hardly trust; so far as to quiet us in Pain or Death: And yet when Christ to cure this distrust, hath manifested his Love by the greatest Miracles that ever God showed to mortal men, even by Christ's Incarnation, his Life, his Works, his Death, Resurrection, Intercession, and the advancement of humane Nature in him above Angels, the greatness of this Incomprehensible Love, occasioneth the difficulty of our believing it; as if it were too great and wonderful to be credible: Thus dark and guilty Sinners hardly believe our Fathers Love, whether it be expressed by ordinary, or by the most wonderful effects.

God's Love is effective and communicative; and as his Life and Light cause Life and Light, so his Love causeth Love; and Christ that is called his Beloved Son, is likest him in Love: None loveth us so much as God our Father, and his Beloved Son, who is also as God Essential Love. And shall I think with cold or little Love, of such a God, and such a Saviour? It is as unreasonable to fly from God or Christ, as fearing that he wanteth Love, to a capable Soul, as to fly from the Sun, as wanting heat or light. O what an unruly froward thing is the corrupted Soul of Man? When we think of God's judgment, and how we are in his hands as to all our hopes, for Soul & Body, we fear and are uncomfortable, lest he have not so much Love and Mercy, as should cause us confidently to trust him: We could trust