A treatise of self-denial. By Richard Baxter, pastor of the church at KidderminsterA treatise of self-denial. By Richard Baxter, pastor of the church at Kederminster

19. Moreover, are you contented to remain for ever as unserviceable to God as here you are? Alas! how little do you for him: how much do you to displease him? lay together all the service of your lives, and how small and poor a matter is it? And would you still live at these rates? Will this content you? Me thinks it should not if you have grace in your hearts. Why then do you not desire to depart and to be with Christ? There you shall be perfectly fitted for his service, and therefore perfectly perform it. What other service God will have for us, we cannot yet tell; but Love and Praise we are sure will be the chief, and the rest will be good and holy and honourable, what ever it be. If you are Christians, me thinks the sense of your unprofitableness ⟨p. 271⟩and of your unpleasing frame of heart and life, should be your daily grief! and therefore you should desire the state where you may be more serviceable, and not be so unwilling of it.

20. Lastly, I would ask you, Are you contented to attain no other end of all your life and labours and sufferings than here you do attain? What is it that you pray for, and seek and strive for? is it for no more than is to be had on earth? If you have no higher design, intentions or desires, I cannot much blame you to be loth to die. But if you have, me thinks no man should be unwilling to attain his end. What have you done and suffered so much for heaven, and now would you not go to it? Had you rather all your labour were lost? Do you desire to be happy, or do you not? If you do, (as certainly you do) would you not go where happiness it to be had, when you are sure that it is not not to be had on earth? What say you! is there not plain reason in all this that I propound to you? It is a sad case, when men seek not God and Heaven as their felicity, but only as a lesser evil than hell, which they would endure, rather than enjoy, when they can keep no longer this earthly life which they account their felicity; where this is the case, it's a sad case. And were not this a common case, there would not be so much unwillingness to depart.