Dying Thoughts Quotes

“How many send their children to get sciences, trades, or to travel in foreign lands, before ever they were instructed, at home, against those temptations which they must encounter, and by which they are so often undone. How commonly, when they have first neglected this great duty to their children, do they plead a necessity of thrusting them out, from some petty point of honour, or conformity to the world, or to adorn them with some of the plumes of fashionable modes and ceremonies, which will never compensate the loss of heavenly wisdom, mortification, and the love of God and man. As if they might send them to sea for some trifling reason, without pilot or anchor, and think that God must save them from the waves. And when such children have forsaken God, and given themselves up to sensuality and profaneness, these parents wonder at the judgments of God, and with broken hearts lament their own infelicity, instead of lamenting their own misconduct.”
― Richard Baxter, The Dying Thoughts of Richard Baxter

“What abundant experience have I had of God’s fidelity and love; and after all that, shall I not trust him? His undeserved mercy gave me being, chose my parents, gave them affectionate desires for my real good, taught them to instruct me early in his Word, and educate me in his fear; made my habitation and companions suitable, endowed me with a teachable disposition, put excellent books into my hands, and placed me under wise and faithful schoolmasters and ministers. His mercy fixed me in the best of lands, and in the best age that land had seen. His mercy early destroyed in me all great expectations from the world, taught me to bear the yoke from my youth, caused me rather to groan under my infirmities than struggle with powerful lusts, and chastened me often, but did not give me over unto death. Ever since I was at the age of nineteen, great mercy has trained me up in the school of affliction, to keep my sluggish soul awake in constant expectation of my change, to kill my proud and worldly thoughts, and to direct all my studies to things the most necessary. How has a life of constant but gentle chastisement urged me to “make my calling and election sure,” and to prepare my accounts, as one that must quickly give them up to God. The face of death, and nearness of eternity, convinced me what books to read, what studies to prosecute, what companions to choose; drove me early into the vineyard of the Lord, and taught me to preach as a dying man to dying men.”
― Richard Baxter, The Dying Thoughts of Richard Baxter

“Thou didst trust thy parents to provide thee food and raiment, and didst implicitly obey them. Thou hast trusted physicians to give thee medicines, without inquiring after every ingredient. If a pilot undertake to carry thee to the Indies, thou canst trust his conduct without knowing either the ship or how to govern it, or the way, or the place to which thou art conveyed. And must not thy God and Saviour be trusted to bring thee safe to heaven unless he will satisfy all thine enquiries?”
― Richard Baxter, The Dying Thoughts of Richard Baxter

“My God, I have often sinned against thee; but thou knowest I long to be thine. I can say with Paul, thou art the ‘God whose I am, and whom I serve;’ and O that I could serve thee better. To serve thee is but to receive thy grace, and use it for my own and others’ good, and thereby please and glorify thee. I have nothing to do in this world but to seek and to serve thee. I have nothing to do with my tongue but to speak to thee, and for thee; and with my pen, but to publish thy glory and thy will. What have I to do with all my reputation and influence over others, but to increase thy church, and propagate thy holy truth and service? What have I to do with my remaining time, even these last and languishing hours, but to look up unto thee, and wait for thy grace and thy salvation? O pardon all my carnal thoughts, all my unthankful treatment of thy grace and love, and all my wilful sins against thy truth and thee. Under the terrors of the law thou didst even proclaim thyself ‘the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.’ And is not ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’ revealed in the gospel for our more abundant faith and consolation? My God, I know I can never be sufficiently confident of thine all-sufficient power, wisdom, and goodness. When I have said, ‘Will the Lord cast off for ever; and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious; hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?’ conscience has replied, This is mine infirmity; I never lacked comfort for want of mercy in thee, but for want of faith and holiness in myself. And hast thou not mercy also to give me that faith and holiness? My God, all is of thee, and through thee, and to thee; and when I have the felicity, the glory of all for ever will be thine. None that trust in thy nature and promise shall be ashamed. If I can live and die trusting in thee, surely I shall not be confounded.”
― Richard Baxter, The Dying Thoughts of Richard Baxter

“When we have read and heard, spoken and written the soundest truth and strongest arguments, we still know as if we knew not, and believe as if we believed not, unless God powerfully impresses the same things on our minds, and awakens our souls to feel what we know.”
― Richard Baxter, The Dying Thoughts of Richard Baxter

“Nothing comforts me more in my greatest sufferings, nor seems more fit for me while I wait for death, than singing psalms of praise to God, nor is there any exercise in which I had rather end my life.”
― Richard Baxter, The Dying Thoughts of Richard Baxter