A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian EthicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
After his settlement there, he gave Mr. Sylvester (whom he peculiarly
valued, and had a special intimacy with) and his flock, his pains,
gratis, every Lord's day in the morning, and every other Thursday
morning at a weekly lecture. And thus he continued for about four
years and a half; rejoicing as much as any man at the happy revolution
under the conduct of King William, though he appeared not much in
public. And when he was quite disabled from public service by his
growing weakness, he still continued to do good in his own hired
house, where he opened his doors morning and evening every day, to all
that would come to join with him in family worship; reading and
expounding the Scriptures with great seriousness and freedom. At
length his distempers took him off from this also, and confined him
first to his chamber, and then to his bed. Under sharp pains, he was
very submissive to the will of God; and when he was inclined to pray
most earnestly for a release, he would check himself and say, "It is
not fit for me to prescribe: Lord, when thou wilt, what thou wilt, how
thou wilt." As his end drew near, being often asked by his friends,
how it was with his inward man, he replied, "I bless God I have a
well-grounded assurance of my eternal happiness, and great peace and
comfort within." He gave excellent counsel to young ministers that
visited him, earnestly prayed God to bless their labours, and
expressed great hopes that God would do a great deal of good by them,
and great joy that they were of moderate and peaceable spirits. Being
at last asked how he did, his answer was, "Almost well;" and at length
he expired, Dec. 8, 1691, and was a few days after interred in Christ
Church, in London, whither his corpse was attended by a numerous
company of persons of different ranks, and especially of ministers,
some of them conformists, who paid him the last office of respect.
There were two discourses made upon occasion of his funeral, one by
Dr. Bates, and the other by Mr. Sylvester, which are both in print:
the former may be met with in the Doctor's Works; and the latter at
the end of Mr. Baxter's Life in folio.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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