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his unwearied striving with God, and his own soul, to have his grace in vigorous exercise. All these are well known ingredients of the christian temper: and therefore tend, not to perplex and discourage, but to counsel, strengthen, and comfort serious readers, while they discern, in one of MR. BAXTER'S exalted attainments, the same conflicts, complaints, and desires, which fill their own breasts.

It is observed of that noble lord, WILLIAM RUSSEL, who died a martyr for the liberty of his country, that a little before his death, by a trusty messenger, he sent MR. BAXTER his hearty thanks for his Dying Thoughts, "which," says he, "have made me better acquainted with the other world than I was before; and have not a little contributed to my support and relief, and to the fitting me for what I am to go through."

Though the Dying Thoughts were written about forty years after the "Saints' Rest," yet both are evidently built on the same principles, and are animated by the same spirit. And let it suffice to add, that the abridgement of both is conducted in the same manner.

B. FAWCETT.

CONTENTS.

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DYING THOUGHTS.

FOR I AM IN A STRAIT BETWIXT TWO, HAVING A DESIRE TO DEPART, AND TO BE WITH CHRIST, WHICH IS FAR BETTER.

PHILIPPIANS 1. 23.

CHAPTER I.

WHAT THERE IS DESIRABLE IN THE PRESENT

LIFE.

I. The vanity of man as mortal. II. The author's design to speak only to himself; with a general plan of the work. III. The apostle's happiness, whether in living or dying. IV. The present life is desirable; 1. to please God; V. 2. to secure our own salvation; VI. 3. and to do good to others. VII. Minding the life to come is not the whole of religion. VIII. The Old Testament saints duly regarded the present life. IX-XII. The author is thankful for present mercies to himself, his friends, and country; especially for his usefulness in the church. XIII. XIV. He desires to improve the remainder of life; and, XV. rejoices in his happy situation.

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I. MAN that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble: he cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." "And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?" As a watch, when it is wound up, or as a candle newly lighted; so man, newly conceived or

born, begins a motion, which incessantly hastes to its appointed period. And as an action, or the time of it, is nothing when it is past; so vain a thing would man be, and so vain is life, were it not for the hopes of a more durable life with which this is connected. But those hopes, and the means for supporting them, do not only distinguish a believer from an infidel, but a man from a beast. When Solomon describes the difference, only in respect to time, and the things of time, he well observes, that one event happening to both, shows that both are vanity. And Paul says of christians, “If in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable." Though even in this life, as related to a better, and as we ourselves are exercised about things of a higher nature than the concerns of a temporal life, we are far happier than the men of the world.

II. I am intending to speak to none but myself, and therefore (supposing the meaning of the text to be duly ascertained) shall only observe what is useful to my own heart and practice. In this chapter, I will consider, What there is desirable in the present life: then show, Chap. II. The necessity and reasonableness of believing that pious separate spirits are with Christ: next explain, Chap. III. What it is to depart, and to be with Christ: and, Chap. IV. Why it is far better to be with him. I will conclude, Chap. V. with expressing my concern that I myself may be willing to depart, and to be with Christ.

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