154 BAXTER'S HYING TIIOUGHTS. thou be a God and Savior to thyself? O, consider how much of the fall is in this selfish care and desire to be as God,-in knowing that of good and evil which belongeth not to thee, but to God, to know. Thou knowest, past doubt, that there is a God of infinite perfection, who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Labor more to know thy duty to this God, and absolutely trust him, as to the particularities of thy felicity and reward. Thou didst trust thy parents to provide thee food and raiment, when thou didst but dutifully obey them ; though they could have forsa- ken thee, or killed thee every hour, thou didst never fear it. Thou hast trusted physicians. to give thee even ungrateful medicines, without inquiring after every ingredient, or fearing lest they Should willfully give thee poison. I trust a barber with my throat: I trust a boatman or shipmaster with my life ;, yea, my horse, that might cast me ; because I have no reason to distrust them, saving their insufficiency and uncertainty as creatures. If a pilot under- take to bring thee to the Indies, thou cansttrust his conduct, though thou know thyself neither the ship, nor how to govern it; neither the way nor the place to which thou art conveyed. And must not thy God and. Savior be trusted to bring thee safe to heaven, unless he will satisfy all thy inquiries of the individuation and ope- ration of spirits? Leave unsearchable and useless questions to him that can easily resolve them, and to those to whom the knowl- edge of them doth belong. Thou dost but entangle thyself in sin and self -vexation, while thou wouldest take God's work upon thee, and wouldest know that for thyself which he must know for thee. Thy knowledge and care for it did not precede, nor prepare for, thy generation, nor for the motion of one pulse or breath, or for the concoction of one bit of all thy food, or the continuance ofthy life one hour ; supposing but thy care to use the means which God appointed thee, and to avoid things hurtful, and to beg his blessing. The command of being careful for nothing, and casting all thy care on God, who careth for us, obligeth us in all things that are God's part ; and for our souls as well as for our bodies; yea, to trust him with the greatest of our concerns is our greatest duty; suppdsing we be careful about our ownpart, via. to use the means, and obey his precepts. To dispose of a departing soul is God's part, and not ours : O; how much evil is in this distrustful, self-providing care ! If. I did but know what I would know about my soul and myself; and if I might but choose what condition it should be in, and be the final disposer of it myself, O, what satisfaction and joy would it afford me ! And is not this to be partly agod to myself? Is he not fitter to know, and choose, and dispose of me than I am? I could trust myself easily, even my wit and will, in such a choice, if I had but power ; and cannot 1 trust God and my Redeemer,
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