Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .B352 1835 v2

138 BAXTER'S DYING THOUGHTS. dust ? And doth not death creep on theeby a 'gradual dissolu- tion? Away, then, from this sandy, incoherent state; the further from the centre, the further . from unity. A unity indeed there is of all things ; but it is one heavenly life, and light, and love, which is the true felicitating union. We dispute here whether the aggregativemotion of separated parts (as in descensu gravium) be from a motive principle in the part, or by the attraction of the whole, orby any external impulse. It is like that there is somewhat of all these but sure the greatest cause is like to do most to the effect. Thebody of the earth bath more power to attract ,a clod, or stone, than. the,intrinsic principle to move it downwards; but intrinsic gravity is also necessary. The superior attractive love and loveliness must do more to draw up this mind to God, than nay intrinsic holiness tomove it upward ; but without this holiness, the soul would not be capable of feeling that attractive influx. Every grace cometh from God, to fit and lead up my soul to God.. Faith, therefore, believeth the heavenly state, and love doth, with some delight, desire it, and hope gapeth after it, that I may at last attain it. They that have pleaded against propriety, and would have all things common in this world, have forgotten that there, is a pro- priety in our present egoity and natural constitution;,which ren- dereth some accidental propriety necessary to us. Every man bath his own bodily parts and inherent accidents ; and every man must have his own food, his own place, clothing, and acquisitions; his own children, and, therefore, his own wife, &c. But that the greatest perfection is most for community, as far as nature is capa- ble of it, Godwould show us, in making the first receivers of the extraordinary pourings-out of his Spirit, to sell all, and voluntarily make all common, none saying, This or that is my own ; which was notdone by any constraining' law, but by the law or power of uniting love:, they were first all as of one heart and soul; Acts iv. 32. Take not, then, thy inordinate desire of propriety for thy health, but for thy sickness ; cherish it not, and be not afraid to lose it, and measure not the heavenly felicity by it : spirits are penetrable ; they claim not so much as a proprietyof place, as bodies dm It is thy weakness and state of . imperfection now which maketh it so desirable to thee that thy house should be thine, and no one's but thine ; thy ]and be thine, and no one's but thine ; thy clothes, thy books, yea, thy knowledge and grace, be thine,' and no one's but thine. How much more excellent a . state were it, (if we were here capable of it,) if we could say, that all these are as the common light of the sun, which is mine, and every one's, as well as mine! Why are we so desirous to speak all languages,.but that

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