BAXTER'S DYING THOUGIITS... 139 we might understand all men, and be understood of all, and so might make our sentiments as common as is possible ? Whence is it that men are so addicted to talkativeness, but that nature would make all our thoughts and passions as common as it can ? And why else are learned men so desirous to propagate their learning, and godly men so desirous to make all others wise and godly ? It seemeth one of the greatest calamities 'ofthis life, that when a man hath, with the longest and hardest study, attained to much knowl- edge, he cannot bequeath it, or any part of it, to his heir, or any person when he dieth,but every man must acquire it for himself; and when God hath sanctified the parents, they cannot communi- cate their holiness to their children, (though God promise to bless them on their account.) Much less can any manmake his grace or knowledge common : nature and grace incline us to desire it ; but we cannot do it. For this endwe talk, and preach, and write; for this end we study to be as plain, and convincing and moving as we can, that we "make our knowledge and affections as common to our hearers and readers as we can. And, O, what a blessedwork should we take preaching and writing for, if we could make them all know but what we know, and love what we are persuading them to love'! There would'then.be noneed of schools and uni- versities: a few hours would do more than they do in an age. But, alas ! how rare is it for a father of excellent learning and piety to have one son like himself, after all his industry!. Is not the heavenly communion, then,' desirable, where every man shall have his own, and yet his own be 'common to all others? My knowledge shall be myown, and other men's as well as mine; my goodness shall be my own and theirs ;my glory and felicity shall be mine and theirs ; and theirs also shall be mine as well as theirs. The knowledge, the goodness, theglory, ofall the heaven- ly society, shall be Aline, according to my capacity : grace is the seed of such a state, which 'Inaketh us all one in Christ, (neither Barbarian nor Scythian, circumcision nor uncircùmcision, bond nor free,) by giving us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to love both our neighbors and ourselves, for Christ, and Christ in all: well might Paul say, All things are yours. But it is here but as in the seed ; the perfect union and communion is hereafter. Earth and heaven must be distinguished ; we must not extend our hopes or pretensions here beyond the capacity of our natures. As per- .fect holiness and knowledge, so perfect unity and concord, is proper to heaven, and is not here to be expected. The Papal preten- sions ofan impossible union in one governor of all the earth, is the means to hinder that union which is possible. But the state of perfection is the state of perfect union'and communion. Hasten, then, upwards, 0 my soul, with the ferventest desires, and breathe
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