BAXTER'S DYING THOUGHTS. 155 without all this care, and fear, and trouble, and all these particular inquiries? If you are convoying your child in a boat, or coach, by water, or by land, and he at every turn be crying out, ' O fa- ther, whither do we go ?' or, ' What shall I do ?' or, ' I shall be drowned, or fall :.' -is it not rather his trust in you, than the par- ticular satisfaction of his ignorant doubts, that must quiet and silence him ? . Be not, then, foolishly distrustful and inquisitive. Make not thyself thyown disquieter or tormentor, by an inordinate care of thy own security. Be not cast down, O departing soul, nor, by unbelief, disquieted within me. Trust in God, for thou shalt quickly, by experience, be taught to give him thanks and praise, who is the health ofmy countenance, and my God. O, what clear reason, what great experience, do command me to trust him, absolutely and implicitly to trust him, and to distrust myself ! 1. He is essential, infinite, perfection, power, wisdom, and love. There is in him all that should invite and encourage rational trust, and nothing that should discourage it. 2. There is nothing in any creature to be trustedbut God in thatcreature, or God working in andby it. Distrust him, and there is nothing to be trusted ; not the earth to bear me, nor the air to breath in, much less any mutable friend. 3. I am altogether his own, his own by right, and his own by devotion and consent. And shall I not trust him with his own ? 4. He is the great Benefactor of all the world, that giveth all good to every creature, not by constraint, or by commutation, but as freely as the sun giveth forth its light. And shall we not trust the sun to shine ? 5. He is my Father and special Benefactor, and bath takenme into his family as his child. And shall I not trust my heavenly Father? 6. He bath given me his Son, as the great pledge of his love ; and what, then, will he think too dear for me ? Will he not with him give me all things ? Rom. viii. 32. 7. His Son came purposely to reveal the Father's unspeakable love, and purposely to save us. And shall I not trust him that bath proclaimed his love and reconciliation by such a messenger from heaven? S. He hath given me the Spirit of his Son, even the spirit of adoption, which is the surest character of his child, the witness, pledge and earnest of heaven, the name and markof God upon me, holiness to the Lord. And yet shall I not believe his love, and trust him? 9. He hath made me a member of his Son, and so far already united me to him. And will, he not take care of the members of
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