Be particularly thankful, O my soul ! that God
hath made any use of thee for the service of his
church on earth. My God, my soul for this doth
magnify thee, and my spirit rejoiceth in the re-
view of thy great undeserved mercy. O what am
I, whom thou tookest up from the dunghill, or
low obscurity, that I should live myself in the
constant relish of thy sweet and sacred truth, and
with such encouraging success communicate it to
others ! that I may say, now my public work
seems ended, that these forty-three or forty-four
years I have no reason to think that ever I la-
bored in vain! O with what gratitude must I look
upon all places where I lived and labored; but,
above all, that place which had my strength [i.e., Kidderminster]! I
bless thee for the great numbers of them gone to
heaven, and for the continuance of piety, humility,
concord, and peace among them. Also for all
that by my writings have received any saving
light and grace. O my God, let not my own heart
be barren while I labor in thy husbandry to bring
others unto holy fruit ! Let me not be a stranger
to the life and power of that saving truth which
I have done so much to communicate to others !
O let not my own words and writings condemn
me as void of that divine and heavenly nature and
life which I have said so much of to the world!
- From "Dying Thoughts" by Richard Baxter
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