Dying Thoughts

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