5 of 5

Frequently believing himself at death's door because of his many illnesses, Baxter overcame disappointing circumstances by meditating on the heavenly reality to come. In The Saints' Everlasting Rest, he showed how reflecting upon the "excellency and certainty" of heaven could anchor and shape one's earthly sojourn. One particular paragraph from his Dying Thoughts on Philippians 1:23 captures Baxter's philosophy:

My Lord, I have nothing to do in this World, but to seek and serve thee; I have nothing to do with a Heart and its affections, but to breathe after thee. I have nothing to do with my Tongue and Pen, but to speak to thee, and for thee, and to publish thy Glory and thy Will. What have I to do with all my Reputation, and Interest in my Friends, but to increase thy Church, and propagate thy holy Truth and Service? What have I to do with my remaining Time, even these last and languishing hours, but to look up unto thee, and wait for thy Grace, and thy Salvation?

Baxter lived until age 76, considerably longer than he had expected. He died December 8, 1691, two years after the Act of Toleration put an end to persecution and guaranteed freedom of worship for Puritans. The huge funeral procession, attended by people of all ranks and including Anglicans as well as nonconformists, foreshadowed another ecumenical gathering nearly 200 years later at the unveiling of the Baxter statue in Kidderminster.

But such public accolades would not have been to Baxter's taste. In his funeral sermon, William Bates recalled the famous Puritan leader's characteristic humility: When a friend was "comforting him with the remembrance of the good many had received by his preaching and Writings, he said, I was but a Pen in God's hand, and what praise is due to a Pen?"

Paul C. H. Lim is associate professor of historical and systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

More Christian history, including a list of events that occurred this week in the church's past, is available at ChristianHistory.net. Subscriptions to the quarterly print magazine Christian History & Biography are also available.

Previous Christian History Corners include:

Physicians of the Soul | J. I. Packer discusses the English Puritans, their quest for holiness, and why they are still worth remembering. (Feb. 24, 2006)

Blessing the Church with its History | Douglas Sweeney argues for an evangelical movement that welcomes diversity and repents of its blind spots. (Feb. 10, 2006)

Erasmus's Revolutionary 'Study Bible' | The spiritual father of so many English Reformers died at the hands of the church he refused to leave. (Jan. 13, 2006)

Campus Ministry Cambridge Style | The roots of InterVarsity and other evangelical college clubs (Jan. 6, 2006)

Dorothy Sayers: "The Dogma Is the Drama" | An interview with Barbara Reynolds. (Dec. 16, 2005)

Sharing Stories from the Heart | The lessons of history are fair game for use today. (Dec. 9, 2005)

Eat, Drink, and Relax | Think the Pilgrims would frown on today's football-tossing, turkey-gobbling Thanksgiving festivities? Maybe not. (Nov. 18, 2005)

first page |  5 of 5

share this page

March (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50