The works of George Swinnock, M.A

O how sottish art thou, and how grossly doth the destroyer of souls delude thee to defer that work of absolute necessity, of conversion ⟨p. 690⟩to God, upon which thine endless weal or woe dependeth, to a dying Bed, when thou art not sure to dye in thy bed, but mayst as well dye in thy Shop or Fields, or in the Streets; when thou art uncertain what disease, if thou shouldst meet with a dying bed, should send thee to thy eternal home; when thou art neither Master of thy time nor reason, nor of thy natural abilities, much less of supernatural grace, which is indispensably requisite to this great work! O that since I must dye once for sin, I might dye daily to sin! and as the Philistines, that they might the better deal with Sampson, cut off his Hair, wherein his great strength lay; so that I may the better deal with death, I may by faith and repentance, daily cut off and destroy sin, wherein the strength of death lieth! May I not say to thee, O my soul, as Joshua to Israel? Prepare ye victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go to possess the Land which the Lord your God giveth you. Prepare the spiritual food, the flesh of Christ, which is meat indeed, and the blood of Christ, which is drink indeed; an heart weaned from the world, longing to be with God; for within a few days thou shalt go in, to possess the land of promise. Lord, I know nothing more certain then death. Sin hath deserved it, my brittle body enforceth it, thou hast decreed it, and none can prevent it; I know nothing more uncertain then the time when, or the manner how. Thou hast many ways and means to bring me to my grave; not only ordinary distempers of my body, but thousands of casual dangers; I cannot promise my self freedom from it, in any place or condition; Death may seize me abroad, at home, in ⟨p. 691⟩company, in solitude, at bed, at board. Why should I not always provide for that extremity, that enemy which I cannot avoid? Why should I not ever be ready for that which may come at any time, and will come at some time or other? Surely I do not hasten my death by preparing for it, but sweeten it exceedingly; I •hall not dye a moment the sooner, but infinitely the better. Should death overtake me in my sins, alas where am I? what will become of me for ever? I may well salute it, as Ahab Elijah, with Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?