The works of George Swinnock, M.A

Reader, If thou wouldst walk closely with God, and keep even with him, reckon daily with him; Call thy self to a strict scrutiny, What do I? how live I? where am I? is the work I do, warrantable by the word or no? is my life the life of Faith, of Holiness, or no? am I in Gods way, under his protection, or no? Have I truth of grace, the power of godliness, or do I please my self with the form of it? Do I thrive and increase in grace, or do I decay and decline? Suppose I were to dye this night, what ground have I to hope for Heaven? what assurance that I shall escape the power and rage of frightful Devils? What evidences have I, that I am a new creature, engrafted into Christ, and thereby entitled to life and bliss? Thus feel the pulse of thy soul, enquire into its state, visit it often, and see how it doth.

Call thy self to an account for thy sins; Let heart and life sins, open and private sins, omissions, commissions, personal, relative, be all reckoned for. Ask thy soul as Rebekah, Why am I thus? Why am I so false to my God? so unfaithful to my Covenants? The heart is like a Ditch, into which filth is continually running, and therefore it behoveth thee by examination, to be always emptying it. The Stable that is daily fowled, must be daily cleansed; The hands that are daily contracting dirt, must be daily washed. Our souls are more polluted and diseased then our bodies; we have always a filthy issue of sin running, which we must be daily searching into, and dressing, or our stench will make ⟨p. 787⟩us loathsome to, and unfit for any communion with God or his people.

Call thy self to an account for thy sins; Let heart and life sins, open and private sins, omissions, commissions, personal, relative, be all reckoned for. Ask thy soul as Rebecah, Why am I thus? Why am I so false to my God? so unfaithful to my Covenants? The heart is like a Ditch, into which filth is continually running, and therefore it behoveth thee by examination, to be always emptying it. The Stable that is daily fowled, must be daily cleansed; The hands that are daily contracting dirt, must be daily washed. Our souls are more polluted and diseased then our bodies; we have always a filthy issue of sin running, which we must be daily searching into, and dressing, or our stench will make