The works of George Swinnock, M.A

Tis true, the combination of wicked men is no true union: but rather a conspiracy against God, and against their own souls. Satan serving them, by drawing them into this league, and making them to be of one hellish heart, infinitely worse then Scyron and Procrustes, famous Robbers in Attica, served the poor Travellers, why by cutting short the taller, and stretching out the lesser, brought all to an even length with their bed of brass; Yet such a confederacy may well move us to pity such distracted ones, and doth too much reflect upon us for our dissentions.

Thirdly,³ Consider the backwardness of our own hearts to any good, and the need we have of all helps to quicken them towards heaven. How averse are our souls to any thing that is spiritual! How many excuses, pretences, delays will they make! To sin man needs no Tutor; he can ride post to Hell without a spur; but how backward to do that work which he must do or be undone for ever! The stone is not more untoward to fly, nor lead to swim, then our carnal hearts to exercise any grace, or perform any duty incumbent on us: Our head-strong passions hurry us, our worldly interests bias us, and our desperately wicked hearts draw us from God and Heaven. If the wood be green, there is need of constant blowing, or the fire will go out; when the iron is so dull, it must go often to the Whetstone, or little work can be done with it. Its no wonder that the Spirit of God useth precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little, when man is like the wild Asses colt, so blockish and ⟨p. 256⟩dull to understand Gods way, and so backward and heavy to walk in it.

Thirdly,³ Consider the backwardness of our own hearts to any good, and the need we have of all helps to quicken them towards heaven. How averse are our souls to any thing that is spiritual! How many excuses, pretences, delays will they make! To sin man needs no Tutor; he can ride post to Hell without a spur; but how backward to do that work which he must do or be undone for ever! The stone is not more untoward to flye, nor lead to swim, then our carnal hearts to exercise any grace, or perform any duty incumbent on us: Our head-strong passions hurry us, our worldly interests byass us, and our desperately wicked hearts draw us from God and Heaven. If the wood be green, there is need of constant blowing, or the fire will go out; when the iron is so dull, it must go often to the Whetstone, or little work can be done with it. Its no wonder that the Spirit of God useth precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little, when man is like the wilde Asses colt, so blockish and