The works of George Swinnock, M.A

1. Take heed of misspending that season;¹ Time is in it self of great price, and ought to be redeemed; but Opportunity is of greater value, and tis infinite pity to cut such a precious commodity to waste. Its ordinary, even with good men when they meet, though it relate nothing to their callings or concernments, to be talking chiefly of corn and cattle, and markets, and fairs, and foreign transactions, as if they had not a God, a Christ, a soul, an eternal estate to be minding each other of. Our words are the servants of our reason, and to send more then will perform our business, or to send them upon unnecessary and trifling errands, argueth vanity and folly. Have we not the country to which we are all travailing, the purity and pleasantness of the way thither, the excellency and certainty of our reward there to talk about? St. Bernard complained that in his time, Christians were faulty in this particular, Nihil de scripturis, nihil de salute agitur animarum, sed nugae & risus, & verba proferuntur in ventum; Not a word of the Scriptures, nothing of your eternal salvation, but trifles and laughter, and words as light as the wind take up the time.

1. Take heed of mispending that season;¹ Time is in it self of great price, and ought to be redeemed; but Opportunity is of greater value, and tis infinite pity to cut such a precious commodity to waste. Its ordinary, even with good men when they meet, though it relate nothing to their callings or concernments, to be talking chiefly of corn and cattel, and markets, and fayrs, and forraign transactions, as if they had not a God, a Christ, a soul, an eternal estate to be minding each other of. Our words are the servants of our reason, and to send more then will performe our business, or to send them upon unnecessary and trifling errands, argueth vanity and folly. Have we not the country to which we are all travailing, the purity and pleasantness of the way thither, the excellency and certainty of our reward there to talk about? St. Bernard complained that in his time, Christians were faulty in this particular, Nihil de scripturis, nihil de salute agitur animarum, sed nugae & risus, & verba proferuntur in ventum; Not a word of the Scriptures, nothing of your eternal salvation, but trifles and laughter, and words as light as the wind take up the time.