The works of George Swinnock, M.A

As Dionysius on his death, when he heard Thales discoursing excellently about the nature and worth of Moral Philosophy, Cursed his pastimes, and sports, and foolish pleasures that had taken him off, and diverted him from the study of so worthy a subject: So these lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God, whose lives are little else then brutish delights in a circle, or a diversion from one pleasure to another; whose business now is to mock at piety, and persecute the pious, when they come to be thrown by a disease on their beds, and their consciences begin to accuse them for their neglect of Godliness, and to convince them of its absolute necessity; and they have some fears to be overthrown by death; then they curse their hawks, and hounds, and games, and cups, and companions, and sensual delights that hindered them from making religion their business. Experience testifieth this frequently in many parts of the Nation, where the consciences of dying sinners are not seared with a red hot iron.

As Dionisius on his death, when he heard Thales discoursing excellently about the nature and worth of Moral Philosophy, Cursed his pastimes, and sports, and foolish pleasures that had taken him off, and diverted him from the study of so worthy a subject: So these lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God, whose lives are little else then brutish delights in a circle, or a diversion from one pleasure to another; whose business now is to mock at piety, and persecute the pious, when they come to be thrown by a disease on their beds, and their consciences begin to accuse them for their neglect of Godliness, and to convince them of its absolute necessity; and they have some fears to be overthro•n by death; then they curse their hauks, and hounds, and games, and cups, and companions, and sensual delights that hindered them from making religion their business. Experience testifieth this frequently in many parts of the Nation, where the consciences of dying sinners are not seared with a red hot iron.

Some wish this whilst they live, either under some great affliction, or on a dying bed; nay, I am persuaded, that most wicked men that live under the Gospel in their prosperity, even when they have ⟨image 18⟩