The works of George Swinnock, M.A

Reader, is it not better to be awakened by a rousing reproof, then to sleep the sleep of death? and wilt thou be angry with thy friend for doing thee that courtesy? Is it not better for thy familiar companion to tell thee meekly of thy miscarriages, ⟨p. 307⟩and call thee to repentance, then for God to reprove thee, and set thy sins in order before thine eyes? When God uttered his voice, the Heavens thundered, the mountains smoked, and Moses himself trembled. The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty; the voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars, yea, the Cedars of Lebanon; the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness, yea it shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh; How wilt thou then endure the thundering of such a Cannon, a reproof for thy sins from the Almighty God, at whose rebuke the earth quakes, the rocks are rent in pieces, and the foundations of the world are moved! The Israelites said unto Moses, Speak thou to us, and we will hear; but let not God speak, lest we dye, Exod. 20. 19. Truly so mayst thou say to thy companion, Speak thou to me of my offences, deal plainly with me about any thing that thou seest amiss in me, and I will hear thee; but let not God speak to me lest I dye, lest his voice strike me down, strike me dead. There is an absolute necessity of thy sense of, and sorrow for thy sins. This ordinarily must be wrought in thee, either by admonition from man, or by some severe rebuke from God. Consider seriously therefore, whether it be not easier to take a faithful check from thy fellow creature, then to be called to repentance by some dreadful judgement from the jealous God. O tis a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; for our God is a consuming fire.

Reader, is it not better to be awakened by a rousing reproof, then to sleep the sleep of death? and wilt thou be angry with thy friend for doing thee that courtesie? Is it not better for thy familiar companion to tell thee meekly of thy miscarriages, ⟨p. 307⟩and call thee to repentance, then for God to reprove thee, and set thy sins in order before thine eyes? When God uttered his voyce, the Heavens thundered, the mountains smoaked, and Moses himself trembled. The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voyce of the Lord is full of majesty; the voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedars, yea, the Cedars of Lebanon; the voyce of the Lord shaketh the wilderness, yea it shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh; How wilt thou then endure the thundring of such a Cannon, a reproof for thy sins from the Almighty God, at whose rebuke the earth quakes, the rocks are rent in pieces, and the foundations of the world are moved! The Israelites said unto Moses, Speak thou to us, and we will hear; but let not God speak, lest we dye,