The works of George Swinnock, M.A

Reader, if that doth not deserve all thy time, and pains, and soul, and heart, and infinitely more, upon which unchangeable joy or eternal torments hang, then I am sure nothing doth. Alas all the things of this world, whether about food, or raiment, or houses, or lands, or wives, or children; nay, and life it self, are but toys, and trifles, and shadows, and nothings, to an everlasting condition in the other world. O that thou wert but able to conceive what it is to be eternally in fullness of pleasure, or eternally in extremity of pain, to be frying in flames for ever, or bathing in rivers of delight for ever! To enjoy God in his ordinances, though ⟨image 20⟩it be but imperfectly, and in a low degree; one hour, one day, how sweet is it? His tabernacles are highly amiable upon that account, One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere: But to enjoy God fully, immediately, and for ever too, O how superlatively, how infinitely pleasant and delightful will it be! To be in Gods lower house, though but a little time, under some pious powerful Minister, how reviving, and refreshing is it? But to dwell in his upper house for ever, O blessed are they that dwell in that house, they always praise thee! The eternal presence of God will cause an eternal absence of all evil, and an eternal confluence of all good.

Reader, if that doth not deserve all thy time, and pains, and soul, and heart, and infinitely more, upon which unchangable joy or eternal torments hang, then I am sure nothing doth. Alas all the things of this world, whether about food, or raiment, or houses, or lands, or wives, or children; nay, and life it self, are but toys, and trifles, and shadows, and nothings, to an everlasting condition in the other world. O that thou wert but able to conceive what it is to be eternally in fullness of pleasure, or eternally in extremity of pain, to be frying in flames for ever, or bathing in rivers of delight for ever! To enjoy God in his ordinances, though ⟨image 20⟩it be but imperfectly, and in a low degree; one hour, one day, how sweet is it? His tabernacles are highly amiable upon that account, One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand elswhere: But to enjoy God fully, immediately, and for ever too, O how superlatively, how infinitely pleasant and delightful will it be! To be in Gods lower house, though but a little time, under some pious powerful Minister, how reviving, and refreshing is it? But to dwell in his upper house for ever, O blessed are they that dwell in that house, they always praise thee! The eternal presence of God will cause an eternal absence of all evil, and an eternal confluence of all good.