The works of George Swinnock, M.A

I Wish that my great coldness and backwardness to what is good,⁴ may invite me to associate with them who will warm and quicken me. How averse is my flesh to every work of Christianity? how weak is my spirit in their performance? how untowardly doth it enter upon them? how formally doth it go through with them? my carriage in them is wholly unsuitable to their weight and worth, and what need then do I stand in, of help from others? As in a material house the walls need support from the strong timber, and the timber needs even the nails and spikes to fasten it together: So in the Spiritual Temple, the weak Christians need the strong to support and uphold them, and the strong need the weak, if for nothing else, yet to call forth those gifts of counselling, and that grace of pity, and compassion which they owe to them. If the strongest want each other, that the eye, the most knowing Christian, cannot say to the hand, the most active, I have no need of thee; much more do those that are weak want supply and support from others. Nature teacheth me this lesson; The weakest creatures amongst Fish, or Fowls, or Beasts, go usually in flocks and Companies. The Ivy and Vine, and Hop, not being able to bear up themselves, will by a natural instinct, •ling about the Tree, or Pole, or Hedge, or Wall that is near them. Were I but as sensible of my own weakness as I ought to be, I should both earnestly desire, and heartily accept the assistance of others. It is the Wisdom of my God, to let none of his Children have all things about them, or a sufficiency to live of themselves, without being beholden to their Neighbours; to invite and necessitate ⟨p. 323⟩them to mutual commerce. Those that are very able to advise others, do yet in their own cases take advice from others. The Lawyer will not trust himself in a case of his own estate, nor the Physician in a distemper in his own body, but will both desire counsel and direction from their friends. A stander by doth many times see more then an actor, and is more fit to judge the action then the Agent. We are too near our selves to see our own doings, and to be right in our judgements of our selves; Those that stand at a due distance from us, see more clearly, and judge more truly. Self-love so blinds us, that we judge those diseases not unpleasing in our selves, which we loath in others.