The works of George Swinnock, M.A

Reader, Hast thou thought of the beauty and excellency of holiness, in its nature, its conformity to the pure nature, and holy commands of the blessed God, in its causes, the Spirit of God its principal efficient, the holy Scriptures its instrumental; In its names, its the image of God, the divine nature, light, life, the travel of Christs soul, grace, ⟨p. 395⟩glory, the Kingdom of heaven: In its effects or fruits; how it renders thee amiable in Gods eye, hath the promise of his ear, is entitled to pardon, peace, joy, adoption, growth in grace, perseverance to the end, and the exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and hast applied this so close to thy heart, that thou hast been really affected with its worth, and wished thy self enriched with that jewel, though thou wert a beggar all thy life; and resolved with thy self, Well, I will watch, and weep, and hear, and pray, both fervently and frequently for holiness; I will follow God up and down, and never leave him till he sanctifieth my soul! Now I say to thee, as Nathan to David, when he told him of his thoughts and resolution of building a temple; Do all that is in thine heart, for God is with thee, 2 Chron. 17.2. or as God to Moses, concerning the Jews; They have well spoken all that they have said; O that there were an heart in them to keep my commandments! Its well thou art brought to any good purposes; but it will be ill if they be not followed with performances. Good intentions without suitable actions, is but a false conception; or like a piece charged without a bullet, which may make a noise, but doth no good, no execution. Indeed there is no way better to evidence the sincerity of thy intentions, then by answerable actions. David was good at this, I thought on my ways, there was his serious consideration; and turned my feet to thy testimonies, there is his holy conversation. So again, I will meditate on thy precepts, and will have respect to thy testimonies. Tis in vain to pretend, that like Moses, we go into the mount of contemplation, and converse with ⟨p. 396⟩God, unless we come down as he did with our faces shining, our conversations more splendent with holiness. This, saith the chief of the Philosophers, will a man to perfect happiness, if to his contemplation he join a constant imitation of God in wisdom, justice and holiness.