The works of George Swinnock, M.A

Reader, to help thee herein, I shall give thee an example, though I would desire thee to remember that the advantage of meditation is rather to be fel• then read; He that can paint Spikenard, or Musk, or Roses, in their proper colours, cannot with all his Art, draw their pleasant savo•r, that is beyond the skill of his pencil.

Let us, O my soul, a little retire out of the worlds company,¹ to converse with the word of thy God. I cannot but hope the malefactor hath an high esteem for that Psalm of mercy, without which he had lost his life. I have reason to believe that thou hast no mean value for that Gospel of grace, and the grace of that Gospel, without which thou hadst lost thy soul, thy God, thy joy, thy delight, thine all, and that for ever; yet sure I am, the price thou sets on it, is far inferior, to the worth of this Pearl, and besides, I have observed of late (whether partly because of its constancy with thee, things common, though never so necessary and excellent, being less valued then meaner things that are rare, or chiefly because of thy old seeming friend, or rather real enemy, thy flesh within thee, that never speaks well of it, because of its contrariety to the word, from which it hath received its deaths-wound, and therefore would die as the These on the Cross, spitting out its venom and malice at it, or what ever be the cause, I perceive too much) thou beginnest to decline in thy respect to it, what else doth thy backwardness to read it, thy carelessness in minding what thou dost read, and thy negligence in practicing it signify; Therefore let us take a turn or two together, and argue the case, lest it be argued against thee in an higher Court, to thy cost, and I charge thee before the dreadful God, at whose judgement seat thou art to stand or fall for ever, that thou attend to me seriously, and not dare to give me the slip, till the whole be debated, for it is not a vain thing, but i• for thy life.

Let us, O my soul, a little retire out of the worlds company,