Chapter 5 › Section 5, The works of George Swinnock, M.A by George Swinnock (1665) | AskReformation

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:660p. 416–417¶2

2. Light is pleasant and delightful; darkness is affrighting and dreadful, but light is refreshing and reviving; Light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the sun, Eccles. 11.7. The word of God is sweet, and its a pleasant thing with the eyes of faith to behold the glorious sun of divine truths. The eye is not more affected with curious sights, nor the ear with ravishing music, nor the palate with rare meats, then a spiritualized understanding with spiritual truths. David found not only delight in the singular, but delights in the plural number, all sorts and degrees of delights in the word of God; Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me, but thy commandments are my delights. His delights in the Law of God were so rare and ravishing, that they quite extinguished all sensual delights, as the light of the day the light of a candle, and drowned the noise of all his crosses ⟨p. 417⟩and troubles by their loud and amazing melody. Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a pleasant Garden, wherein every flower yields a fragrant savour. Ambrose to a feast, wherein every book is a dainty dish, affording food both pleasant and wholesome.

2. Light is pleasant and delightful; darkness is affrighting and dreadful, but light is refreshing and reviving; Light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the sun, Eccles. 11.7. The word of God is sweet, and its a pleasant thing with the eyes of faith to behold the glorious sun of divine truths. The eye is not more affected with curious sights, nor the ear with ravishing musick, nor the pallate with rare meats, then a spiritualized understanding with spiritual truths. David found not onely delight in the singular, but delights in the plural number, all sorts and degrees of delights in the word of God; Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me, but thy commandments are my delights. His delights in the Law of God were so rare and ravishing, that they quite extinguished all sensual delights, as the light of the day the light of a candle, and drowned the noise of all his crosses ⟨p. 417⟩and troubles by their loud and amazing melody. Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a pleasant Garden, wherein every flower yeilds a fragrant savour. Ambrose to a feast, wherein every book is a dainty dish, affording food both pleasant and wholsom.

:668p. 419–420¶1

1. Rain is from above. God keeps that key under his own girdle; Can any of the vanities of the Heathen cause Rain? Art not thou he? Jer. 14. 22. Man may speak long enough to the clo•ds before they will distil one drop; but if God command those bottles, they are presently unstopped and pour down in abundance; He covereth the Heavens with Clouds, and prepareth Rain for the earth, Psa. 147. 8. Thus the Word of God came down from above; Every of the Pen-men of it, might have spoken as David, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, 2. Sam. 23. 2. It did immediately inspire me what particulars to utter, and in what phrases to deliver them. That which is said of some of the Prophesies, may be said of every Book, and of every Chapter and Verse in every Book; Thus saith the Lord; The word of the Lord, which came to Amos; The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. It is all one to say, The Scripture saith, and God saith. Compare ⟨p. 420⟩Rom. 4. 3 . and 10. 11. with Rom. 9. 25. and Heb. 4.3. and Gal. 3. 21. with Rom. 11. 32. Some observe that the word which Moses useth for Doctrine dropping like Rain, signifieth received Doctrine, because the Doctrine in the word, is received from God, not devised by men, Deut. 32. 2. I received from the Lord, that which I also delivered unto you, 1 Cor. 11. 32.

1. Rain is from above. God keeps that key under his own girdle; Can any of the vanities of the Heathen cause Rain? Art not thou he? Jer. 14. 22. Man may speak long enough to the clo•ds before they will distil one drop; but if God command those bottles, they are presently unstopped and poure down in abundance; He covereth the Heavens with Clouds, and prepareth Rain for the earth, Psa. 147. 8. Thus the Word of God came down from above; Every of the Pen-men of it, might have spoken as David, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, 2. Sam. 23. 2. It did immediately inspire me what particulars to utter, and in what phrases to deliver them. That which is said of some of the Prophesies, may be said of every Book, and of every Chapter and Verse in every Book; Thus saith the Lord; The word of the Lord, which came to Amos; The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. It is all one to say, The Scripture saith, and God saith. Compare ⟨p. 420⟩Rom. 4. 3 . and 10. 11. with Rom. 9. 25. and Heb. 4.3. and Gal. 3. 21. with Rom. 11. 32. Some observe that the word which Moses useth for Doctrine dropping like Rain, signifieth received Doctrine, because the Doctrine in the word, is received from God, not devised by men, Deut. 32. 2. I received from the Lord, that which I also delivered unto you, 1 Cor. 11. 32.

:669p. 420¶2

2. Rain is mollifying and softening; When the earth hath been like Brass and Iron under our feet, by long drought, or hard frosts, a few good showers supple it, and make it tender; Therefore David speaking of the earth, saith, Thou makest it soft with showers, Psa. 65. 10. So the heart of man is compared to a stone, to a rock, to a flint, to an adamant, the hardest of stones, for its hardness hath been suppled and softened by the word. The Jews that had imbrued their hands in the blood of Christ, had certainly very hard hearts. The thought of such a murder would have made a deep impression upon any conscience, that were not seared with a red hot Iron, yet this word preached, melted them as hard metal as they were; When they heard these things, they were pricked to the heart; Peters Sermon, like Moses rod, fetched water out of the Rock, Act. 2. 37. David upon the disorder and intemperance of his soul, in the matter of Uriah, had an hard swelling, which continued and increased upon him several months; yet when Nathan comes and gently baths it with this Oil of the Word, it groweth soft and tender, as appeareth by the title of Psa. 51. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the Prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

2. Rain is mollifying and softning; When the earth hath been like Brass and Iron under our feet, by long drought, or hard frosts, a few good showres supple it, and make it tender; Therefore David speaking of the earth, saith, Thou makest it soft with showres, Psa. 65. 10. So the heart of man is compared to a stone, to a rock, to a flint, to an adamant, the hardest of stones, for its hardness hath been suppled and softned by the word. The Jews that had imbrued their hands in the blood of Christ, had certainly very hard hearts. The thought of such a murder would have made a deep impression upon any conscience, that were not seared with a red hot Iron, yet this word preached, melted them as hard mettal as they were; When they heard these things, they were pricked to the heart; Peters Sermon, like Moses rod, fetcht water out of the Rock, Act. 2. 37. David upon the disorder and intemperance of his soul, in the matter of Vriah, had an hard swelling, which continued and increased upon him several moneths; yet when Nathan comes and gently baths it with this Oyl of the Word, it groweth soft and tender, as appeareth by the title of Psa. 51. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the Prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

:671p. 421–422¶4

4. Rain reviveth and refresheth the earth; when the earth is chopped and faint, when it gaspeth and is weary, a shower of rain recovers and refresheth it; the Psalmist tells us that upon such droppings from above the pastures and valleys shout for joy, they also sing, Psa. 65.13. Thus the Christian scorch ed with the apprehension of Gods wrath due to him for sin, draweth all his comfort and refreshment out of those wells of salvation, the promises of the word. When conscience is sore and raw through the wounds sin hath made in it, and the weight of guilt that lieth continually grating upon it; He sendeth his word and health them, Psal. 107.20. David had experience what an healing medicine the Word was; In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. When Philip had preached the word to the Eunuch, he went away rejoicing. That milk which runs from the breasts of the two Testaments is never sucked with the mouth of faith without abundant satisfaction; that wine which which is drawn from the pipes of the promises, rejoiceth the heart of man indeed: These things are written that your joy may be full. The Saint never sits at a fuller table of ⟨p. 422⟩joy, then when he is feasting on the dainties of the Gospel.

4. Rain reviveth and refresheth the earth; when the earth is chopt and faint, when it gaspeth and is weary, a showre of rain recovers and refresheth it; the Psalmist tells us that upon such droppings from above the pastures and valleys shout for joy, they also sing, Psa. 65.13. Thus the Christian scorc• ed with the apprehension of Gods wrath due to him for sin, draweth all his comfort and refreshment out of those wells of salvation, the promises of the word. When conscience is sore and raw through the wounds sin hath made in it, and the weight of guilt that lieth continually grating upon it; He sendeth his word and health them, Psal. 107.20. David had experience what an healing medicine the Word was; In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. When Philip had preached the word to the Eunuch, he went away rejoycing. That milk which runs from the breasts of the two Testaments is never sucked with the mouth of faith without abundant satisfaction; that wine which which is drawn from the pipes of the promises, rejoyceth the heart of man indeed: These things are written that your joy may be full. The Saint never sits at a fuller table of ⟨p. 422⟩joy, then when he is feasting on the dainties of the Gospel.