The works of George Swinnock, M.A

O thou beautiful beam, darted from the Sun of Righteousness, that callest poor mortals to life, when they are at the brink of death, thou that art the wonder of glorious Angels, and glorified Saints, be thou unto me as a bundle of myrrh, and a cluster of camphire always unto me; let me love thee much for my own sake, because thou hast done so much for me, but most for the Lords sake, because he is all in all unto me.

O thou beautiful beam, darted from the Sun of Righteousness, that callest poor mortals to life, when they are at the brink of death, thou that art the wonder of glorious Angels, and glorified Saints, be thou unto me as a bundle of myrrhe, and a cluster of camphire always unto me; let me love thee much for my own sake, because thou hast done so much for me, but most for the Lords sake, because he is all in all unto me.

Well O my soul, how wilt thou requite the kindness thou hast received from this Patience of thy God! When Ahasuerus an Heathen had read and considered how Mordecai had saved his life, by discovering the two traitors that sought to lay hands on the King, he cried out, What honour hath been done to Mordecai for this? and could take no rest till he had given him some signal honour. Thou hast read (for thy whole life is a Book written within, and without with it) how the Patience of thy God hath saved thy life, the life of thy soul, when sin and Satan conspired together to take it away; now wilt thou not say within thy self, What honour hath been done to the patience of God for this? and be unsatisfied till thou hast done it some honour, for this good office it hath done thee. What love doth that friend deserve who saves thy life! What esteem doth that hand of pity merit, that keeps thee out of the bottomless pit! What thanks is that Messenger worthy of, that brings thee (a condemned sinner) certain news of a reprieve, and great hopes of a pardon! Surely the respect thou ⟨p. 486⟩owest to the patience of God (which doth as much for thee as all this) should be very great, especially considering thy disrespects formerly to the God of Patience have been very grievous. Lord, I acknowledge I have formerly much abused thy patience, uing it as an encouragement to profaneness, and turning thy grace into wantonness; but now through thy strength, I will no longer despise the riches of thy forbearance, but be led through thy goodness to repentance. I know thou intendest it as a City of refuge to the penitent, not as a sanctuary to the presumptuous. O let me never make it a pillow for an hard heart, but a plaster for a wounded spirit. Let this servant of thine, and friend of mine obtain his errand, and accomplish the end for which thou hast sent him. Thou sparest me here that thou might spare me hereafter; thou waitest upon me that thou mightst be gracious unto me; and art long-suffering, because not willing that any should perish, but that all might come to repentance. O that therefore I might wait upon thee in all thy providences and ordinances for grace, that so thy long-suffering may be unto me salvation! Thou hast told me, Though the sinner live an hundred years, and God prolong his days, yet it shall not go well with the wicked.