The works of George Swinnock, M.A

The sins of the day call for our mournful confession. The mercies of the day call for our sincere thanksgiving. The perils of the night call for fervent petitions, so that none can want matter for a nights prayer. Our wanderings and aberrations in the day may well engage us to confession and contrition every night. They who do not paddle in every gutter, or thrust their hands into every ditch, though they washed clean in the morning, find them dirty at night. We cannot meddle with money, but we foul our fingers; nor about earthly affairs, but we defile our soul. Infirmity bewrayeth it self in all the actions of fallen man. We are steady in nothing but wantonness and wickedness. The feet of men limp at best, and are too slow to follow the Word of ⟨p. 528⟩God close at the heels. If we intend well in any action (like arrows that are shot in mighty winds•) we wander from the bow that sent it, and miss the mark. Now whilst the Ship leaketh, the Pump must go. Whilst we sin daily, we must sorrow daily. He is unworthy of the least favour from his Creditor, who thinks much to acknowledge his debt. Austin had Davids penitential Psalms written by his Bedside, which at night he used to weep and read, to read and weep.

The sins of the day call for our mournful confession. The mercies of the day call for our sincere thanksgiving. The perills of the night call for fervent petitions, so that none can want matter for a nights prayer. Our wandrings and aberrations in the day may wellengage us to confession and contrition every night. They who do not paddle in every gutter, or thrust their hands into every ditch, though they washed clean in the morning, find them durty at night. We cannot meddle with money, but we foul our fingers; nor about earthly affairs, but we defile our soul. Infirmity bewrayeth it self in all the actions of fallen man. We are steady in nothing but wantonness and wickedness. The feet of men limp at best, and are too slow to follow the Word of ⟨p. 528⟩God close at the heels. If we intend well in any action (like arrows that are shot in mighty winds•) we wander from the bow that sent it, and miss the mark. Now whilst the Ship leaketh, the Pump must go. Whilst we sin daily, we must sorrow daily. He is unworthy of the least favour from his Creditor, who thinks much to acknowledge his debt. Austin had Davids penitential Psalms written by his Bedside, which at night he used to weep and read, to read and weep.