The works of George Swinnock, M.A

²I Wi•h that having done with the more immediate service of my God in Praying, and Reading, both in my Closet and Family, I may proceed to serve him in my Shop and Particular Calling. When God saith, Man is born to labour, I must not sing with the fool, Soul take thine ease. An idle person is like. Caterpillars and Mice, that devour Gods creatures, and do no good to others. Its pity he ever lived, the book of whose life is filled up with nothing but Cyphers; Nature never intended men to be drones, to feed on others labours; nor bats, to spend their lives in the company of sleep, the brother of death. My God, my soul, my family, my country, do all call upon me to be diligent in that calling whereto he hath called me. My God is a pure act himself, and hath capacitated all his creatures for action; ⟨p. 539⟩He created all men, but never made a sluggard; The idle person wholly degenerates from the end of his being, and receiveth his faculties in vain. The command for civil labour hath the same divine stamp, as that for sacred rest. I have also his pattern for my encouragement, as well as his precept for my warrant; Hitherto my father worketh, and I work. My soul also stands in as much need of exercise as my body; Idleness is the door at which diseases enter into both. Rust eats up vessels that are laid by and unused. The mind is never more bright then when it is in employment; from doing nothing, we proceed to do evil. Idleness is not only a vice it self, but also hath this unhappiness, to usher in all other. This is the least advantage of industry, that it gives the soul no leisure to play with sin, or to entertain the wicked one. Standing waters do not sooner putrefy then lazy souls; Tis action that preserves the •oul in health; As G•ats dance up and down in the Sun, and then sit down and sting the next hand they seize upon; So they who have no time to work, have much to employ in slandering and backbiting others; One sin never goeth alone. Again, my Family may well rouse me out of the bed of laziness; If I expect supply of their wants, it must come in with Gods blessing at the door of diligence. I am stealing from my wife and children, all the while I am loitering; The Heavens may cause seed sown, to ripen into a joyful Harvest, but untilled land will afford no crop, save of weeds or stones. Once more, My Country commands me to my calling;