The works of George Swinnock, M.A

I the Lord do keep it, I water it every moment, lest any hurt it I; keep it night and day. O since thou watchest to preserve me, let me watch to serve thee; Set a watch O Lord before my lips. Be thou the Governor of my heart; Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Let mine enemies never find me nodding, lest they leave me dying. Thou hast told me, Behold I come as a Thief; Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they ⟨p. 543⟩see his shame; Give me so to wake and watch now, that death may bring me a Writ of ease, and call me to my endless rest.

I the Lord do keep it, I water it every moment, lest any hurt it I; keep it night and day. O since thou watchest to preserve me, let me watch to serve thee; Set a watch O Lord before my lips. Be thou the Governour of my heart; Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Let mine enemies never find me nodding, lest they leave me dying. Thou hast told me, Behold I come as a Theif; Bles•ed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they ⟨p. 543⟩see his shame; Give me so to wake and watch now, that death may bring me a Writ of ease, and call me to my endless rest.

I Wish that I may all the day long be even covetous of my time, ⁴as knowing it is allowed me not for the service of the flesh, but for the service of my God, and to dress my soul for Heaven. If I be lavish of my time, I am the greatest Prodigal in the World. If he be a spendthrift, that throweth away an hundred pound every day, he is a far greater that wasteth half an hour in one day; Time is more worth then the revenues of the whole world. He that can command millions of treasure, cannot command one moment of time; The Father of eternity hath the sole disposition of time; The value of this commodity, is not known to this beggarly world in a day of life. Now men study sports and pleasures, and company, and plays, to waste time; It lieth as a drug upon their hands, and they think themselves beholden to any that will help them to put it off; But when the King of terrors with his ghastly countenance approacheth them, and summons them to a speedy appearance before the King of nations, to receive their eternal dooms, O then their judgements will be quite altered, and time will be precious indeed. Then they who play away their time, and give all to the world or flesh, will tell me that time was good for something else then to eat, and drink, and sleep, and trade; that it was good to feed an immortal soul in, and provide for an eternal estate. Then the Rich and Covetous, as well as they loved their wealth, though it be now dearer to them then their God and Christ, and Souls, and Heaven, will part with all they have for a little