The works of George Swinnock, M.A

The entry of death may well be forcible upon them whom it ejects out of all their happiness, and whole lives have been made up of unholiness; Tis vice that paints death with such a formidable countenance, with a whip and flames in its hand. Friend, let thy conversation be pious, if thou wouldst dye in peace. Such as a mans life is, usually such is his death; An unholy life is ordinarily followed with an unhappy end. A filthy Adulterer, mentioned by Luther, expired in the arms of an Harlot. So also Tigillinus, Cornelius, Gallus, Ladislaus King of Naples; one of the Popes died in the embraces of strange flesh; A great swearer when he came to dye, saith Mr. Bolton, swore apace, and as if he had been already in Hell, called upon the standers by to help him, with oaths; King Henry the second on his death-bed, cursed his Sons, the day wherein he was born, and in that distemper departed the World, saith the Historian, which himself had so often distempered. We read of one who lived well, that died ill; and of but one in the whole Book of God, who lived ill, that dyed well. A sinner may presume upon peace at death, and bespeak in the language of Jehoram to Jehu; Is it peace Jehu? Is it peace death? or as the Elders to Samuel; Comest thou peaceably? but the Answer will be the same with that of Jehu to him, What peace can there be, so long as the whoredoms of thy Mother Jezebel and her witch-crafts are so many? What peace can there be, so long as thy l•sts and ⟨p. 657⟩atheism, and ignorance, and profaneness abound, and thy abominations are so many? Its no wonder that such persons, like Owls, are never heard but at night (the close of their days) and then they screech horribly. What shall we call a mocking of God, saith a learned person, if they do not mock him, who think it enough to ask him forgiveness at leisure, with the last drawing of a malicious breath? these find out a new God, make one a leaden one, like Lewis the eleventh of France. And again,¹ Let us not flatter our immortal souls to neglect God all our lives, and know that we neglect him, trusting upon the peace we think to make at parting; for this is no other then a rebellious presumption, and a contemptuous laughing to scorn, and a deriding of God, his Laws, and Precepts. ²Unquestionably such will be grossly mistaken at last, in falling from their heights into Hell.