The works of George Swinnock, M.A

The comfort of thy death, will depend much upon the clearness of thy deeds and evidences for eternal life;¹ The want of diligence about this, hath caused many of the Children of God to go crying to Bed, and wrangling to their eternal rest; They dye and know not how they shall speed in the other world; they fall into the hands of their enemy Death, as the Lepers into the hands of the Syrians, expecting nothing but cruelty and misery, trembling every step of the way, though they find good cheer, and all sorts of comforts. 3. Dwell much in the thoughts of Deaths. Cicero said of Fencing, Fortissima adversus mortem, & dolorem disciplina; It was the strongest fence against the fear of death; So I may say of entertaining death frequently in our meditations, its a good guard against the terror of death; Custom diminisheth the dread of things which to nature are so frightful. Marius before he would bring out his Soldiers to fight with the Cimbres, caused them to stand upon the trenches, to acquaint themselves with the terrible aspect of those Savages, and so brought them to contemn them, which at first sight they so amazedly feared. When we are on a sudden surprised by an unexpected adversary, we want time to unite our strength to resist the assault; but what we expect we provide for, and so are the better able to encounter with it. The old people that lived near the Riphaean Mountains, ⟨p. 660⟩were taught to discourse much of Death, and to converse with it, and to speak of it, as of a thing that will certainly come, and ought so to do; hence their resolutions were strengthened to undergo it with patience and courage. As Cordials lose their virtue, so even Poisons their venom, by frequent use. Mithridates by constant use of it, made it so far from being mortal, that it was nourishing to him. Though Death in its own nature be venomous, the Christian by frequent meditation of it, and application of the blood of Christ to his soul, may make it profitable to him. 4. Wean thy heart from the earth. They who love the earth as their Heaven, will be unwilling to leave it, though for Heaven; Canst thou bear the loss of some worldly comforts, when God takes them from thee? if not, how wilt thou be able to bear the loss of all worldly comforts, in a dying hour? If running with Footmen weary thee, how wilt thou be able to run with Horsemen?

The comfort of thy death, will depend much upon the clearness of thy deeds and evidences for eternal life;