A62047:171
The fading of the flesh and flourishing of faith, or, One cast for eternity…
The fading of the flesh and flourishing of faith, or, One cast for eternity with the only way to throw it well : as also the gracious persons incomparable portion / by George Swinnock ...The fading of the flesh and flourishing of faith, or, One cast for eternity with the only way to throw it vvell : as also the gracious persons incomparable portion / by George Swinnock ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1662
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
O mighty Death (saith the Historian) thou hast drawn together all the far stretched greatness, 1all the pride, cruelty, and ambition of man, and covered it with these two words, Hic jacet. There is no discharge in that War. Every one must go in person, there is no appearing by a proxy: Though the Tenant would serve for his Land-lord, the Subject for his Sovereign, the Father for his Child, as David for Absalom, yet it will not be accepted. All must in their own persons appear in the field, and look that grim Goliath Death in the face; It is appointed for all men once to dye, Hebr. 9. God hath decreed it, and man cannot disannul it, The Grammarian (as one observeth wittily) who can decline other nouns in every case, can decline Death in no case. Death is every moment shooting its Arrows abroad in the World, and doing execution, and though it shoots above thee, slaying the Superiors; below thee, taking away thy Inferiors; on thy right hand, killing this friend; on thy left hand, causing that acquaintance to drop; yet twill never cease shooting till thou art slain. Thy life for a while may be kept up, like a Ball by the Rockets, and tossed from hazard to hazard, yet at last twill fall to the earth; When once Death this son of a murderer (sin) comes to take away thine head, there will be none to shut the door, or hold him fast. Now men that must travel, arm themselves for all Weather. Women that cannot escape their appointed sorrows, provide Bezoar and Amber powders, against that time. But O what a mad man art thou, who knowest certainly of the coming of this Enemy, and that when he cometh he can both kill and ⟨p. 36⟩damn, destroy both body and soul, yet takest no care to arm thy self for that hour.
O mighty Death (saith the Historian) thou hast drawn together all the far stretched greatness, 1all the pride, cruelty, and ambition of man, and covered it with these two words, Hic jacet. There is no discharge in that War. Every one must go in person, there is no appearing by a proxy: Though the Tenant would serve for his Land-lord, the Subject for his Soveraign, the Father for his Child, as David for Absolom, yet it will not be accepted. All must in their own persons appear in the field, and look that grim Goliah Death in the face; It is appointed for all men once to dye,