A62047:212
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.
Chapter 7: What is requisite to preparation for Death. A change of state, and a change of nature,…
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.
Therefore Reader, if thou wouldst dye well, undergo that great change with comfort; it is absolutely and indispensably necessary that thou mind these two changes before hand; A change of thy state or condition which is wrought by faith; and a change of thy nature or disposition which is wrought by Repentance.
The Door of thy happiness hangs on these two Hinges, the merit of Christ without thee, and its acceptation with God for the justification of thy person; and secondly, the Spirit of Christ within thee, and its operation for the sanctification of thy nature.
1First, There must of necessity be a change of thy state by faith in Christ, or thou canst never put thy head into the other World with comfort. There is no such Shroud, such a Winding-sheet for the departing soul to be wrapped in, as the righteousness of a Saviour; Pauls care was that he might not be found naked, 2 Cor. 5.3. O tis sad indeed for thy soul to be summoned to appear before the jealous God, and to have nothing to cover thy nakedness. Adam knowing that he was naked, fled from God. Guilt cannot but be shy of a Judge; sore eyes will not endure the sight of the Sun. God is a consuming fire to all who have not Jesus Christ for their Screen. He seemeth to every person as ⟨p. 63⟩Joseph to the Patriarchs; Thou shalt not see my face with joy, except thou bringest thy Brother with thee. Tis alone in the Garments of thine Elder Brother, that thou canst have a sound hope to receive the blessing. Every one who dyeth out of Christ, dyeth in his sins, John 8.21. And were not mens hearts desperately hard, twere impossible that any should dye in their senses who die in their sins; all would die distracted who dye thus defiled.