A62047:343
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 17: An Exhortation to Men, to choose God for their portion.
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.
CHAP. XVII. An Exhortation to Men, to choose God for their portion.
The third use which I shall make of this doctrine, shall be by way of Exhortation.1 If the comfort of a Christian in his saddest condition be this, that God is his portion; let me then persuade thee Reader, to chose God for thy portion. I look on thee as rational, and accordingly shall treat thee in this use, not doubting, but if reason may be judge, I shall prevail with thee to repent of thy former, and resolve on a new choice. Thou art one who hast chosen the world for thy portion; but hast thou not read what a poor, what a pitiful, what a piercing, what a perishing portion it is? why then dost thou spend thy strength for what is not bread, and thy labour for what will not satisfy. Hearken to me and eat that which is good; and let thy soul delight it self in fatness. I offer thee this day a portion worthy of thy choicest affections, a portion that if thou acceptest, the richest Emperors will be but beggars to thee, a portion which containeth more wealth then Heaven and Earth; nay ten thousand worlds are nothing in comparison of this portion. ⟨p. 148⟩If a man should offer thee a bag of gold, and a bag of counters; a bag of pearls, and a bag of sand; which wouldest thou choose? surely the former. The world in comparison of God is infinitely less then brass to gold, or sand to pearls, and wilt thou not choose him for thy portion? Didst thou never laugh at Children for their folly, in choosing rattles, and babies, before things of much greater worth. And art thou not a bigger child, and a greater fool to choose husks before bread, a mess of pottage before the birthright, the blessing! to choose a seeming fancy, before real felicities! a little honour (which is but a farthing candle that children can puff out with one breath, and blow in with another blast) before the exceeding and eternal weight of glory! to choose broken Cisterns before a fountain of living waters, dirt before Diamonds, vanity before solidity, drops before the Ocean, and nothing before all things! Man, where is thy reason! Samuel said to Saul, Set not thine heart on asses; for is not the desire of all Israel to thee? Friend, why shouldest thou set thy heart on asses, or thy flock, or shop, or any treasure, when thou hast the desire of all Nations to set thine heart upon?