A62047:346
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.
The cause of thy wrong choice (I mean, thy taking the world all this while for thy portion) is thy ignorance of the worth and excellency of this object which I am offering to thee. 'Tis in the dark that men grope so much about present things, 2 Pet. 1.9. Knowing persons prefer wisdom before silver, before choice gold, nay before rubies, Prov. 3.14, 15. Every one will sell his heart to that chapman which biddeth most: now the Devil he courts man for his soul with the brutish pleasures of sin: the world wooeth for the heart with its proffer of treasures and honours, which like it self are vain, vexatious and perishing: God comes, and he offereth for the heart, the precious blood of his Son, the curious embroidery of his Spirit, the noble employment and honourable preferment of Angels, fullness of joy, and infiniteness of satisfaction, in the fruition of his blessed self to all eternity. Now what is the reason that the Devils ⟨p. 150⟩money is accepted, and the worlds offer embraced, and Gods tender (which is farther superior to theirs, then the glorious heavens where the King of Saints keeps his Court, and showeth all his State, and Royalty, and Magnificence, is to a stinking dunghill) should be rejected? Truly nothing but this, Men know not the worth of what God biddeth them for their wares. The money which the devil and world offer are their own country coin, and a little of this they sooner take because they know it, then much more of another Nations, the value of which they do not understand. Swine trample on Pearls because they know not the worth of them. None look off the world, but they that can look beyond it.
The cause of thy wrong choice (I mean, thy taking the world all this while for thy portion) is thy ignorance of the worth and excellency of this object which I am offering to thee. 'Tis in the dark that men grope so much about present things, 2 Pet. 1.9. Knowing persons prefer wisdome before silver, before choice gold, nay before rubies, Prov. 3.14, 15. Every one will sell his heart to that chapman which biddeth most: now the Devil he courts man for his soul with the brutish pleasures of sin: the world wooeth for the heart with its proffer of treasures and honours, which like it self are vain, vexatious and perishing: God comes, and he offereth for the heart, the precious blood of his Son, the curious embroydery of his Spirit, the noble employment and honourable preferment of Angels, fulness of joy, and infiniteness of satisfaction, in the fruition of his blessed self to all eternity. Now what is the reason that the Devils