A62053:419
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission
The sinners last sentence to eternal punishment, for sins of omission wherein is discovered, the nature, causes, and cure of those sins / by Geo. Swinnock.
London: printed for Geo. Swinnock, 1675
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 33: A Caution against sins of Omission, in regard of the matter of Duties.
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.
2. Take heed of internal Omissions. In the next place I advise thee to look seriously to the manner of thy performances, to be sure that thou worship God with thy Heart and Affections. This is the chief, and substance, and heart of thy Performances, according to which they shall be accepted or not. In all thy Addresses draw nigh to God with an humble Faith and Confidence, as to a Father, ready, able, and willing to supply all thy wants, and answer all thy Doubts, and to grant all thy Prayers and Desires; as also with a cheerful reverence and awfulness, as to a God infinite ⟨p. 286⟩in his Being, and in all his Perfections, between whom and thee a poor worm there is an infinite distance. In every Duty, Let thy Faith in Christ, thy Love to God, and thy Repentance from dead Works be exercised. Hereby thy Duties will be more comfortable to thy self. Men that perform Duties in a round, out of custom, or for fashion sake, have no pleasure therein, are backward to them, untoward at them, and careless after them. They come to them with trouble, as to that to which their hearts have a reluctancy, and go from them with joy, as from that which was burdensome and tedious to them. But when men pray with a sense of their wants, and beg mercy, with hope in the blood of Christ, and have their love and joy acted in their Duties, how sweetly do they come off? nay, how pleasant are they in the very performance of them? Communion with God in them brings peace and comfort indeed. Now, Reader, do I advise thee to thy hurt, when I advise thee to the life of a Saint, to the life of an Angel; to a life of love, and joy, and delight in the Father of ⟨p. 287⟩Mercies, and God of all Consolations? Is not this Life the Suburbs, the Earnest, the First-fruits of the life of the Blessed, of the life of those heavenly Courtiers, who bathe themselves without intermission in Springs of Joy, and in Rivers of Pleasures? And by this care of thine about the manner of performing thy Duties, they will be the more acceptable to God. He commands the Heart, Prov. 23.26. delights in truth in the inward parts, Psal. 51. and is nigh to them that call upon him in truth,