A94156:926
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature and necessity of it is discovered. : As also the Christian directed how he may perform it in [brace] religious duties, natural actions, his particular vocation, his family directions, and his own recreations. / By George Swinnock ...
London: printed for T.P., 1662
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.
A good Wish about Natural actions, wherein the former heads are epitomized.
MY corrupt heart being prone to turn things lawful into fuel for lust, 1like the spider to suck poison out of the sweetest flowers, and to make what my God giveth me for a comfort, to prove, through the subtlety of the Serpent (as Eve to Adam) a cross and a curse: I wish in general that whilst I use my meat, and drink, and sleep, and apparel, I may never abuse them, but that I may so ensure my right to them through Christ, the heir of all things, so taste the love of my God in them, and make such an holy and sanctified improvement of them, that I may have a spiritual title to natural good things; may hold all in capite, and the things of this life may be whet-stones to quicken my holiness, and load-stones to draw my affections nearer to heaven. In particular because the snare in eating and drinking is unseen (and so the less suspicious, 2but the more dangerous) I wish that I may never feed without fear, but eat all my bread before the Lord, that I may not as the horse and mule which hath no understanding, drink of the streams, 3and never look up to the spring; but may acknowledge my God to be the author of every favour, and be so sensible of the weakness of the creature to strengthen me without the influence of the creator, that I may constantly look up to heaven for a blessing on that food which springeth out of the earth.
MY corrupt heart being prone to turn things lawfull into fuel for lust, 1like the spider to suck poison out of the sweetest flowers, and to make what my God giveth me for a comfort, to prove, through the subtilty of the Serpent (as Eve to Adam) a cross and a curse: I wish in general that whilst I use my meat, and drink, and sleep, and apparel, I may never abuse them, but that I may so ensure my right to them through Christ, the heir of all things, so taste the love of my God in them, and make such an holy and sanctified improvement of them, that I may have a spiritual title to natural good things; may hold all in capite, and the things of this life may be whet-stones to quicken my holiness, and load-stones to draw my affections nearer to heaven. In particular because the snare in eating and drinking is unseen (and so the less suspicious,