A94156:929
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.
I desire that my heart may so relish the goodness of my God in the bounty of his hand, 1that whilst I am filling my body, I may by some savoury serious discourse ⟨p. 442⟩feed my own and others souls, that by the blessings of the footstool, as by a ladder, I may mount up to the blessings of the throne. Lord, when thou rememberedst me an unworthy wretch above many others, let me not be so sordidly ungrateful as to forget thy Majesty; but as the rivers lead me to the Sea, 2so let common blessings direct me to thy self, the Father & Fountain of all my mercies; open thou my lips that my mouth may show forth thy praise. O let not my thanks be only verbal, but cordial and real; Let thy mercy be returned to thy self again in suitable duty, and thy beneficence by answerable obedience. If I receive courtesies from men, I esteem my self bound to requite them to my power; ah why should not I then, since I receive millions of mercies from my God, improve all to his praise! I desire that I may not as the Israelites bestow that corn and oil on Baal, (or make provision for any sin with those favours) which my God bestoweth on me; but that all those cords of love may draw me nearer, and bind me closer to himself; I live at thy cost, enable me to live to thy credit; Let thy loving kindness be ever before me, that I may walk in thy truth.
I desire that my heart may so rellish the goodness of my God in the bounty of his hand, 1that whilst I am filling my body, I may by some savoury serious discourse ⟨p. 442⟩feed my own and others souls, that by the blessings of the footstool, as by a lader, I may mount up to the blessings of the throne. Lord, when thou remembredest me an unworthy wretch above many others, let me not be so sordidly ungratful as to forget thy Majesty; but as the rivers lead me to the Sea, 2so let common blessings direct me to thy self, the Father & Fountain of all my mercies; open thou my lips that my mouth may shew forth thy praise. O let not my thanks be onely verbal, but cordial and reall; Let thy mercy be returned to thy self again in sutable duty, and thy beneficence by answerable obedience. If I receive curtesies from men, I esteem my self bound to requite them to my power; ah why should not I then, since I receive millions of mercies from my God, improve all to his praise! I desire that I may not as the Israelites bestow that corn and oyl on Baal, (or make provision for any sin with those favours) which my God bestoweth on me; but that all those cords of love may draw me nearer, and bind me closer to himself; I live at thy cost, enable me to live to thy credit; Let thy loving kindness be ever before me, that I may walk in thy truth.