The Fading of the Flesh and Flourishing of Faith, Title page – Dedication 1
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, M. A. Preacher of the Goſpel late at Great-Kimbel in the County of Bucks.
Eccleſ. 5.15. As he came forth of his Mothers womb, naked ſhall he return to go as he came, and ſhall take nothing of his labour, which he ſhall carry in his hand.
Vides viventem, cogita morientem, Quid hic habeat attendis, quid ſecum tollat attende. Quid ſecum tollit? multum auri habet, multum argenti, multum praediorum, multum mancipiorum, moritur, remanent illa, neſcio quibus. Aug. in Pſal. 49. v. 17.
Incertum eſt, quo te loco mors expectet, ita que tu illam omniloco expecta. Sen. Epiſt. 26.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Three Crowns in the lower end of Cheap-ſide over againſt the great Conduit, 1662.
There is extant of this Reverend Authors theſe Five other Treatiſes.
The Chriſtian-mans 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 Religious Duties, Natural Actions, his particular Vocation, his Family Directions, and his own Recreation; to be read in Families for their Inſtruction and Edification. The firſt Part.
The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration; or a Treatiſe containing the Nature, Neceſſity, Marks and means of Regeneration, as alſo the duty of the Regenerate.
Heaven and Hell Epitomized, or the true Chriſtian characterized.
The beauty of Magiſtracy, in an Expoſition of the 82 Pſalm, where is ſet forth the neceſſity, Utility, Dignity, Duty and Morality of Magiſtrates.
There is in the preſs the Second Part of that practical Piece of Divinity entituled, The Chriſtian-mans Calling, Containing Directions for our dealings with all men, carriage in all conditions, whether in proſperity or adverſity, in all companies good or bad, in ſolitarineſs, on the week day from morning to night, in viſiting the ſick upon a dying bed.
To the Courteous Ms. Jane Swinnock, WIDOW OF Mr. Caleb Swinnock, LATE OF Maidſtone Deceaſed
Honoured Couzen,
THe whole World is fitly termed by the Holy Ghoſt, a Sea of glaſs. Rev. 4.A Sea for its tempeſtuouſneſs, all the paſſengers who ſail on it are ſure to be driven too and fro with the ſurging waves, and high winds of ſorrows. Man entereth on this ſtage of the World crying, goeth off groaning, duplicate page duplicate page and the part which he acteth is chiefly Tragical, his whole life being little elſe from the Womb to the Tomb, but a chain of croſſes, and a circle of ſufferings; he is toſt like a Tennis Ball from hazard to hazard, till at laſt he fall to the Earth. A ſea of Glaſs, for its brittleneſs; Glaſs is ſoon broken be it never ſo much Guilded: The faſhion of this World paſſeth away; all its carnal comforts periſh with it. The poſſeſſions of it are corruptible; Gold and Silver are liable to that ruſt which will conſume them. The Relations in it are mutable; whilſt we are refreſhing our ſelves with thoſe pleaſant flowers, and embracing them in our breaſts, and ſticking them in our boſomes, they wither. The Jews at this day have a cuſtome (ſaith one) when a Couple are married, to break the glaſs wherein the Bridegroom and the Bride have drank; thereby to admoniſh them that though at preſent they are joyned together, yet ere long they muſt be parted aſunder. The Saints of God themſelves are not priviledged from ſuch arreſts; nay thoſe veſſels which are moſt richly laden go often deepeſt in theſe waters. The howling Wilderneſs is the direct way to the heavenly Canaan.
The late Providence which removed your loving and beloved Husband (I hope to Heaven) hath taught you the truth of theſe particulars. The loſs of ſuch a relation muſt needs be a ſore affliction. The nearer the union is, the more difficult the ſeparation. Husband and Wife are one fleſh, therefore to part them cannot but be painful; but Grace will help you both to ſubmit to that blow which is ſo grievous to Nature, and to be the better for it.
It was ſome comfort to me to obſerve your Chriſtian carriage under ſo great a croſs. The hour of affliction is an hour of temptation. Satan loves to fiſh when the Waters are troubled; He would bring us to hard thoughts of God, by the hard things we ſuffer from God; Touch him, and he will curſe thee to thy face. In ſuch ſtormy weather ſome Veſſels are caſt away. A corrupt heart in adverſity (like Water boyling over the Fire) then moſt of all diſcovereth its froth and filth, Iſa. 8.21. But though froſty ſeaſons are hurtful to Weeds, yet they are helpful to good Corn. A ſanctified perſon, like a ſilver bell, the harder he is ſmitten, the better he ſoundeth. Faith is a ſpecial Antidote againſt the poiſon of the Wicked one. It can read Love in the blackeſt Characters of Divine diſpenſation; as by a Rain-bow we ſee the beautiful image of the Suns light, in the midſt of a dark and wateriſh Cloud. Gods Rod, like Jonathans is dipt in Hony. Our daily bread, and our ſharpeſt rod grow upon the ſame root. Every beleiver may ſay in affliction, as Mauritius, when his Wife and Children were ſlain before his eyes, Righteous art thou O Lord, and in very faithfulneſs haſt afflicted me.
Dear Couzen,
Since Gods Rod hath a voice as well as his Word, and like Moſes his Rod in Egipt, worketh wonders in, and for his people; Let me beſeech you to hear it, and to know him that hath appointed it. O how highly doth it behove you to labour, that as Aarons Rod it may bud and bloſome with the fruits of holineſs.
Two Leſſons principally God would teach you by it.
Firſt, That your affections be taken off from Earthly poſſeſſions; Dying Relations, call for dying affections. When Iſrael doted on Egypt as a pallace, God made it an Iron furnace to wean them from it, and to make them weary of it. The creature is our Idol by nature, we bow down the knees of our ſouls to it, and Worſhip it; but infinite Wiſdom makes it our grief, that it may not be our God. When Children fare well abroad, they are mindleſs of home; but when abuſed by ſtrangers, they haſten to their Parents. The World is therefore a Purgatory, that it might not be our Paradice. As ſoon as Laban frowned on Jacob, he talks of returning to his Fathers Houſe. Every rout the World puts us to, ſounds a retreat to our affections, and calls off our heart from the eager purſuit of theſe withering vanities. Wilt thou ſet thine eyes upon that which is not, Prov. 23.5. much leſs thine heart.
I have read of a young Hermit, who being paſſionately in love with a young Lady, could not by any Art ſuppreſs the fury and violence of that flame, till at laſt being told that ſhe was dead, and had been buried about fourteeen days, he went ſecretly to her Vault, and with the skirt of his Man…le, wiped the moyſture from the Carcaſs, and ſtill at the return of his temptation laid it before him; ſaying, Behold this is the beauty of the Womad which thou didſt ſo much deſire; And the Man at laſt with that moyſture of the Corps put out the Fire.
The godlineſs of the World, its whole glory and gallantry is but a curious Picture drawn on Ice, which affords no good footing, for whilſt we are ſtanding on it, we are ſliding from it, and who would lay the ſtreſs of his felicity upon ſo ſlippery a foundation. No wiſe man ever put his chiefeſt goods and riches in ſuch low damp rooms, where they will corrupt and putrifie.
Hipocrates affirmeth that all immoderations are Enemies to the health of the body. Sure I am, they are to the health of the ſoul. The amity of the World, is emnity againſt God. All the Water is little enough to run in the right Channel, therefore none ſhould run beſide. The time is ſhort, uſe the World, as net abuſing it, 1 Cor. 7.29.
Secondly, That you chuſe the good part that ſhall never be taken from you. Mans heart will be fixt on ſomewhat as its hope, and happineſs. God therefore puts out our Candles, takes away Relations, that we may look up to the Sun and eſteem him our chiefeſt portion. When we are Digging and Delving in the Earth to find out content, and comfort, he ſendeth damps, purpoſely to make us call to be drawn upward. Till the Prodigal met with a Famine, he regarded not his Father. If the Waters be abated, the Dove is apt to wander and defile her ſelf, but when they cover the face of the earth, and allow her no reſt, then ſhe returneth to the Ark.
I hope there is a good work begun in you, which ſhall be finiſhed at the day of Chriſt. But every one ſtande h or falleth to their own Maſter. Get Scripture on your ſide, and you are ſafe for ever. The Romans when they parted from the bones of their Dead friends (for they burnt them,) took their leave in ſuch language, Vale, Vale, Vale, Noste ordine quo natura permiſerit ſequemur. Farewel, Farewel, Farewel, We ſhall follow thee in the time, and order, which nature alloweth us. You may ſay of your Husband, as David of his Child, I ſhall go to him, but he ſhall not return to me. Prepare therefore for your dying hour.
Labour to be rich in godlineſs; Grace alone is ſpecial bayl againſt death; It is ſuch wealth, as will be currant in the other World; lay up your treaſure in Heaven, where neither Thief nor Moth, neither Men nor Divels, can rob you of it. Take God in Chriſt for your Heaven, and you are happy in ſpight of the World, Death and Hell. You know the living comfort of your dying Husband was, that though his fleſh and heart failed him, yet God was the ſtrength of his heart and his portion for ever. And it was a memorable ſpeech of His, when ſome Friends came to him and commended the richneſs and magnificence of Hampton Court, newly trimmed and adorned for the reception of her Majeſty; One drop of the blood of Chriſt, is more worth then all the World. I muſt tell you, there is no ſuch Cordial in a day of Death, as this Covenant-Relation to the Lord of life.
The Child may walk in that dark entry without fear, if he have but his Father by the hand; Though I walk in the Valley of the ſhadow of Death, I will fear none ill, for thou art with me. Death indeed is ſtrong, it overcometh Principalities and Powers, but as ſtrong as it is, it cannot ſeparate God and the godly perſon. It may diſſolve the natural union betwixt ſoul and body, but not the myſtical union betwixt God and the ſoul; The Saints dye in the Lord, they ſleep in Jeſus.
O Couzen, be married to Chriſt, and you are made for ever. Heaven is the Joynture, and Death one of the Servants or ſlaves of her that is the Spouſe of this Lord. Death is yours, ye are Chriſts, 1 Cor. 3.21. Other men are Deaths (it hath dominion over them) but Death is yours, your ſervant to ſtrip off your rags of ſin and miſery, and to cloath you with the Robes of joy and glory.
The enſuing Diſcourſe was for the ſubſtantial part of it, delivered at the Funeral of your deareſt Relation on earth. You gave me the Text, and my indiſpoſition of body allowed me then but little time, which cauſed me now to make ſome enlargements and additions, but its the ſame body (poſſibly in a little neater far, from gaudy) dreſs, which was prepared for the Pulpit. I preſent it to you, not doubting of its acceptance, for his ſake whoſe death was the occaſion of it. The good Lord bleſs it to you, requite your love to me, and them that fear him, make up the want of ſtreams in the more abundant enjoyment of the fountain, fill you with all the fruits of righteouſneſs, enable you to perſevere and encreaſe in godlineſs, and ſo to live with a good conſcience, that you may dye with much comfort, and be a follower of them who through faith and patience inherit the promiſes, ſo prayeth,
Your Servant for Jeſus ſake, George Swinnock.