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THE Paſtors Farevvell, AND VVish of VVelfare TO HIS PEOPLE. OR A Valedictory Sermon.
By GEORGE SWINNOCK, M. A. Preacher of the Goſpel late at Great-Kimbel in the County of Bucks.
Oportet ut praedicatores ſint fortes in praeceptis, compatientes infirmis, in exhortationibus blandi. Greg. in Job Mor. 30.
Finally, Brethren, farewel: Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one minde, live in peace, and the God of love and peace ſhall be with you. 2 Cor. 13.11.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Three Crowns in the lower end of Cheap-ſide over againſt the great Conduit, 1662.
TO His Honoured and Courteous Friend, Miſtris Mary Beresford, VVife of the VVorſhipful Iohn Beresford, Eſq
THere are two things which I have always judged chiefly requiſite in a Paſtor, as he ſtandeth related to his people. viz. Labour and Love. The former is a work of the Head, the latter of the Heart: faithful labour will ſpeak his love, and ſincere love will ſweeten his labour. Labour without love is unacceptable to God, as a ſweet perfume without fire, it cannot ſend forth its pleaſant, fragrant ſavour: Love without labour is unprofitable to men, like Rachel, its beautiful but barren: both together (as ſoul and body are the eſſential parts of a man) are the whole of a Miniſter. Whether to my power I diſcharged my truſt or no, in theſe partitulars, whileſt the Divine providence continued me in your Pariſh, I muſt leave to his judgement, whoſe eyes behold, and whoſe eye-lid, try the Children of men, nay whether I did not many times ſo labour as to prejudice my own body, that I might ſerve and profit others ſouls: but ſure I am, when I left you, I could not better manifeſt my love to you, then by commending you to him, who will never leave nor forſake his people.
Its the ſaying of Euripides, That a faithful friend in adverſity, is better then a calm Sea to a weather beaten Mariner. Indeed the world is full of falſe lovers, who uſe their friends as we do candles, burn them to the ſnuff, and when all their ſubſtance is waſted, trample them under their feet, and light others; but God to his choſen, is as the Ivy claſping about a wall, which will as ſoon dye as deſert it, Extreamity doth but faſten a truſty friend whilſt he, as a well wrought Vault is the ſtronger, by how much more weight he beareth Though many men are as ponds, dry in the heat of Summer, when there is moſt need of them: yet the bleſſed God dealeth not ſo with his Saints, but his help is neareſt, when their hardſhips are greateſt, When they walk in the valley of the ſhadow of death, he is with them.
How great a happineſs it is to be under the favour and influence of this God, can never be fully known on this ſide Heaven. The Prince of Orange had a mirror (ſay ſome) which perfectly repreſented the beauty of the naturat Sun: But this Sun of Righteouſneſs is ever in a great degree Eclipſed, to us who dwell in this lower World. Here we know but in part. Pompey, who preſumed to enter the holieſt of all, when he came out was asked what he ſaw, he anſwered, that the houſe was fall of a cloud: Indeed, He maketh darkneſs his ſecret place, and yet is pleaſed to let ſo much of his glory and goodneſs be ſeen in the glaſs of his word, as may cauſe us to admire and affect him; and alſo aſſure us that he is the chiefeſt good.
Somwhat of that felicity which floweth from his favour you will find in ſome meaſure diſcovered in the enſuing diſcourſe: which I preſent to you as a ſmall acknowledgement of my great ingagements to you. Lycurgus the Lacedemonian Law-giver, made no Law againſt ingratitude, as thinking it impoſſible for any man to degenerate ſo much as to be unthankful, I eſteem it my duty to retain the former favours in memory, which I and mine have received from your ſelf, and my Honoured friend your Husband, and I know not better how to teſtifie my gratitude, then by endeavouring to my power, your everlaſting welfare, and that you may come to your graves in a full age; as a ſhock of corn in its ſeaſon.
Its a mercy to be full of days, a far greater mercy to be full of grace, but to be full of days and full of grace, is one of the moſt bleſſed beautiful ſights in this World, I hope you are paſſed from death to life, becauſe you love the brethren; but your Age calleth upon you to enſure your effectual calling: The truth is death borders upon our births, and our Coffins, hang over our Cradles, but though according to the ſaying of Epaminondas, we may ſalute young perſons with Good-morrow, or welcome into the World, yet we muſt ſalute old perſons with Good-night, for they are leaving the world, The nearer it is tonight, the harder we ſhould work, when we know if our work be not done in this day of life, we are undone for ever. Natural motions are ſwifteſt at laſt. The ſtream of grace muſt run with greateſt ſpeed when its emptying it ſelf into the Ocean of glory. The good Lord enable you to be more and more upright, and abundant in well doing, and ſo bleſs your whole Family with his fear and favour that when Death ſhall break it up ye may be preferred from his lower houſe of prayer, to his upper houſe of praiſe, where is fulneſs of joy, and where are pleaſures for evermore, Which is the deſire of
Your Servant in the bleſſed Saviour, George Swinnock.
There is extant of this Reverend Authors theſe ſix other Treatiſes, all ſold by Thomas Parkhurſt at the lower end of Cheapſide,
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.
The fading of the fleſh, and the flouriſhing of faith; or one caſt for eternity, with the only way to throw it well.
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.