The Puritans believed that God designed us for a specific end. Namely, to find pleasure in Him. This was apparent in the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, “Q: what is the chief end of man? A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

George Swinnock was a puritan pastor born in 1627. He was a graduate of Cambridge and Oxford. He died in 1672 at the age of 46. He wrote the book The Fading of the Flesh and the Flourishing of Faith for the good of the church he served, and Christians through the ages.

Swinnock affirms that man can only be satisfied by that which is of God. God alone is the soul’s center and rest. He reminds us that “your happiness depends entirely upon your taking the blessed God for your utmost end and chiefest good.”

He uses the juxtaposition of the world (that which is fading) and heaven (that which is flourishing). With these two contrasts, he appeals to the reader to throw off the trivial bits of this world, for the satisfying portions of eternity.

He writes, “God is all good things, and every good thing. He is self-sufficient, alone sufficient, and all sufficient. Nothing is lacking in Him - either for the soul’s protection from all evil, or for the soul’s perfection with all good.” He continues, “to be eternally happy or eternally miserable, to live eternally or to die eternally, are of greater importance than you are aware. God is not only a satisfying portion, filling every crevice of your soul with the light of joy and comfort, but He is an eternal portion forever and ever!”

This is not a stuffy, dry book written by another dead guy. Actually he is dead, but it’s not dull and boring. He has a very approachable writing style. He uses a lot of analogies that help to illustrate his points. For example he says about holding tight to the affections of this world, “If the world is as loose as a cloak, then you can take it off whenever you like. If it’s as close as your skin, it will be painfully difficult to take it off.”

You can read this short book over a comfortable weekend. After reading this book I have a greater motivation to set aside those things that tie my affections to this world. My prayer is Psalm 16:11: “In your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore!”