A39660:1164
Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20
Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20 : wherein is opened the admirable condescension and patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate sinners, the wretched state of the unconverted, the nature of evangelical faith ..., the riches of free grace in the offers of Christ ..., the invaluable privileges of union and communion granted to all who receive him ... / by John Flavell ...Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20 : wherein is opened the admirable condescension and patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate sinners, the wretched state of the unconverted, the nature of evangelical faith ..., the riches of free grace in the offers of Christ ..., the invaluable priviledges of union and communion granted to all who receive him ... / by John Flavell ...
London: printed for Matthew Wotton, 1689
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.
Such a conviction as this could it work home, and do its work throughly, would be the salvation of thy Soul. Were power added to the form, as Conscience would have it, thou wert then a real Christian, and out of the danger of Hell. The want of this thy Conscience sees will be thy ruin, and accordingly gives thee plain warning of it. O what pity is it such a conviction as this should be held in Unrighteousness! but so it is in very many souls, and that on several accounts.
First, Because Hypocrisy is so odious and abominable a sin that men are loath to own and acknowledge it how guilty so ever they be of it. What, dissemble with God, and play the Hypocrite with him; 'tis so black and foul a Crime that men cannot ⟨p. 24⟩easily be brought to charge themselves with it▪ They may have the infirmities which are common to the best of men, but yet they are no hypocrites, thus Pride of Heart casts a chain upon this conviction, and binds it that it cannot do its work.
First, Because Hypocrisie is so odious and abominable a sin that men are loath to own and acknowledge it how guilty so ever they be of it. What, dissemble with God, and play the Hypocrite with him; 'tis so black and foul a Crime that men cannot ⟨p. 24⟩easily be brought to charge themselves with it▪ They may have the infirmities which are common to the best of men, but yet they are no hypocrites, thus Pride of Heart casts a chain upon this conviction, and binds it that it cannot do its work.
Secondly, 'Tis a cheap and easy way to give God the external Service and Worship of the Body, but Heart-work is hard work. To sit or kneel an hour or two is no great matter, but to search, humble, and break the Heart for sin; to work up the dead and earthly Affections into a spiritual heavenly frame, this will cost many an hard tug. 'Tis no severe task to sit before God as his people, whilst the fancy and thoughts are left at liberty to wander which way they please, as the thoughts of formal Hypocrites use to do,