A39682:322
A Saint Indeed
A saint indeed: or The great work of a Christian, opened and pressed; from Prov. 4. 23 Being a seasonable and proper expedient for the recovery of the much decayed power of godliness, among the professors of these times. By John Flavell M. of the Gospel.
London: printed by W.R., 1668
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.
1. You doubt, and are ready to conclude the Lord hath no regard or love for your Souls, because of some extraordinary affliction which is come upon you: but I would not have thy Soul so to conclude till thou be able satisfactorily to answer those three questions.
1. Quest. If great troubles and afflictions be marks of Gods hatred, why should not impunity and constant prosperity be tokens of his love? for contrariorum contraria est ratio & consequentia: of contrary things, there is a contrary reason and consequence: but is this so indeed? or saith not the scripture quite otherwise? Prov. 1. 32. The prosperity of fools destroy them. So Psal. 73. •.
2. Quest. Dare I draw the same conclusion upon all others that have been as much, yea more afflicted then my self? if this argument conclude against thee, then so it doth against every one in thy condition; yea, the greater the affliction ⟨p. 152⟩of any Child of God hath been, the more strongly the argument still concludes: and then woe to David, Job, Heman, Paul, and all that have been afflicted as they were.
2. Quest. Dare I draw the same conclusion upon all others that have been as much, yea more afflicted then my self? if this argument conclude against thee, then so it doth against every one in thy condition; yea, the greater the affliction ⟨p. 152⟩of any Child of God hath been, the more strongly the argument still concludes: and then wo to David, Iob, Heman, Paul, and all that have been afflicted as they were.