A39682:366
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.
Seas. 12. The twelfth season of looking diligently to our hearts, and keeping them with greatest care, is the time of sickness: When a Child of God draws nigh to eternity; when there are but a few sands more in the upper part of his Glass to run down; Now Satan busily bestit•s himself: of him it may be said, as of the natural Serpent, nunquaem nisi moriens producitur in longum; he is never seen at his full length till dying: and now his great design, since he cannot win the soul from God; is to discourage, and make it unwilling to go to God: though the gracious soul with Jacob should then rouse up its self upon a dying bed, and rejoice that the marriage day of the Lamb is now almost come; though it should then say, with dying Austen: Vivere renuo ut ⟨p. 172⟩Christovivam, I despise life to be with Christ. Or as dying Milius, when one asked him whether he were willing to dye? O said he! I••ius est nolle mori qui nolit ire ad Christum; let him be unwilling to dye, who is unwilling to go to Christ. But O! what shrinking from death? What loathness to depart? may sometimes (indeed too frequently) be observed in the people of God: How loath are some of them to take Death by the cold hand? If such a liberty were indulged to us, not to be dissolved till we dissolve our selves; when should we say with S. Paul, I desire to be dissolved? Well then, the last Case shall be this:
Seas. 12. The twelfth season of looking diligently to our hearts, and keeping them with greatest care, is the time of sickness: When a Child of God d•aws •nigh to eternity; when there are but a few sands more in the upper part of his Glass to run down; Now Satan busily bestit•s himself: of him it may be said, as of the natural Serpent, nunquaem nisi moriens producitur in longum; he is never seen at his full length till dying: and now his great designe, since he cannot win the soul from God; is to discourage, and make it unwilling to go to God: though the gracious soul with Iacob should then rouse up its self upon a dying bed, and rejoyce that the marriage day of the Lamb is now almost come; though it should then say, with dying Austen: Vivere renuo ut ⟨p. 172⟩