A39682:401
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.
O how hath this wilderness entangled us! our discourses and conferences, nay our very prayers and duties have a tang of it: we have had so much work without doors, that we have been able to do but little within. It was the sad complaint of an holy one, O saith he!1 tis sad to think, how many precious opportunities I have lost, how many sweet motions, and admonitions of the Spirit I have posted over unfruitfully, and made the Lord to speak in vain, in the secret illapses of his Spirit, the Lord hath called upon me, but my worldly thoughts did still lodge within me, and there was no place in my heart for such calls of God. surely there is a way of enjoying God, even in our worldly employments▪ ⟨p. 189⟩G•d would never have put us upon them to our loss. Enoch walked with God, and begat sons and daughters, Gen. 5. 19. He walked with God, but did not retire and separate himself from the things of this life: and the Angels that are employed by Christ in the things of this world (for the Spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels) they are finite creatures, and cannot be in a twofold ubi at one time, yet they lose nothing of the beatifical vision, all the time of their administration, for Mat•h. 18. 10. their Angels (even whilst they are employed for them) Behold the face of their father which is in heaven. We need not lose our visions by our employments, if the fault were not our own: alas! that ever Christians who stand at the door of eternity, and have more work upon their hands then this poor moment of interposing time is sufficient for, should yet be filling both our heads and hearts with trifles.
O how hath this wilderness intangled us! our discourses and conferences, nay our very prayers and duties have a tang of it: we have had so much work without doors, that we have been able to doe but little within. It was the sad complaint of an holy one, O saith he!1 tis sad to think, how many precious opportunities I have lost, how many sweet motions, and admonitions of the Spirit I have posted over unfruitfully, and made the Lord to speak in vain, in the secret illapses of his Spirit, the Lord hath called upon me, but my worldly thoughts did still lodge within me, and there was no place in my heart for such calls of God. surely there is a way of injoying God, even in our worldly imployments