A39695:158
The touchstone of sincerity, or, The signs of grace and symptoms of hypocrisy opened…The touchstone of sincerity, or, The signs of grace and symptomes of hypocrisie opened…
The touchstone of sincerity, or, The signs of grace and symptoms of hypocrisy opened in a practical treatise upon Revelations III 17, 18 being the second part of the Saint indeed / by John Flavell ...The touchstone of sincerity, or, The signs of grace and symptomes of hypocrisie opened in a practical treatise upon Revelations III 17, 18 being the second part of the Saint indeed / by John Flavell ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1698
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
(6) To conclude, it is the root of all that precious fruit which we bring forth to God in this World. It is the root of every gracious word in our lips, and of every gracious work in our hands: be the matter of our gracious thoughts never so excellent, the matter of our heavenly discourses and prayers never so sweet; still grace is the root of the matter; Job 19. 28. O then what a precious thing is grace!
(6) To conclude, it is the root of all that precious fruit which we bring forth to God in this World. It is the root of every gracious word in our lips, and of every gracious work in our hands: be the matter of our gracious thoughts never so excellent, the matter of our heavenly discourses and prayers never so sweet; still grace is the root of the matter; Iob 19. 28. O then what a precious thing is grace!
5. Fifthly, View it in its properties, and you will soon discover its transcendent excellencies: the richest Epithets are no Hyperboles here, we speak not beyond the value of it, when we call it Supernatural Grace, for so it is. It comes down from above, from the Father of Lights, Jam. 1. 17. nature can never be improved to that height, how much soever its Admirers boast of it: nor do we strain too high, when we call it immortal grace; for so God hath made it: this is that water which springs up in the sanctified soul into eternal life, John 4. 14. It will not dye when thou diest, but ascend with the soul ⟨p. 41⟩from which it is inseparable; and be swallowed up with it into glory, Rom. 8. 10. you may out live your friends, you may outlive your Estates, you may out-live your Gifts; but you can't out-live your Graces.