A39695:169
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.
9. Ninthly, The Hypocritical pretences made to it all over the professing world, show what a most precious and desirable thing it is: if there were not some singular glory in it, why doth every one covet to be reputed gracious? nay the Devil himself baits many of his hooks of temptation with a show of grace: for he knows sin hath no native beauty of its own to entice; and therefore he borrows the paint and pretence of holiness, to cover it: but O what a dilemma will the Hypocrite be posed with at last? and how can he answer it when God shall demand.
9. Ninthly, The Hypocritical pretences made to it all over the professing world, shew what a most precious and desirable thing it is: if there were not some singular glory in it, why doth every one covet to be reputed gracious? nay the Devil himself baits many of his hooks of temptation with a shew of grace: for he knows sin hath no native beauty of its own to entice; and therefore he borrows the paint and pretence of holiness, to cover it: but O what a dilemma will the Hypocrite be posed with at last? and how can he answer it when God shall demand.
If grace were evil, why didst thou so affect the name and reputation of it? And if it were good, why didst thou satisfy thy self with the empty name and shadow of it only?
If grace were evil, why didst thou so affect the name and reputation of it? And if it were good, why didst thou satisfie thy self with the empty name and shadow of it only?
10. Tenthly, To conclude; The incomparable esteem that all good men have for it, shows it to be a thing of inestimable price.
10. Tenthly, To conclude; The incomperable esteem that all good men have for it, shews it to be a thing of inestimable price.