A39695:22
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.
Hereat Prince Frederick (who was one of the Spectators) greatly amazed, cryed out, Quid est fides nostra Christiana, si neque Maria, neque alia Sancta exorari potest, &c. What is our faith worth, and to what purpose are al• our good works, if neither Mary, nor any other Saint can help us! And such was his consternation, that it threw him into a sore and violent disease, which ended in an Apoplex, whereof he died about four days after.
Hereat Prince Frederick (who was one of the Spectators) greatly amazed, cryed out, Quid est fides nostra Christiana, si neque Maria, neque alia Sancta exorari potest, &c. What is our faith worth, and to what purpose are al• our good works, if neither Mary, nor any other Saint can help us! And such was his consternation, that it threw him into a sore and violent disease, which ended in an Apoplex, whereof he died about four daies after.
If the representation of these things in a Play ended the Life of so great a Man, so tragically; Oh think with thy self, Reader, what will the effects of the Lords real appearance in the clouds of Heaven, and the mourning and wailing of the Tribes of the Earth in that day be? Think I say and think again, and again, what the dismal effects of such a sight and sound will be upon all that neglect serious preparation themselves, and scoff at them that do prepare to meet the Lord.
The design of this Manual is to bring every Mans Gold to the Touchstone and Fire• I mean every Mans Grace to the trial of th• word, that thereby we may know what we are, what we have, and what we must expect and trust to at the Lord's coming. I pretend not to any gift of discerning Spirits. Such a• extraordinary gift there once was in the Church and very necessary for those times (wherein Satan ⟨image 5⟩was so busy, and the Canon of Scripture not completed) which the Apostle calls the Gift of discerning Spirits, 1 Cor. 12. 10. and some are of Opinion that by virtue of this Gift, Peter discerned the Hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira, but whatever that Gift was, it is utterly ceased now; no Man can pretend to it, but •he Ordinary aids and assistances of the Spirit are with us still, and the lively Oracles are a•ong us still, to them we may freely go for resolution of all doubts, and decision of perplexed •ases: and thus we may discern our own Spirits, though we want the extraordinary gift of discerning other Mens Spirits.
The design of this Manual is to bring every Mans Gold to the Touchstone and Fire• I mean every Mans Grace to the tryal of th• word, that thereby we may know what we are, what we have, and what we must expect and trust to at the Lord's coming. I preten• not to any gift of diserning Spirits. Such a• extraordinary gift there once was in the Church and very necessary for those times (wherein Satan ⟨image 5⟩was so busie, and the Canon of Scripture not compleated) which the Apostle calls the Gift of discerning Spirits, 1 Cor. 12. 10. and some are of Opinion that by vertue of this Gift, Peter discerned the Hypocrisie of Ananias and Saphira, but whatever that Gift was, it is ut•erly ceased now; no Man can pretend to it, but •he Ordinary aids and assistances of the Spirit are with us still, and the lively Oracles are a•ong us still, to them we may freely go for resolution of all doubts, and decision of perplexed •ases: and thus we may discern our own Spi•its, though we want the extraordinary gift of discerning other Mens Spirits.
I have little to say of this Treatise in thy Hands, more than that it is well aimed, and •esigned, however it be managed: the Ear tries words, as the Mouth tasteth Meat; these things will relish according to the Palates it meets •ith.
It is not the pleasing, but profiting of Men ••at I have herein laboured for. I know of •othing in it that is like to wound the upright, […] slightly heal the Hypocrite, by crying peace, •ace, when there is no peace. Scripture light •ath been my Cynosura, and with that thread • my hand, I have followed the search of Hy•crisie through the Labyrinths of the Heart. •ome assistance I hope I have had also from experience; for Scripture and Experience are ⟨image 6⟩such Relatives, and the tie betwixt them so•a discernible, as nothing in Nature can be mor• so. What we feel in our hearts, we might have read in the Scriptures before ever we fel• it.
It is not the pleasing, but profiting of Men ••at I have herein laboured for. I know of •othing in it that is like to wound the upright, 〈…〉 slightly heal the Hypocrite, by crying peace, •ace, when there is no peace. Scripture light •ath been my Cynosura, and with that thread • my hand, I have followed the search of Hy•crisie through the Labyrinths of the Heart. •ome assistance I hope I have had also from •xperience; for Scripture and Experience are ⟨image 6⟩such Relatives, and the tye betwixt them so•a discernable, as nothing in Nature can be mor• so. What we feel in our hearts, we might have read in the Scriptures before ever we fel• it.
That the Blessing of God may go forth with it, and accompany it to thy Soul, Reader, i• the hearts desire and prayer of
Thine and the Churches Servant in Christ, John Flavell
Thine and the Churches Servant in Christ, Iohn Flavell
THE Touchstone of Sincerity: OR, THE SIGNS Of GRACE, AND Symptoms of Hypocrisy, Opened in a Treatise upon REVEL. III. xvii, xviii.
THE Touchstone of Sincerity: OR, THE SIGNS Of GRACE, AND Symptoms of Hypocrisie, Opened in a Treatise upon REVEL. III. xvii, xviii.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing: And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me GOLD TRIED in the FIRE, that thou mayest be rich, &c.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing: And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me GOLD TRYED in the FIRE, that thou mayest be rich, &c.
CHAP. I.
Wherein the Text is opened, and the Doctrines propounded.
Although the Revelation be a compendium of intricate Visions and obscure Prophecies, containing almost as many mysteries as words:1 yet that cloud overshadows the Propheti•• ⟨p. 2⟩part only; which begins where this Chapter (with the doctrinal part) ends: here th• Waters are found no deeper than in othe• places of Scripture; but if we go a little farther they become an overflowing flood: hitherto we touch ground, but a step farther deliver us into the deeps, which are above the head of the tallest Christians: here the Spirit speaks doctrinally, and perspicuously; but i• the following Chapters mystically, and i• great obscurity.
ALthough the Revelation be a compendium of intricate Visions and obscure Prophecies, containing almost as many mysteries as words:1 yet that cloud overshadows the Propheti•• ⟨p. 2⟩part only; which begins where this Chap••ter (with the doctrinal part) ends: here th• Waters are found no deeper than in othe• places of Scripture; but if we go a little farther they become an overflowing flood: hithert• we touch ground, but a step farther delive• us into the deeps, which are above the head of the tallest Christians: here the Spiri• speaks doctrinally, and perspicuously; but i• the following Chapters mystically, and i• great obscurity.
- 1Tot mysteria quo•verba. Hieron.
Seven Epistles are found in this Doctrinal part, immediately dictated from Heaven• and sent by John to the Seven Churches of Asia, to instruct, correct, encourage, and confirm them, as their several cases required.
Seven Epistles are found in this Doctrina• part, immediately dictated from Heaven• and sent by Iohn to the Seven Churches of Asia, to instruct, correct, encourage, and confirm them, as their several cases required.
My Text falls in the last Epistle, sent to the Church of Laodicea; the worst, and most degenerate of all the rest. The best had their defects, and infirmities; but this laboured under the most dangerous disease of all. The fairest face of the seven had some spots, but a dangerous disease seems to have invaded the very heart of this.
My Text falls in the last Epistle, sent to the Church of L•odicea; the worst, and most degenerate of all the rest. The best had their defects, and infirmities; but this laboured under the most dangerous disease of all. The fairest face of the seven had some spots, but a •angerous disease seems to have invaded the very heart of this.
Not that all were equally guilty, but the greatest part (from which the whole is denominated) were lukewarm professors; who •ad a name to live, but were dead, who being never throughly engaged in Religion, easily embraced that principle of the Gnost•ks which made it [Greek or Hebrew] a matter of indifferency ⟨p. 3⟩to own or deny Christ in time of persecution. The most saving Doctrine that •me Professors are acquainted with. This •kewarm temper Christ hated, he was sick […] them, and loathed their indifferency: I •ish (saith he) v. 16. thou wert either cold or •t; an expression of the same amount with •at in 1 King. 18. 21. how long halt you between […] opinions? And is manifestly translated •om the qualities of •ater, 1which is either •ld, or hot; or lukewarm, a middle temper betwixt both, & more •aucious to the stomach than either of •e former. Cold is the complexion and natural temper of those ••at are wholly aliena•d and estranged from Christ and Religion. •ot, is the gracious temper of those that now and love Jesus Christ in an excelling degree. Lukewarm, or tepid, is the temper of •ose who have too much Religion to be e•eemed Carnal, and too little to be truly spiritual; a generation that is too politic to •enture much, and yet so foolish as to lose all: ••ey are loth to forsake Truth wholly, and •ore loth to follow it too closely: the form of religion they affect as an honour, the power of […] they judge a burden.
Not that all were equally guilty, but the greatest part (from which the whole is de•ominated) were lukewarm professors; who •ad a name to live, but were dead, who being never throughly engaged in Religion, •asily embraced that principle of the Gnost•ks which made it 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 a matter of indifferency ⟨p. 3⟩to own or deny Christ in time of •ersecution. The most saving Doctrine that •me Professors are acquainted with. This •kewarm temper Christ hated, he was sick 〈…〉 them, and loathed their indifferency: I •ish (saith he) v. 16. thou wert either cold or •t; an expression of the same amount with •at in 1 King. 18. 21. how long halt you between 〈…〉 opinions? And is manifestly transla•ed •om the qualities of •ater, 1which is either •ld, or hot; or luke•arm, a middle temper •etwixt both, & more •aucious to the sto•ach than either of •e former. Cold is the •omplexion and natu•al temper of those ••at are wholly aliena•d and estranged from Christ and Religion. •ot, is the gracious temper of those that now and love Jesus Christ in an excelling •egree. Lukewarm, or tepid, is the temper of •ose who have too much Religion to be e•eemed Carnal, and too little to be truly •piritual; a generation that is too politick to •enture much, and yet so foolish as to lose all: ••ey are loth to forsake Truth wholly, and •ore loth to follow it too closely: the form of •eligion they affect as an honour, the power of 〈…〉 they judge a burden.
- 1Frigidos vocat planè à Christo alienos. Fervidos, verâ Christi cognitione in excellenti gradu praeditos. Tepidos, qui cum Christiani aici velint, nec causam religionis serio agunt, nec vitam confessioni conformem dignamque ducunt. Sol. Glass. Rhet. Sacra par. 3. p. 165.
This is that temper which the Lord hat• and this was the Disease of Laodicea, whi• Christ the great and only Heart-Anatom and Soul-Physician discovers in v. 17. and p• scribes a cure for it in v. 18. So that […] words resolve themselves into two parts: […] First, A faithful discovery, Secondly, A proper remedy, of the Disea• of Laodic•
This is that temper which the Lord hat• and this was the Disease of Laodicea, whi• Christ the great and only Heart-Anatom and Soul-Physician discovers in v. 17. and p• scribes a cure for it in v. 18. So that 〈…〉 words resolve themselves into two parts: 〈…〉 First, A faithful discovery, Secondly, A proper remedy, of the Disea• of Laodic•