A39695:418
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.
THE Touchstone of Sincerity: OR, THE SIGNS Of GRACE, AND Symptoms o… › Chapter 7 › Section 2
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.
But now for a soul truly gracious, he cannot long subsist without secret prayer. 'Tis true, there is not always an equal freedom and delight, a like enlargement and comfort in those retirements: but yet he cannot be without them: he finds the want of his secret, in his public duties: if he and his God have not met in secret, and had some Communion in the morning, he sensibly finds it in the deadness and unprofitableness of his heart and life all the day after.
But now for a soul truly gracious, he cannot long subsist without secret prayer. 'Tis true, there is not always an equal freedom and delight, a like enlargement and comfort in those retirements: but yet he cannot be without them: he finds the want of his secret, in his publick duties: if he and his God have not met in secret, and had some Communion in the morning, he sensibly finds it in the deadness and unprofitableness of his heart and life all the day after.
4. Fourthly, The spirituality of our duties tries the sincerity of our graces: an unregenerate heart is carnal, whilst engaged in duties that are spiritual. Some men deceive themselves in thinking they are spiritual men, because their employment and calling ⟨p. 120⟩is about spiritual things, Hosea 9. 7. this indeed gives them the denomination, but not the frame of spiritual men: and others judge themselves spiritual persons, because they frequently perform and attend upon spiritual duties: but alas the heart and state may be carnal notwithstanding all this. O my friends, it is not enough that the object of your duties is spiritual, that they respect an holy God; nor that the matter be spiritual, that you be conversant about holy things; but the frame of your heart must be spiritual, an heavenly temper of soul is necessary, and what are the most heavenly duties without it?
4. Fourthly, The spirituality of our duties tryes the sincerity of our graces: an unregenerate heart is carnal, whilest engaged in duties that are spiritual. Some men deceive themselves in thinking they are spiritual men, because their imployment and calling