A39695:512
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 9 › 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.
Much after that rate it would be with our hearts, did not the Lord frequently try and exercise them: let the best man be without some trial or other but a few months, & you may find the want of it in his prayers and conferences quickly. O what a tan• of formality will be found in them! an• is it for the honour of God or profit of hi• people that it should be so? no, no, the Lo•• knows it is not; but how shall their spiri•• ⟨p. 151⟩be reduced to the former zealous heavenly temper again; why, saith the Lord, they must into the Furnace again. I will melt them and try them, for how shall I do for the daughter of my people! Jer. 9. 7. I love them too well to lose them for want of a rod: alas! if I should suffer things to go on at this rate, what will become of them in a little time? what delight can I take in their duties▪ when the faith, fervour, humility, & holy seriousness of their spirits is wanting in them? I will therefore refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried; and they shall call upon my name, and I will hear them; and I will say it is my people; and they shall say the Lord is my God, Zech. 13. 9. and thus the Lord chides himself friend again with his people.
Much after that rate it would be with our hearts, did not the Lord frequently try and exercise them: let the best man be without some tryal or other but a few months, & you may find the want of it in his prayers and conferences quickly. O what a tan• of formality will be found in them! an• is it for the honour of God or profit of hi• people that it should be so? no, no, the Lo•• knows it is not; but how shall their spiri••