A39695:572
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 11 › 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.
Ah Reader, thou must be cast for ever according to the integrity or hypocrisy of thy heart with God. Summon in then all the powers of thy soul, bring thy thoughts as close as it is possible to bring them to this matter: if there be any subject of consideration able to drink up the spirits of a man, here it is: never was time put to an higher improvement, never were thoughts spent upon ⟨p. 177⟩a more important business than this is: happy is the man that rescues the years, months, days, yea, the very moments of his life from other employments, to consecrate them unto this solemn, awful, and most important business.
Ah Reader, thou must be cast for ever according to the integrity or hypocrisie of thy heart with God. Summon in then all the powers of thy soul, bring thy thoughts as close as it is possible to bring them to this matter: if there be any subject of consideration able to drink up the spirits of a man, here it is: never was time put to an higher improvement, never were thoughts spent upon ⟨p. 177⟩a more important business than this is: happy is the man that rescues the years, months, dayes, yea, the very moments of his life from other imployments, to consecrate them unto this solemn, awful, and most important business.
Motive 4. Fourthly, How evidential will it be of your sincerity, when you are willing to come to the trial of your own hearts!
Motive 4. Fourthly, How evidential will it be of your sincerity, when you are willing to come to the tryal of your own hearts!
Suppose your doubts and fears should in some degree remain with you, yet in this you may take some comfort, that if Hypocrisy be in your heart, it is not there by consent: you are not loth to rich and come to the trial, because like Rachel you sit upon your Idols: certainly it is a good sign thy heart is right, when it is filled with so much fear lest it should be false: you know all the disciples said, Master, Is it I: before Judas who was the Traitor spake a word. Last of all (saith the text) Judas said is it I? our willingness to be tried, is a good sign that the desire of our souls is to be right with God.