A73612:246
The spiritual touchstoneThe spiritval tovchstone
The spiritual touchstone: or, The signs of a godly man drawn in so plain and profitable a manner, as all sorts of Christians may try themselves thereby. Together with directions, how the weak Christian, by the use of these signs may establish his assurance. By. N. Bifield preacher of Gods word at Isteworth in Middlesex.The spiritval tovchstone: or, The signes of a godly man drawne in so plaine and profitable a maner, as all sorts of Christians may trie themselues thereby. Together with directions, how the weake Christian, by the vse of these signes may establish his assurance. By. N. Bifield preacher of Gods word at Isteworth in Middlesex.
London: printed by R. Field for Jonah Man, 1619London: printed by R. Field for Ionas Man, 1619
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.
Though at the first in reading but a sign or two, thou get but a few things may comfort thee, yet hold out till thou come to the end of all the signs, & then thou shalt see a fair army (as it were of arguments) to prove thy election and salvation. For whereas the most and best of us, if we be asked this question, ⟨p. 128⟩By what marks do we know that we are the true children of God, & not wicked men? If we answer on a sudden, and by present memory, we can scarce give two sound reasons to prove the infallibility of our happy estate: which shows, that the most of us live at a great uncertainty. Now he that hath gone through the signs, shall find perhaps 20, or 30, or 40 several and distinct arguments or marks, which when he hath collected them all together, may serve to answer all the ⟨p. 129⟩objections of all the devils in hell. The gates of hell cannot prevail against his faith: which I declare thus: If the devil say, thou art a wicked man, and an hypocrite; thou mayest readily answer, that by the grace of God in Jesus Christ thou art none such; and mayest put the devil to prove by the word of God, that ever any wicked man did attain to all those signs thou hast collected. Which, because it cannot be done, thou mayest with much rest and full assurance commit thy self ⟨p. 130⟩to God, and bind thy self by covenant, never more to dishonour him by such unbelief, as to call his love & thy salvation into question. If a threefold cord cannot be broken, how weak then should thy heart be, if thou shouldst fear thy estate, unto which God hath so sealed, and so many ways marked thee out for himself?
Though at the first in reading but a signe or two, thou get but a few things may cōfort thee, yet hold out till thou come to the end of all the signes, & then thou shalt see a faire army (as it were of arguments) to proue thy election and saluation. For whereas the most and best of vs, if we be asked this question, ⟨p. 128⟩By what marks do we know that we are the true children of God, & not wicked men? If we answer on a sudden, and by present memory, we can scarce giue two soūd reasons to proue the infallibilitie of our happy estate: which shews, that the most of vs liue at a great vncertaintie. Now he yt hath gone through the signes, shal find perhaps 20, or 30, or 40 seuerall and distinct arguments or markes, which when he hath collected them all together, may serue to answer all the