A73612:78
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.
CHAP. IIII.
The trial of a godly man by his Faith.
The triall of a godly man by his Faith.
Faith is the next thing to be tried in a child of God. And in as much as there ⟨p. 40⟩are divers kinds of faith,1 and experience shows in many that give no signs of repentance, that they will not be beaten from a confident presumption that Christ died for them, even for them in particular: it stands us in hand to try our persuasion by true rules of Scripture, that so if it will abide the trial of the touchstone, we may lay it up as an hid treasure and a wonderful grace of God; and if otherwise, we may repent us of presumption, as a deceivable sin.
FAith is the next thing to be tried in a childe of God. And in as much as there ⟨p. 40⟩are diuers kinds of faith,1 and experience shewes in many that giue no signes of repentance, that they wil not be beaten frō a confident presumption that Christ died for them, euen for them in particular: it stands vs in hand to trie our perswasion by true rules of Scripture, that so if it will abide the trial of the touchstone, we may lay it vp as an hid treasure and a wonderfull grace of God; and if otherwise, we may repent vs of presumption, as a deceiueable sinne.