A94156:606
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature and necessity of it is discovered. : As also the Christian directed how he may perform it in [brace] religious duties, natural actions, his particular vocation, his family directions, and his own recreations. / By George Swinnock ...
London: printed for T.P., 1662
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.
Reader, examine thy self therefore whether thou art born again or no. Look into the Word of God, and compare thy self with the Characters which are there given of new born Creatures. They are sometimes described by their hearts. God is good to Israel, to such as are of a clean heart. Psa. 73.1. Their hearts are clean, not with a legal cleanness, which denieth the being of sin in them; In that sense none can say I have made my heart clean (this spotless robe is reserved for the Saints wearing in the other World) but with an Evangelical cleanness, which denieth the dominion of sin over them (this cleanly garment is the Saints ordinary attire in this world.) We call River-water clean water, though there be some kind of illness and impurity in it, because it will not (like pond water) mingle with it, and suffer the filth to rest there, but worketh it out, and sendeth it forth in its scum and froth. Now how is it with thee Friend? Doth sin rest quietly in thee? or is it resisted by thee? Dost thou love sin or loath sin? Dost thou count it thy pleasure or thy poison? When the body is dead, Vermin crawl in it without opposition. When the soul is dead, lusts abound in it and reign without any considerable disturbance. An unclean heart is ⟨p. 270⟩quickly overcome by sin. As when a Chimney is foul, it is apt to be fired by every spark that flieth up, whereas when it is clean, though many fly up it remaineth safe; so when the heart is unclean, Satan can no sooner throw in his fiery Darts, but presently it is in a flame; whereas a clean heart is like wet tinder not so soon burning when he strikes fire. Godly men as they have clean hearts, so they have clean hands, Job 17.9. The hand is the instrument of action; by clean hands, the Spirit of God meaneth clean and holy actings.
Reader, examine thy self therefore whether thou art born again or no. Look into the Word of God, and compare thy self with the Characters which are there given of new born Creatures. They are sometimes described by their hearts. God is good to Israel, to such as are of a clean heart. Psa. 73.1. Their hearts are clean, not with a legal cleanness, which denyeth the being of sin in them; In that sense none can say I have made my heart clean (this spotless robe is reserved for the Saints wearing in the other World) but with an Evangelical cleanness, which denyeth the dominion of sin over them (this cleanly garment is the Saints ordinary attire in this world.) We call River-water clean water, though there be some kind of illness and impurity in it, because it will not (like pond water) mingle with it, and suffer the filth to rest there, but worketh it out, and seadeth it forth in its scum and froth. Now how is it with thee Friend? Doth sin rest quietly in thee? or is it resisted by thee? Dost thou love sin or loath sin? Dost thou count it thy pleasure or thy poison? When the body is dead, Vermine crawl in it without opposition. When the soul is dead, lusts abound in it and reign without any considerable disturbance. An unclean heart is