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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	affliction_n	lord_n	sin_n	1,503	5	4.9511	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39695	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 ...	Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.; Flavel, John, 1630?-1691. Saint indeed, or, The great work of a Christian opened and pressed.	1698 (1698)	Wing F1202; ESTC R40933	101,310	218

it needfu●● to acquaint thee That the fruits of afflictions are mostly after-fruits and not so discerna●●●● by the Christian himself under the rod 〈◊〉 after he hath been exercised by it Heb. ●● 11. and calmly reflects upon what is past 〈◊〉 doth every Christian attain the same easure and degree some rejoyce others ●mmonly submit but I think these seven ●ects are ordinarily found in all upright ●earts that pass under the rod. 1. First The sincere and upright soul be●●es its self to God in affliction Iob 1. 20. ●hen God was smiting Iob was praying ●hen God afflicted Iob worshipped So David ●al 116. 3 4. I found sorrow and trouble ●en called I upon 〈◊〉 the name of the Lord and ●hen the messenger of Satan buffeted Paul 〈◊〉 this cause saith he I besought the Lord ●rice 2 Cor. 12. 8. Alas whither should a ●hild go in distress but to its Father 2. Secondly He sees and owns the hand of ●od in his afflictions how much or little ●ever of the instruments of trouble appear 〈◊〉 Lord hath taken away saith Iob Iob 1. ● God hath bidden him saith David 2 ●●m 16. 10. If the blow come from the ●nd of a wicked man yet he sees that ●●cked hand in Gods righteous hand Psal ● 14. And this apprehension is fundamental 〈◊〉 all that communion men have with God ●heir affl●ctions to all that peaceableness ●●gracious submission of their spirits under 〈◊〉 rod he that sees nothing of God in his trou●●s hath nothing of God in his soul. 3. Thirdly He can justifie God in all th● afflictions and troubles that come up● on him be they never so severe Thou ar● just in all that is brought upon us saith Nehemiah● Nehem. 9. 33. Thou hast punished us less tha● our iniquities deserve saith Ezra Ezra 9. 13 It is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed saith the Church Lam. 3. 22. Are we in Babylon it's a mercy we are not in hell If God con●demn him yet he will justifie God if God cast him into a sea of trouble yet he will acknowledge in all that sea of trouble there i● not one drop of injustice If I have not deserved such usage from the hands of men● yet I have deserved worse than this at the hands of God 4. Fourthly Afflictions use to melt an● humble gracious hearts there is an habitu●al tenderness planted in their spirits and 〈◊〉 just occasion quickly draws it forth and so usual a thing it is for gracious hearts to be humbled under the afflictings of God that affliction is upon that score called humiliation the effect put for the cause to shew where one is the other will be 2 Cor. 12 21. My God will humble me i. e. he wil● afflict me with the sight of your si●s and disorders and if a gracious soul b● so ap● to be humbled for other mens sins much more for his own 5. Fifthly The upright soul is inquisitive ●●der the rod to find out that evil for ●hich the Lord contends with him by af●●●ction Job 10. 2. shew me wherefore thou ●●ntendest with me and Job 34. 31. that ●hich I see not teach thou me If I have done ●iquity I will do no more So Lam. 3. 39 4. 〈◊〉 us search and try our ways and turn again 〈◊〉 the Lord in afflicting God searches them ●nd under affliction they search themselves ●illing they are to hear the voice of the rod ●nd glad of any discovery it makes of ●heir hearts 6. Sixthly The upright heart chuseth to ●ye under affliction ● rather than to be deli●ered from it by sin I say this is the choice ●nd resolution of every upright heart how●ver it may be sometimes over-born by the ●iolence of temptation Heb. 11. 35. not ac●epting deliverence viz. upon sinful terms and ●onditions They are sensible how the flesh smarts ●nder the rod but had rather it should smart ●han conscience should smart under guilt ●ffliction saith an upright soul grieves me ●ut sin will grieve God affliction wounds 〈◊〉 flesh but sin will wound my soul. Deli●erance I long for but I will not pay so ●ear for it how much soever I desire it Nolo 〈◊〉 emere paenitentaim outward ease is ●weet but inward peace is sweeter 7. Seventhly He prizeth the spiritual good gotten by affliction above deliverance fro● it and can bless God from his heart fo● those mercies how near soever his flesh hat● paid for them Psal. 119. 67. and 71. It 〈◊〉 good for me that I have been afflicted Such 〈◊〉 the value the people of God have for sp●●ritual graces that they cannot think the●● a dear peny worth whatever their flesh hat● paid for them The mortification of one Lus● one discovery of sincerity one manifesta●● on of God to their souls doth much mor● than make amends for all that they hav● endured under the rod. Is patience improved self-acquaintan● increased the vanity of the Creature mor● effectually taught longings after heaven i● flamed O blessed afflictions that are atten●ed with such blessed fruits It was the say●ing of a holy man under a sore troubl● for the death of an only Son when in tha● dark day God had graciously manifeste● himself to his soul O said he I would b● contented if it were possible to lay 〈◊〉 only Son in the grave every day I have 〈◊〉 live in the world for one such discovery 〈◊〉 the love of God as I now enjoy CHAP. VI. ●●ewing Indwelling sin to be to grace what fire is to gold and how the soundness and unsoundness of our hearts are discovered by our Carriage toward it ●ECT 1. PRosperity and adversity put sincerity to the tryal but nothing ●akes a deeper search into our bosomes ●●thing sifts our spirits more narrowly or ●lls us what our state is more plainly than 〈◊〉 behaviour towards that corruption that wells in us the thorn is next neighbour 〈◊〉 the rose sin and grace dwell not only 〈◊〉 the same soul but in the same faculties ●he Collier and Fuller dwell in one room ●hat one cleanseth the other blacks of 〈◊〉 the evils God permits in this world none 〈◊〉 more grievous to his people than this ●●ey sometimes wonder why the Lord will ●●ffer it to be so why surely among other ●ise and holy ends of this permission these ●e some They are left to try you and to humble 〈◊〉 there is no intrinsecal goodness in sin 〈◊〉 how●ver in this it occasions good to us ●●at by car carriage towards it we discern 〈◊〉 sincerity The touch-stone is a worthless one in it self but it serves to try the gold Joh. 3. 9 10. Whosoever is born of God doth 〈◊〉 commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God in 〈◊〉 the Children of God are manifest and the ●●●●dren of the Devil q. d. in respect of their ●●riage towards sin the one other is plai● manifested this is that which separates● dross from the gold and shews you what

from presumptuous 〈◊〉 saith the Psalmist Psal. 19. 13. let them ●ot have dominion over me q. d. Lord I find ●ropensions to sin in my nature yea strong ●nes too if thou leave me to my self I am ●arried into sin as easily as a Feather down ●e Torrent O Lord keep back thy servant ●nd there is no petition that upright ones our out their hearts to God in either more ●equently or more ardently than in this 〈◊〉 be kept back from sin 8. Eightly and Lastly This shews the soul not to be under the dominion of sin that it doth not only cry to God to be kept back from sin but uses the means of prevention himself he resists it as well as pray aginst it Psal. 18. 23. I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity So Iob 31. 1. I have made a Covenant with mine eyes and yet more fully in Isa. 33. 15. he shaketh his hands from holding bribes and stoppeth his ears from hearing blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil See with what care the portals are shut at which sin useth to enter All these things are very relieving considerations to poor souls questioning their integrity under the frequent surprisals of sin And the next tryal no less SECT VIII 5. FIfthly Our opposition to and conflict● with sin discover what we are gold or dross There are conflicts with sin both in the regenerate and in the unregenerate but there is a vast difference betwixt them as will appear in the following account 1. First There is an universal and there 〈◊〉 a particular opposition to sin the former 〈◊〉 found in regenerate the latter in unregene●rate souls a gracious heart hates every false way Psal. 119. 104. and must needs do so because he hates and opposes sin as sin s● ●●at he can no peccatum in deliciis no ex●epted or reserved Lust but fights against ●●e whole body and every limb and mem●er of the body of sin But it is not so with the Hypocrite or car●l Professor he hath evermore some reser●●●d sin that he cannot part with 2. Secondly There is an opposition be●ixt the new nature and sin and there is an ●position betwixt natural Conscience and sin ●●e former is the case of an upright soul the ●ter may be of a self-deceiver A regenerate Person opposeth sin because ●ere is an irreconcileable Antipathy betwixt and the new nature in him as is clear ●om Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spi● and the spirit against the flesh and these are ●●trary the one to the other by flesh under●nd corrupt Nature by spirit not only the ●irit of Man but the spirit of God or prin●●le of Regeneration in Man by the lust● of these two against each other under●●nd the desire and endeavour of each others ●●struction and ruine and the ground of all ●s is the contrariety of these two natures These are contrary one to the other there is wofold opposition betwixt them one for●l their very natures are opposite the ●er effective their workings and designs are posite as it is betwixt fire and water But the oppositions found in unrenewed Souls against sin is not from their nature for sin is suitable enough to that but from the light that is in their minds and conse ences which scares and terrifies them Suc was that in Darius Dan. 6. 14. He was so displeased with himself and set his heart on Dani to deliver him and laboured till the going dow of the Sun to deliver him here the contest wa● betwixt sense of honour upon one side an conviction of Conscience on the other sid● Sometimes a generous and noble disposit on opposes sordid and base actions maj● sum ad majora natus quam ut corpor is m sim mancipium I am greater and born ● greater things than that I should be a slaw to my Body said a brave Heathen 3. Thirdly There is a permanent and the●● is a transient opposition to sin the former the case of God's People the latter of ●en●● porary and unsound Professors The Saint when he draws the sword this warfare against sin throws away th scabbard no end of this combate with sin t●● life end their life and their troubles are nished together 2 Tim. 4. 7. I have fought t●● good fight and have finished my Course But in other Men it is but a transie quarrel out with sin one day and in an● ther and the reason is plain by what w●● noted before it is not the opposition two natures it is like the opposition of t●● Wind and Tyde these may be contrary and make a stormy sea to day but the wind may come about and go as the T-yde goes ●o morrow but in a Christian it is as the ●pposition of the river and the dam one must give way to the other there 's no reconciling them but the other like the dog ●eturns to his vomit 2 Pet. 2. ult 4. Fourthly There is an opposition to he root of sin and an opposition to the fruits of sin A gracious soul opposeth root and fruit but others the latter only The great design of an upright soul is not only to lop off this or that branch but to kill the root of sin which is in his nature Rom. 7. 24. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death but the great care and endeavours of others is to suppress outward acts of sin and escape the mischievous consequents of it yea their study is as Lactantius phraseth it Potius abscondere quam abscindere vitia to hide rather than to kill their Lusts. 5. Fifthly There is an opposition to sin in the strength of God and an opposition to sin in our own strength The former is proper to a real Christian the later is found frequently with unsanctified persons when a Christian goes forth against any sin it is in the strength of God So you read their rule directs them Eph. 6. 10. Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might take unto you the whole armour of God and suitab●● you shall find them frequently upon the● knees begging strength from heaven again● their Lusts 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this cause I b● sought the Lord thrice saith Paul i. e. Ofte● and earnestly that the temptation mig●● depart from him But Others go forth against sin only i● the strength of their own resolutions so di● Pendleton in our story these Resolutions o● vows which they have put themselves unde● are as frequently frustrated as made 6. Sixthly There is a successful oppositio● to sin and an opposition that comes to n●●thing The former is that of true Christian● the later is found among unregenerate me●● The work of Mortification in the Saint● is progressive and increasing hence Rom. 6. 6 Our old man is Crucified with him that the bo●dy of sin might be destroyed Sin dyes in be●lievers much what as crucified persons use t●●●ye viz. a slow lingering gradual bu● sure death its

I manage in this discourse to shew in the first place what are common effects of adversity to both the godly and ungodly for in some things they differ not but as it is with the one so also with the other as 1. First Both the godly and ungodly may fear Adversity before it comes To be sure a wicked man cannot and it 's evident many godly men do not come up to the height of that rule Iam. 1. 2. To account it all Ioy when they fall into divers temptations or trials by Adversity 'T is said Isa. 33. 14. The sinners in Sion are afraid trembling surprizeth the Hypocrite Namely under the apprehension of approaching calamities and it 's true also the Saints in Sion may be afraid my flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements said holy David Psal. 119. 120. Iob 3. 23. The thing which I greatly feared saith that upright soul is come upon me there is a vast difference betwixt a Saints first meeting with afflictions and his parting with them he entertains them sometimes with trembling he parts with them rejoycing smiling on them and blessing them in the name of the Lord. So that by this the upright and the false heart are not discriminated even sanctified nature declines sufferings and troubles 2. Secondly Both the godly and ungodly may entertain afflictions with regret and unwillingness when they come afflictions and troubles are Wormwood and Gall Lam. 3. 19. and that goes not down pleasantly with flesh and blood Heb. 12. 11. No affliction for● the present seemeth joyous but grievous he means to God's own People They are in beaviness through manifold temptations or trials by the rod 1 Pet. 1. 6. When God gives the cup of affliction into the hands of the wicked how do they reluctate and loath it How do their stomachs rise at it And though the portion of the Saints cup be much sweeter than theirs for that bitter ingredient of Gods vindictive wrath is not in it yet even they shrink from it and loth they are to taste it 3. Thirldly Both the one and other may be impatient and fretful in adversity it 's the very nature of flesh and blood to be so The wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest whose waters cast forth mire and dirt Isa. 57. 20. It 's an allusion to the unstable and stormy Ocean You know there is naturally an estuation and working in the Sea whether it be incensed by the wind or no but if a violent wind blow upon the unquiet Ocean Oh what raging and foaming is there what abundance of trash and filth doth it at such times cast out Now though grace make a great difference betwixt one and another yet I dare not say but even a gracious heart may be very unquiet and tumultuous in the day of affliction Sanctified souls have their Passions and Lusts which are too little mortified even as Sweet-bryar and Holy-thistles have their prickles as well as the worthless bramble Ionah was a good Man yet his Soul was sadly distempered by adverse providences Ionah 4. 9. Yea saith he and that to his God I do well to be angry even unto death 4. Fourthly Both the one and the ●ther may be weary of the rod and think the day of adversity a tedious day wishing it were once at an end Babylon shall be weary of the evil that God will bring upon it Ier 51. ult and oh that none of Sions Children were weary of adversity too How sad a moan doth Iob make of his long continued affliction Iob 16. 6 7. though I speak my grief is not asswaged and though I forbear what am I eased but now he hath made me weary And if you look into Psal. 6. 3 6. you may see another strong Christian even tyred in the way of affliction My soul saith David in that place is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long I am weary with my groaning 5. Fifthly Both the one and other may be driven to their knees by adversity Lord in trouble have they visited thee they have poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Isa. 26. 16. Not that a godly person will pray no longer than the rod is at his back O no he cannot live without prayer long how few calls soever he hath to that duty by the rod but when the rod is on his back he will be more frequently and more ●ervently upon his knees indeed many graceless heart are like Childrens Tops which will go no longer than they are whipt they canno● find their knees and their tongues till Go● find a rod to excite them A dangerous symp●tome The same affliction may put a gracious and a graceless soul to their knees but th● in the external matter of duty and in the external call or occasion of duty they seem to agree yet is there a vast difference in the principles manner and ends of these their duties as will evidently appear in its proper place in our following discourse But by what hath been said in this Section you may see how in some things the holy upright soul acts too like the unsanctified and in other things how much the Hypocrite may act like a Saint he may be externally humbled so was Ahab he may pray under the rod Mal. 2. 13. yea and request others to pray for him so did Simon Acts 8. 24. SECT III. BUt though the sound and unsond heart differ not in some external carriages under the rod yet there are effects of adversity which are proper to either and will discriminate them To which end let us first see what effects adversity is usually followed withal in unsound and carnal hearts and we shall find among other these five symptomes of a naughty heart appearing under crosses and afflictions 1. First A Graceless heart is not quickly and easily brought to see the hand of God in those troubles that befall it and be duly affected with it Isa. 26. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see when it hath smitten or is lifted up to smite they shut their eyes 't is the malice of this man or the negligence of that or the unfaithfulness of another that hath brought all this trouble upon me thus the Creature is the Horizon that terminates their sight and beyond that they usually see nothing sometimes indeed the hand of God is so immediately manifested and convincingly discovered in afflictions that they cannot avoid the sight of it and then they may in their way pour out a prayer before him but ordinarily they impute all to second causes and overlook the first cause of their troubles 2. Secondly Nor is it usual with these Men under the rod to retire into their Closets and search their hearts there to find out the particular cause and provocation of their affliction No man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done Jer. 8. 6. what cursed thing is there with me

true state of Mens Persons and tempe● their hearts is By not sinning we are no● understand a total freedom from it in 〈◊〉 World as if it implied any such perfect● of the People of God in this World th● the Popish and Pelagian sense nor yet 〈◊〉 we take it in the Arminian sense who 〈◊〉 void the Argument of the Orthodox will ●●●derstand it of the sin against the Holy Gh●● what a strange thing would it be to 〈◊〉 that a Characterstical note of distinction ●●twixt the godly and ungodly which so 〈◊〉 few even of the most ungodly are e● guilty of But the manner of our behaviour tow●●● sin and our carriage towards it before under or after the commission of it in 〈◊〉 the Children of God are manifest and Children of the Devil Now there are five things relating 〈◊〉 that discriminate and mark the state of Persons the difference is discernable In our 1. Abstinence for Sin 2. Hatred of Sin 3. Troubles about Sin 4. Subjection to Sin 5. Opposition of Sin SECT II. THe Grounds and Motives of our abstinence do very clearly manifest 〈◊〉 state of our souls what they are in the ●generate and unregenerate is our next ●●rk And let it be considered 〈◊〉 First Tha● an unsound and unrenewed ●art may abstain from one sin because it 〈◊〉 contrary to and inconsistent with ano●●er sin for it is with the sins of our na●●es as it is with the diseases of our bodies ●ough all diseases be contrary to health yet ●●e diseases as the Feaver and Palsie are ●●ntrary to each other So are prodigality 〈◊〉 Covetousness Hypocrisie and Prosane●ss these oppose each other not for mu●●l destruction as sin and grace do but for ●●eriority each contending for the throne 〈◊〉 sometimes taking it by turns it is with 〈◊〉 persons as with that possessed man 〈◊〉 17. 15. whom the spirit cast some●●es into the fire sometimes into the water 〈◊〉 if one subdue the other yet the heart is 〈◊〉 subdued to the vassalage of that lust that ●ppermost in the soul. 2. Secondly An unrenewed soul may 〈◊〉 kept from the commission of some sin 〈◊〉 because there is a principle of grace with●● him but because of some providential 〈◊〉 straint without him or upon him For it ofte●● falls out that when men have conceived 〈◊〉 and are ready to execute it providen●● claps on the fetters of restraint and hinde●● them from executing it This was the case of Abimeleck Gen. 2 6. and 17. compared I withheld thee A●● though persons so restrained have not 〈◊〉 good of such providences yet others hav● for by it a world of mischief is prevented● the world which otherwise would bre●● out to this act of providence we owe 〈◊〉 lives liberties estates comforts in this wor●● 3. Thirdly An unsound heart may 〈◊〉 commit some sins not because he truly ha●● them but because his constitution incli●● him not to them these men are rather 〈◊〉 holding to a good temper of body than a gracious temper of soul. Some men cann●● be drunkards if they would others cann●● be covetous and base ●hey are made ●è meli●luto of a more refined metal than others 〈◊〉 chast and liberal just sober nat●re 〈◊〉 nature still the best nature in all is end●ments is but nature at the best 4. Fourthly A graceless heart may be●● strained from sin by the force of educa●● 〈◊〉 principles of morality that way instilled 〈◊〉 it Thus Iehoash was restrained from 〈◊〉 2 Kings 12. 2. and Iehoash did that which 〈◊〉 right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes ●erein Iehojadah the Priest instructed him 〈◊〉 fear of a Parent or M●●ter will do ●reat deal more with some in this case 〈◊〉 the fear of God The influence of a ●ct education nips off the excrescencies of ●ding vice The way we are taught when 〈◊〉 we keep when old this is the influ●●●e of man upon man not the influence ●he regenerating spirit upon men ● Fifthly A Graceless heart may be kept ●n some sins by the fear of the events both ●his world and that to come Sin that is ●owed with infamy and reproach among 〈◊〉 may on this ground be forborn not ●●use God hath forbiden it but because hu●e laws will punish it and the sober world 〈◊〉 brand us for it and some look farther ●e punishment of sin in hell they are not ●id to sin but they are afraid to burn ●ere sin is like a sweet rose in a brake ●orns fain we would have it but are 〈◊〉 to ●ear our flesh to come by it It 's 〈◊〉 that in is prevented any way but to ●ept on this ground from sin doth not ●●e the estate of the person to be good 〈◊〉 you see some of the grounds on which ●al men are restrained in this the children 〈◊〉 devil are manifest SECT III. BUt there are grounds of abstinence 〈◊〉 sin by which the children of God a● manifested and such are these that follo● 1. First A sincere heart dares not sin cause of the eye and fear of God which i● on him So you find it in Iob 31. 1. 〈◊〉 4. he durst not allow his thoughts to sin cause he lived under the awe of Gods Nehemiah durst not do as former Gover● had done though an opportunity prese●● to enrich himself because of the fear 〈◊〉 God Nehem. 5. 15. The soul that live 〈◊〉 the awe of this eye will be as co●entious where no discovery can be mad● Creatures as if all the world looke● Levit. 19. 14. Thou shalt not curse the● nor put a stumbling block before the blind shalt fear thy God I am the Lord. What if a man do curse the deaf the cannot hear him and what if he do 〈◊〉 stumbling block before the blind the 〈◊〉 cannot see him true but God sees● God hears him that 's enough to a man● hath the fear of the Lord upon his 〈◊〉 2. Secondly As the fear of Go● so 〈◊〉 of God is a principle of restraint from 〈◊〉 the soul that is upright This kept Ioseph from sin Gen. 39. 9. How can I 〈◊〉 great wickedness and sin against God! I he speaks as a man that feels himself ●nd up from fin by the goodness and love God that had been manifested to him q. ●ath he delivered me from the pit into ●ch my envious brethren cast me hath ●n so miraculous a way advanced me to ●his honour and power in Egypt and 〈◊〉 after all his kindness and love to me 〈◊〉 I sin against him O how can I do 〈◊〉 against so good so gracious a God Psal. 97. 10. ye that love the Lord hate evil ●e will cry ou● in the hour of Temp●ati●●s this thy kindness to thy friend Dost 〈◊〉 thus requite the Lord for all his kind●●es ● Thirdly As the love of God so the insecal evil and filthiness that is in sin keeps 〈◊〉 the gracious soul from it Rom. 12. 9. ●or that which is evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉