John Flavel was not only a zealous preacher in the pulpit, but a sincere
Christian in his closet, frequent in self-examination, as well as in
pressing it upon others; being afraid, lest while he preached to
others he himself should be a cast-away. To prove this, I shall
transcribe what follows from his own diary.
"To make sure of eternal life, (said he) is the great business
which the sons of death have to do in this world. Whether a man
consider the immortality of his own soul, the ineffable joys and
glory of heaven, the extreme and endless torments of hell, the
inconceivable sweetness of peace of conscience, or the misery of
being subject to the terrors thereof; all these put a necessity, a
solemnity, a glory upon this work. But, Oh! the difficulties and
dangers attending it! How many, and how great are these? What
judgement, faithfulness, resolution, and watchfulness does it
require? Such is the deceitfulness, darkness, and inconstancy of our
hearts, and such the malice, policy and diligence of Satan to manage
and improve it, that he who attempts this work had need both to
watch his seasons for it, and frequently look up to God for his
guidance and illumination, and to spend many sad and serious
thoughts before he adventure upon a determination and conclusion of
the state of his soul.
To the end therefore that this most important work may not
miscarry in my hands, I have collected, with all the care I can, the
best and soundest characters I can find in the writings of our
modern divines, taken out of the scripture, and by their labours
illustrated and prepared for use, that I might make a right
application of them.
1. I have earnestly sought the Lord for the assistance of his
Spirit, which can only manifest my own heart unto me, and show me
the true state thereof, which is that thing my soul does most
earnestly desire to know; and I hope the Lord will answer my desire
therein, according to his promises, Luke 11: 13. John 14: 26.
2. I have endeavoured to cast out and lay aside self-love, lest
my heart being prepossessed therewith, my judgement should be
perverted, and become partial on passing sentence on my estate. I
have, in some measure, brought my heart to be willing to judge and
condemn myself for an hypocrite, if such I shall be found on trial,
as to approve myself for sincere and upright. Yea, I would have it
so far from being grievous to me so to do, that if I have been all
this while mistaken and deceived, I shall rejoice and bless the Lord
with my soul, that now at last it may be discovered to me, and I may
be set right, though I lay the foundation new again. This I have
laboured to bring my heart to, knowing that thousands have dashed
and split to pieces upon this rock. And indeed he that will own the
person of a judge, must put off the person of a friend.
3. It has been my endeavour to keep upon my heart a deep sense
of that great judgement-day throughout this work as knowing by
experience what a potent influence this has on the conscience, to
make it deliberate, serious and faithful in its work, and therefore
I have demanded of my sun conscience, before the resolution of each
question, O my conscience, deal faithfully with me in this
particular, and say no more to me than thou wilt own and stand to in
the great day, when the counsels of all hearts shall be made
manifest.
4. Having seriously weighed each mark, and considered where in
the weight and substance of it lieth, I have gone to the Lord in
prayer for his assistance, ere I have drawn up the answer of my
conscience, and as my heart has been persuaded therein, so have I
determined and resolved: what has been clear to my experience, I
have so set down; and what has been dubious, I have here left it so.
5. I have made choice of the fittest seasons I had for this
work, and set to it when I have found my heart in the most quiet and
serious frame. For as he that would see his face in a glass, must be
fixed, not in motion, or in water, must make no commotion in it; so
it is in this case.
6. Lastly, To the end I may be successful in this work, I have
laboured all along carefully to distinguish betwixt such sins as are
grounds of doubting, and such as are only grounds of humiliation;
knowing that not every evil is a ground of doubting, though all,
even the smallest infirmities, administer matter of humiliation; and
thus I have desired to enterprise this great business. O Lord,
assist thy servant, that he may not mistake herein; but, if his
conscience do now condemn him, he may lay a better foundation whilst
he has time; and if it shall now acquit him, he may also have
boldness in the day of judgement."
Christian in his closet, frequent in self-examination, as well as in
pressing it upon others; being afraid, lest while he preached to
others he himself should be a cast-away. To prove this, I shall
transcribe what follows from his own diary.
"To make sure of eternal life, (said he) is the great business
which the sons of death have to do in this world. Whether a man
consider the immortality of his own soul, the ineffable joys and
glory of heaven, the extreme and endless torments of hell, the
inconceivable sweetness of peace of conscience, or the misery of
being subject to the terrors thereof; all these put a necessity, a
solemnity, a glory upon this work. But, Oh! the difficulties and
dangers attending it! How many, and how great are these? What
judgement, faithfulness, resolution, and watchfulness does it
require? Such is the deceitfulness, darkness, and inconstancy of our
hearts, and such the malice, policy and diligence of Satan to manage
and improve it, that he who attempts this work had need both to
watch his seasons for it, and frequently look up to God for his
guidance and illumination, and to spend many sad and serious
thoughts before he adventure upon a determination and conclusion of
the state of his soul.
To the end therefore that this most important work may not
miscarry in my hands, I have collected, with all the care I can, the
best and soundest characters I can find in the writings of our
modern divines, taken out of the scripture, and by their labours
illustrated and prepared for use, that I might make a right
application of them.
1. I have earnestly sought the Lord for the assistance of his
Spirit, which can only manifest my own heart unto me, and show me
the true state thereof, which is that thing my soul does most
earnestly desire to know; and I hope the Lord will answer my desire
therein, according to his promises, Luke 11: 13. John 14: 26.
2. I have endeavoured to cast out and lay aside self-love, lest
my heart being prepossessed therewith, my judgement should be
perverted, and become partial on passing sentence on my estate. I
have, in some measure, brought my heart to be willing to judge and
condemn myself for an hypocrite, if such I shall be found on trial,
as to approve myself for sincere and upright. Yea, I would have it
so far from being grievous to me so to do, that if I have been all
this while mistaken and deceived, I shall rejoice and bless the Lord
with my soul, that now at last it may be discovered to me, and I may
be set right, though I lay the foundation new again. This I have
laboured to bring my heart to, knowing that thousands have dashed
and split to pieces upon this rock. And indeed he that will own the
person of a judge, must put off the person of a friend.
3. It has been my endeavour to keep upon my heart a deep sense
of that great judgement-day throughout this work as knowing by
experience what a potent influence this has on the conscience, to
make it deliberate, serious and faithful in its work, and therefore
I have demanded of my sun conscience, before the resolution of each
question, O my conscience, deal faithfully with me in this
particular, and say no more to me than thou wilt own and stand to in
the great day, when the counsels of all hearts shall be made
manifest.
4. Having seriously weighed each mark, and considered where in
the weight and substance of it lieth, I have gone to the Lord in
prayer for his assistance, ere I have drawn up the answer of my
conscience, and as my heart has been persuaded therein, so have I
determined and resolved: what has been clear to my experience, I
have so set down; and what has been dubious, I have here left it so.
5. I have made choice of the fittest seasons I had for this
work, and set to it when I have found my heart in the most quiet and
serious frame. For as he that would see his face in a glass, must be
fixed, not in motion, or in water, must make no commotion in it; so
it is in this case.
6. Lastly, To the end I may be successful in this work, I have
laboured all along carefully to distinguish betwixt such sins as are
grounds of doubting, and such as are only grounds of humiliation;
knowing that not every evil is a ground of doubting, though all,
even the smallest infirmities, administer matter of humiliation; and
thus I have desired to enterprise this great business. O Lord,
assist thy servant, that he may not mistake herein; but, if his
conscience do now condemn him, he may lay a better foundation whilst
he has time; and if it shall now acquit him, he may also have
boldness in the day of judgement."
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