The Character of a Sound Christian: Mark Fifteen

The Character of a Sound Christian in 17 Marks by Thomas Hooker .

Mark Fifteen: If you make conscience of secret sins which no eye sees, such as a hard heart, a secure and proud spirit; if you do not look too much to the matter of good duties as to the manner; if they are done in truth and sincerity; also if you apply both the promises and the threatenings to yourself in the Word of God, and love and admire grace more in others than in yourself, and hate all sin, but mostly in yourself.

You make take comfort from these if you can do them in a holy manner, namely:

1. with uprightness of heart

2. with continuance

3. with daily growth in the practice of them

And to this end two things must be practiced:

1. often examine, try, and search your heart and all your actions

2. often take account of your life concerning your progress in the course of godliness. For lack of this examination, may live and die as hypocrites, and do not know it, but suppose their case is good.

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

1 Chronicles 29:17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.

Related Tags: The Character of a Sound Christian, Thomas Hooker, Puritan Writers