Saint Francis Praying from Art Institute of Chicago
What’s your definition of a saint? I think most of us would say someone whose life is perfect. At the very least we would say someone whose life is in alignment with God. These are the people who do righteous things that leave us scratching our heads with our mouths open. They forgive when it’s difficult. They give when it hurts and still keep a smile on their face. These are the people we venerate and keep our distance from lest we taint them with our worldly ways.
And somehow this fails to take into account that the Bible calls us who are in Christ saints or holy ones. Paul says this in different epistles because he recognizes that sainthood is a present reality and an ongoing process. We know it when we see it but we’re not there yet. In other words, recognizing saints is easy; becoming one is harder.
John Flavel’s A Saint Indeed is an exposition of the text of Proverbs 4:23 which exhorts us to keep your heart with all diligence for from it flows the streams of life. Flavel uses this text to show how the heart is essential when it comes to being a true professor of the faith and how it influences our habits and practices. Keeping the heart distinguishes true believers from hypocrites. Having a pure heart devoted to God is what makes you a saint indeed.
He first starts off by showing why the practice of keeping the heart is important. It’s important because even hypocrites can go through the motions of religious observance. It is also important because this is what God is most concerned with. Lastly it’s important because of the heart as an instrument of influence in the rest of our lives and on our witness to the world. He emphasizes this by stating that if we don’t keep our hearts then our conversation and habits will degrade and we will end up looking like the rest of the world. The keeping of the heart is essential to witness.
After this first chapter, Flavel goes on to expound the different seasons and reasons for keeping the heart. There are chapters on keeping the heart during a time of prosperity as well as a time of suffering. There are also chapters on keeping the heart when the church is under attack and persecution and when the individual saint is provoked to revenge. Flavel covers a wide range of emotional and spiritual circumstances.
Lastly, Flavel outlines the different ways to keep the heart. Reading and obeying scripture, self examination, and vigilance against vain thoughts are some of the things that are antidotes to an impure and divided heart. He also brings up the matter of too much busyness. If you are overwhelmed with activity and going from thing to thing there’s just no way you can keep an eye on the motions of your heart. This admonition really hit home. It’s something I know I struggle with and as I look at our society it’s clear we don’t have the mental space to keep our hearts with all diligence.
Another thing that Flavel points out is the constant diligence we must have in keeping our hearts. The little sins and the habits and thoughts that lead to sin must be stopped in their tracks before they are allowed to grow further. It’s my experience that the gross and disturbing scandal was birthed in small omissions and idle thoughts.
All in all this was a great book. I will be going through the notes and definitely using many quotations from the book in my writing. One added benefit of the book was Flavel’s liberal use of Latin. Throughout the book he sprinkles in Latin phrases and allusions to the classics. These definitely show he was a well read and educated man. It also shows that he expected his audience to know Latin and the classics as well. The book actually provoked me to learn Latin as well as brush up on my Greek.
Memorable Quotes
It includes the imposing of strong engagements and bonds upon ourselves to walk more accurately with God, and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin: well composed, advised, and deliberate vows, are, in some cases, of excellent use to guard the heart against some special sin; so Job 31:1, I made a covenant with mine eyes; by this means, holy ones have overawed their souls, and preserved themselves from defilement by some special heart-corruptions.
it includes the realising of God’s presence with us, and setting the Lord always before us: thus the people of God have found a singular means to keep their hearts upright, and awe them from sin. When the eye of our faith is fixed upon the eye of God’s omniscience, we dare not let out our thoughts and affections to vanity: holy Job durst not suffer his heart to yield to an impure, vain thought; and what was it that moved him to so great circumspection? Why, he tells you, doth he not see my ways, and count all my steps? Job 31:4.
I wish many Christians could truly say, what a heathen once did, I do not give, but only lend myself to business. It is said Germanic reigned in the Roman hearts; Tiberius only in their provinces. Though the world be in your hands, let it not justle Christ out of your hearts.
Take heed, Christian, lest thy shop steal away thy heart from thy closet. God never intended earthly employments for a stop, but rather for a step to heavenly ones. O let not Aristippus, the Heathen, arise in judgment against thee, who said, He would rather neglect his means than his mind, his farm than his soul.If thy ship be overladen, thou must cast some over-board; more business than thou canst well manage, is like more meat than thou canst well digest, which will quickly make a sickly soul.
He that will find his house in good repair, must stop every chink as soon as discovered; and he that would keep his heart must not let a vain thought be long neglected: the serpent of heart apostasy is best killed in the egg of a small remission.
Nemo repente fit turpissimus; Little sins neglected, will quickly become great and masterless;
Flavel, John. A Saint Indeed: Or the Great Work of a Christian in Keeping the Heart in the Several Conditions of Life (Function). Kindle Edition.