An Honest and Well-Experienced Heart:

The Piety of John Flavel

Adam Embry

• Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781601781833
• eBook ISBN: 9781601782885
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: History of Christianity

An Honest, Well-Experienced Heart introduces us to the life and writings of Puritan preacher and author John Flavel (1627–1691). In his brief, introductory biography, Adam Embry discusses Flavel's background, ministry, and theology of keeping the heart, which, for Flavel, "is the great business of a Christian's life." Centuries ago, Flavel wrote, "Above all other studies in the world, study your own hearts." Embry guides us through forty-two short passages from Flavel's writings that acquaint us with this dedicated Puritan minister's piety and help us see the importance of this great business of keeping and managing our hearts.

Table of Contents:
Section One: Christ Rules the Heart
Section Two: Keeping the Heart
Section Three: Seasons of the Heart
Section Four: Discerning the Heart Series Description

Seeking, then, both to honor the past and yet not idolize it, we are issuing these books in the series Profiles in Reformed Spirituality . The design is to introduce the spirituality and piety of the Reformed Profiles in Reformed Spirituality tradition by presenting descriptions of the lives of notable Christians with select passages from their works. This combination of biographical sketches and collected portions from primary sources gives a taste of the subjects' contributions to our spiritual heritage and some direction as to how the reader can find further edification through their works. It is the hope of the publishers that this series will provide riches for those areas where we are poor and light of day where we are stumbling in the deepening twilight.

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Quote
• Conclusion
• Half Title Page
• John Flavel Portrait
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Series Page
• Table of Contents
• Profiles in Reformed Spirituality
• John Flavel
• The Piety of John Flavel
• Section One
• A Chart of English Ships by Devonshire
• 1 To Win and Gain the Hearts of Sinners
• 2 Shutting up the Heart against Christ
• 3 The Great Design and Aim of the Gospel
• 4 A Throne in the Hearts of Men
• 5 Jesus Christ Most Heartily Approved
• 6 Consolations for an Opened Heart
• Section Two
• University College, Oxford
• 7 Above All Other Studies
• 8 The Great Business
• 9 The Pained Place
• 10 The Most Difficult, Constant, and Important Work
• 11 A Sincere Christian in His Closet
• 12 The Best Schoolmaster
• 13 Furnish Your Hearts Richly with the Word
• Table of Contents to Husbandy Spiritualized
• 14 Soul Work Is Preferred
• 15 My Naughty Heart
• Section Three
• William Jenkyn
• 16 Death of a Child
• 17 Death of a Spouse
• Julian the Apostate
• 18 Prosperity
• 19 Adversity
• 20 The Church's Troubles
• 21 Fear and Danger
• 22 In Times of Need
• 23 Distraction during Religious Duties
• 24 Abuse from Others
• King Charles II
• 25 Anger
• 26 Temptation, Part 1
• 27 Temptation, Part 2
• 28 Spiritual Darkness
• Newgate Prison
• 29 Suffering for Religion
• 30 Willingness to Die
• Section Four
• Jonathan Edwards
• 31 The Aim of Our Hearts
• 32 The Hypocrite's Abstinence from Sin
• 33 The Saint's Abstinence from Sin
• 34 The Hypocrite's Hatred of Sin
• 35 The Saint's Hatred of Sin
• 36 The Hypocrite's Sorrow for Sin
• 37 The Saint's Sorrow for Sin
• Aurelius Augustine
• 38 The Saint's Struggle with Sin
• 39 Wrongly Censuring Your Heart
• 40 Questions to Judge Sincerity
• 41 Deep Trials of the Heart
• Table of Contents to Navigation Spiritualized
• 42 A Blessed End
• Archibald Alexander
• Reading Flavel
• A Hymn