A39660:1021
Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20
Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20 : wherein is opened the admirable condescension and patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate sinners, the wretched state of the unconverted, the nature of evangelical faith ..., the riches of free grace in the offers of Christ ..., the invaluable privileges of union and communion granted to all who receive him ... / by John Flavell ...Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20 : wherein is opened the admirable condescension and patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate sinners, the wretched state of the unconverted, the nature of evangelical faith ..., the riches of free grace in the offers of Christ ..., the invaluable priviledges of union and communion granted to all who receive him ... / by John Flavell ...
London: printed for Matthew Wotton, 1689
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sixthly, The mutual complaints that are found on both sides of the interruption of communion,1 plainly proves there is such a thing. If God complain of his people for their estrangements from him, and the Saints complain to God about his silence to them; and the hidings of his face from them: Surely then there must be a communion between them, or else there could be no ground of complaints for the interruptions of it. But it is manifest God doth complain ⟨p. 417⟩of his people for their estrangements from him, Jer. 2. 5. Thus saith the Lord, I remember thee the kindness of thy youth, and the love of thy espousals. What iniquity have your Fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me? As if he should say, You and I have been better acquainted in days past; what cause have I given for your estrangements from me? And thus Christ in like manner complains of the Church of Ephesus, after he had commended many things in her, yet one thing grieves and troubles him, Rev. 2. 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. And then on the other side, when the Lord hides his face and seems to estrange himself from his people; what sad laments and moans do they make about it? As an affliction they know not how to bear. Thus Heman, Psal. 88. 14. Lord, why castest thou off my Soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? So Psal. 27. 9. Hide not thy face from me, put not thy servant away in anger. This is what they cannot bear.
Sixthly, The mutual complaints that are found on both sides of the interruption of communion,1 plainly proves there is such a thing. If God complain of his people for their estrangements from him, and the Saints complain to God about his silence to them; and the hidings of his face from them: Surely then there must be a communion between them, or else there could be no ground of complaints for the interruptions of it. But it is manifest God doth complain