A39660:1027
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.
II. Excellency.
It is the beauty of the Soul, in the Eyes of God, and all good men; it makes the face to shine. No outward splendour attracts like this; it makes a man the most desirable companion in the whole World, 1 John 1. 3. These things have I written unto you, that you might have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ. This was the great and only inducement the Apostle makes use of to draw the World into fellowship with the Saints; that their fellowship is with God. And if there were ten thousand other inducements, yet none like this. You read of a blessed time, Zach. 12. When the Earth shall be full of holiness; when the Jews that are now as a lost generation to the Eye of sense, shall be called, and an eminent degree of sanctification shall be visible in them; and then see the effect of this, vers. 23. In those days ten men shall take hold, out of all languages, of the Nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew; saying, We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you. This is the powerful attractive, the Lord is with you; 'tis the effect of communion with God which makes the righteous ⟨p. 422⟩more excellent than his neighbour, Prov. 12. 26. what a vast and visible difference doth this make between one man and another! How heavenly sweet and desirable, are the converses and company of some men! How frothy, burdensome, and unprofitable is the company of others! And what makes the difference but only this, the one walks in communion with God, the other is alienated from the life of God?