A39660:1139
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.
Thus as the restless Sea strives to beat down, or break over its bounds, so do impetuous Lusts strive to overbear Light and Conviction; video meliora proboque, deteriora sequor: They know this or that to be a Sin, and that they hazard their Souls by it, but yet they will adventure on it, and rush into Sin as the Horse into the Battle.
(4.) I promised to give you some instances of the Conflicts betwixt Mens Consciences and their Corruptions, wherein Conscience is vanquished and overborne, and by what Weapons the Victory over Conscience is obtained. Now the Convictions of Men are two-fold, viz. I. General, Respecting their State. II. Particular, Respecting this or that Action.
(4.) I promised to give you some instances of the Conflicts betwixt Mens Consciences and their Corruptions, wherein Conscience is vanquisht and overborn, and by what Weapons the Victory over Conscience is obtained. Now the Convictions of Men are two-fold, viz. I. General, Respecting their State. II. Particular, Respecting this or that Action.
(I.) There are general Convictions, and Notices given to some Men and Women by their Consciences, that their Condition or State of Soul is neither right, nor safe; that they want the main thing which constitutes a Christian, viz. Regeneration, or a gracious change of Heart and Life: They hear and read the signs and effects of these things, but their Conscience plainly tells them, it cannot find them in them; that they enjoy the External privileges of the Saints, but they belong not to ⟨p. 15⟩them, that something is still wanting, and that the main thing too: O my Soul, thou art not right; thou hast gifts, thou hast a Name to live, but for all that thou art dead. Some further work must be done upon thee, or thou art undone to Eternity: thou passest for a good Christian among Men, but woe to thee if thou die in the State thou art. These, and such as these are the whispers of some Mens Consciences in their Ears; and yet they cannot yield themselves up into the hands of their Convictions, so as to confess, and bewail their Hypocrisy, and gross mistakes, and seek for a better foundation to build their hope on. Felix his Conscience gave him such a terrible rouse and monition as this, and made him to tremble whilst Paul reasoned with him about Righteousness, and Temperance, and Judgment to come,