A39660:1216
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
Appendix › DOCTRINE. › Instance 3 › Instance 6: VI. Instance.
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.
(3.) Knowledge and Conviction leave the Conscience of a Sinner naked, and wholly without excuse or apology for his sin: In this case there is no plea left to extenuate the offence: John 15. 22. Now they have no cloak for their sin; if a man sins ignorantly, his ignorance is some excuse for his sin, it excuses it at least a tanto, as Paul tells us, thus and thus I did, but I did it ignorantly: Here is cloak or covering, an excuse or extenuation of the sin, but knowledge takes away this cloak, and makes the sin appear naked in all the odious deformity of it; nothing left to hide it.
(3.) Knowledge and Conviction leave the Conscience of a Sinner naked, and wholly without excuse or apologie for his sin: In this case there is no plea left to extenuate the offence: Iohn 15. 22. Now they have no cloak for their sin; if a man sins ignorantly, his ignorance is some excuse for his sin, it excuses it at least a tanto, as Paul tells us, thus and thus I did, but I did it ignorantly: Here is cloak or covering, an excuse or extenuation of the sin, but knowledge takes away this cloak, and makes the sin appear naked in all the odious deformity of it; nothing left to hide it.
(4.) Light or Knowledge of the Law and Will of God, is a very choice and excellent Mercy; 'tis a choice and singular favour, for God to make the light of Knowledge to shine into a Mans mind or understanding: 'Tis a Mercy withheld from multitudes, Psal. 147. 19. and those that enjoy it, are under special engagements to bless God for it, and to improve it diligently and thankfully to his Service and Glory; but for a Man to arm such a Mercy as this against God, to fight against him with one of his choicest Mercies, this must be highly provoking to the Lord: 'Tis therefore mentioned as an high aggravation of Solomons sin in the 1 Kings 11. 9. that he sinned against the Lord, after the Lord had appeared unto him twice.