A39660:141
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.
4. INFER.
What a dreadful condition are all those in that are real and professed Enemies to the Gospel and them that preach it! That instead of embracing and obeying the message of the Gospel, reject and despise it; instead of opening their hearts to receive it, open their blasphemous mouths against it to deride it, and hiss it (if it were possible) out of the world. Ah, what a book of remembrance is written for such men? I fear there never was an age since Christianity blessed this Nation, that was more deeply drenched in the guilt of this sin than the present age. How are the Messengers of the ⟨p. 15⟩Gospel slighted and rejected? What have we done to deserve it? Is not our case this day much like that of the Prophet? Jer. 18. 20. Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a Pit for my Soul; remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. What brutish madness hath possest the souls of these men? but alas, it is not so much they, as Satan acting in them; he is a jealous Prince, the Gospel alarms him, his Subjects are in danger of revolting from him: No wonder therefore he makes an out-cry at the liberty of the Gospel, as is used to be made when an Enemy invades a Kingdom. In this case Christ directs his Ministers to shake off the dust of their feet for a testimony against them, Mark 6. 11. The signification and meaning whereof is this, that look as you shake off the dust of your feet, even so Jesus Christ will shake off those men that despise the Gospel and abuse its Messengers.
What a dreadful condition are all those in that are real and professed Enemies to the Gospel and them that preach it! That instead of embracing and obeying the message of the Gospel, reject and despise it; instead of opening their hearts to receive it, open their blasphemous mouths against it to deride it, and hiss it (if it were possible) out of the world. Ah, what a book of remembrance is written for such men? I fear there never was an age since Christianity blessed this Nation, that was more deeply drench'd in the guilt of this sin than the present age. How are the Messengers of the