A39660:307
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.
VI. Mark.
Lastly, Whatever Soul opens savingly to Christ, it opens finally and everlastingly to him; the Heart once opened to Christ, must stand open for ever to him, never to shut out Christ any more: And here is a very observable difference betwixt a Man that comes to Christ in a sudden fright of Conscience, and parts with him again when that fright is over; and a Man that receiveth Christ not to sojourn, but to dwell in his Heart by Faith, Eph. 3. 17. when Christ comes into the Heart, he saith, Here will I dwell for ever; and Lord, saith the Soul, So I receive thee; this is the day of union, O let me never know a day of separation; let it never be in the power of Life or Death, Angels, Principalities, or Powers, things present or to come, to make a separation between thee and me. Soul, saith Christ, thou shalt be mine whilst I am in Heaven; and Lord, saith the Soul, I will be thine whilst I am on Earth. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee saith Christ; Oh my Lord, saith the Soul, hold me fast in thy Hand, that I may never leave nor forsake thee; my Estate, Liberty, and Life, may and must go; but it is in the fixed purpose of my Heart never, never, to let thee go. The espousals betwixt Christ and the Soul are for ever, Hos. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea for ever; and here lies another great difference betwixt the Hypocrite that takes Christ with a ⟨p. 75⟩politic reserve, that will venture with Christ at Sea no farther than he can see the shore; and the upright Heart that embarks it self with Christ without reserves, come what will; that saith to him, as Ittai to David, when persuaded to go back in a time of danger; nay, saith he, where my Lord Jesus Christ is, whether it be in Liberty or in Prison, in Life or in Death, there also will I be. Flesh may persuade to a retreat, nay saith the Soul, I cannot retreat; but wherever the truths of Christ, the interest and glory of Christ are, there also must I be; for upon these terms I first received him, and opened the door of my Heart to him. These things are no surprises to me, Christ and I have debated them long ago; he dealt fairly with me, and I must deal faithfully with him.