A39660:401
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. Inference.
If Christ have exercised such admirable Patience, and Long-suffering towards you, before he could gain entrance into your Hearts; then you have all the reason in the World to exercise your Patience for Christ, and account all long-suffering to be your unquestionable duty. Christ was not weary in waiting upon you, be not you weary in waiting upon him or for him. Now there are three things wherein the People of God will have much occasion to exercise their Patience with respect to Christ, (1.) You will need a great deal of Patience to wait for the returns and answers of your Prayers; you knock and wait, at the door of Mercy, and no answer comes; hereupon discouragement and weariness seizeth your Spirits. Possibly ⟨p. 111⟩some of you have Prayers many years agone upon the file in Heaven, some upon Spiritual accounts, and some upon Temporal; and because the answer is not dispatched, your Eyes are ready to fail with waiting, for the Lord may bear long with his own Elect, Luke 18. 7. The seed of Prayer lies under the clods, and will at last spring up, for he never said to the seed of Jacob, Seek me in vain; none seek God in vain but those that seek him vainly. Now you should not be too quick and short breathed in waiting upon God, for the returns of Prayer, considering how long you made Christ wait upon you.
If Christ have exercised such admirable Patience, and Long-suffering towards you, before he could gain entrance into your Hearts; then you have all the reason in the World to exercise your Patience for Christ, and account all long-suffering to be your unquestionable duty. Christ was not weary in waiting upon you, be not you weary in waiting upon him or for him. Now there are three things wherein the People of God will have much occasion to exercise their Patience with respect to Christ, (1.) You will need a great deal of Patience to wait for the returns and answers of your Prayers; you knock and wait, at the door of Mercy, and no answer comes; hereupon discouragement and weariness seizeth your Spirits. Possibly