A39660:453
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.
Christ knocks orderly at them all, one after another, for the operations of the Spirit disturb not the order of Nature.
1. The first door that opens and lets into the Soul is the Understanding; nothing passes into the Soul, but it must first come through this door of the Understanding; nothing can touch the Heart or move the affections, but what hath first touched the Understanding. Hence we read so often in ⟨p. 133⟩Scripture of the opening of the Understanding; that being as it were the fore-door of the Soul.
1. The first door that opens and lets into the Soul is the Vnderstanding; nothing passes into the Soul, but it must first come through this door of the Understanding; nothing can touch the Heart or move the affections, but what hath first toucht the Understanding. Hence we read so often in ⟨p. 133⟩Scripture of the opening of the Understanding; that being as it were the fore-door of the Soul.
2ly. Within this is the Royal-gate of the Soul, viz. The will of Man, that noble and imperial Power; many things may pass into the Mind or Understanding of a Man, and yet be able to get no further, the door of the Will may be shut against them. There were many precious Truths of God let into the Understandings of the Heathens by the light of Nature, but could never get further, their Hearts and Wills were locked and shut up against them; as you may see, Rom. 1. 18. They held the Truths of God in Unrighteousness; that is, they bound and imprisoned those common notices the Law of Nature imprest upon their Minds concerning the Being and Nature of God, and the duties of both Tables. These Truths could get no further into their Souls, and which is of sad and dreadful consideration, Christ himself stands betwixt these two doors in the Souls of many persons; he is got into their Understandings and Consciences, they are convinced of the possibility and necessity of obtaining Jesus Christ, but still the door of their Will is barred against him, which drew from him that sad complaint,