A39660:458
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.
I shall never have peace and quietness any more. And what is the reason that smooth and general Preaching is so much applauded and affected in the World; And close convincing Doctrine so much shunned and hated; ⟨p. 136⟩but this, that sinners are very loath to be disquieted and have their Consciences throughly awakened. Well, whatever your apprehensions be, certainly it is an unspeakable Mercy for Christ to knock and disquiet the Souls of sinners by his calls. That's the first thing.
I shall never have peace and quietness any more. And what is the reason that smooth and general Preaching is so much applauded and affected in the World; And close convincing Doctrin so much shunned and hated; ⟨p. 136⟩but this, that sinners are very loath to be disquieted and have their Consciences throughly awakned. Well, whatever your apprehensions be, certainly it is an unspeakable Mercy for Christ to knock and disquiet the Souls of sinners by his calls. That's the first thing.
2ly. The next thing implied in this action of Christ is this, That the first motions towards the recovery and Salvation of sinners begin not in themselves, but in Christ. We never knock at Heavens door by Prayer till Christ hath first knocked at our doors by his Spirit: Did not Christ move first, there would be no motions after him in our Hearts; we move towards him, because he hath first moved upon our Souls. Christ might sit long enough unsought and undesired, did he not make the first motion. All our motions are secondary and consequential motions, Isa. 65. 1. I am found of them that sought me not. As we love him because he first loved us, so we seek after him, because he first sought us. Alas, poor sinners are as well satisfied as any people in the World can be, to lye fast asleep in the Devil's Arms. When the Spirit of God goes forth with the Word of Conviction, he finds the Souls of Men in the very same posture which the Angels, that had surveyed the World, reported the whole Earth to be in,