A39660:596
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.
V. Inference.
To Conclude, How great is the blindness and ignorance of sinners, that need so much entreaty and importunity to be made happy? 'Tis your ignorance, sinners, that makes all the Gospel importunity necessary; did you know your own misery, and see Christ in his necessity, suitableness, and excellency, all these persuasions might be spared; nay, you your selves would become importunate Suitors for Christ; you would not need to be twice offered; there is a Conscience in every Man and Woman set there on purpose by the Lord to give them an Alarm; but the Alarm goes not off for want of a spring, to wi•, the ⟨p. 208⟩knowledge of our sin and misery. Ah Soul, didst thou but know who it is that Suits for thy love, what the benefits of union with Christ are? thou wouldst answer his first call in such Language as this. Lord Jesus, write down thine own terms; be they what they will, I am ready to subscribe them with the fullest consent of Heart and Will; and then how soon would the match be made betwixt Christ and you! Yea, you would watch for and hang on half a word of encouragement from Christs Mouth, as Benhadad's Servants did on that word of Ahab, my brother Benhadad, 1 Kings 20. 32, 33. There is no need of Rhetoric to persuade a condemned Malefactor to accept his pardon; an hungry Man to sit down at a full Table; but alas, sin is not felt, Christ is not known, therefore the one is not bewailed, nor the other desired.
To Conclude, How great is the blindness and ignorance of sinners, that need so much entreaty and importunity to be made happy? 'Tis your ignorance, sinners, that makes all the Gospel importunity necessary; did you know your own misery, and see Christ in his necessity, suitableness, and excellency, all these perswasions might be spared; nay, you your selves would become importunate Suiters for Christ; you would not need to be twice offered; there is a Conscience in every Man and Woman set there on purpose by the Lord to give them an Allarm; but the Allarm goes not off for want of a spring, to wi, the