A39660:608
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
Sermon 6 › Application 2: II. Use.Sermon 6 › Application 2: II. Vse.
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.
II. Upon the other-side cast up the account what you may lose by your consent to be Christs; and whether those losses be sufficient to balance or preponderate the gain that comes by such a consent; that so your choice of Christ may be a deliberate and full choice, and you may never repent afterwards of the choice you have made: It is a rule in the Civil Law, Non consentit qui non sentit; he cannot consent, that doth not think, understand, and deliberate; and this is the reason of so much flinching from Christ, and shameful apostasy in times of Persecution; Men did not think of such sufferings and losses, they are mere surprisals to them; to forelay all such occasions ⟨p. 214⟩of offence; our Lord deals candidly and openly with us, and tells us before Hand what are the worst things that may befall us for his sake, John 16. 1, 2. These things have I spoken unto you, that you should not be offended; they shall put you out of the Synagogues. Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service. But, vers. 4. he adds, These things I have told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. q. d. Remember your selves in times of Persecution, that all these things were propounded, considered, and consented to; they were the very terms you subscribed to me; had you not liked them, you might at the everlasting damage and ruin of your immortal Souls have refused and rejected them. Now, the things you are to balance with the gain of Christ, must by you be sorted into two Ranks. 1. Things that must be parted with. 2. Things that may be parted with for Christ.
II. Upon the other-side cast up the account what you may lose by your consent to be Christs; and whether those losses be sufficient to ballance or preponderate the gain that comes by such a consent; that so your choice of Christ may be a deliberate and full choice, and you may never repent afterwards of the choice you have made: It is a rule in the Civil Law, Non consentit qui non sentit; he cannot consent, that doth not think, understand, and deliberate; and this is the reason of so much flinching from Christ, and shameful apostacy in times of Persecution; Men did not think of such sufferings and losses, they are meer surprisals to them; to forelay all such occasions ⟨p. 214⟩