A39660:625
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. Direction.
Sixthly, Labour to make a resolved adventure upon Christ amidst all those encouragements, let the issue be what it will; resolve to venture though you have not the least degree of assurance that you shall be accepted and pardoned. This is that brave and noble act of Faith which carries the Soul to Christ, much as Esther came to the King, Yet will I go in to the King, and if I perish, I. perish, Hest. 4. 16. It pities me to think how the saving act of Faith is grossly mistaken in the World; the generality think it is enough for them to believe that Christ died for sinners, and therefore for them as well as any other; but you see Faith is another matter: O there are great ⟨p. 225⟩difficulties and mighty wrestlings in the Work of Believing; 'tis a great matter for a poor convinced sinner, in the face of so much guilt and vileness, and amidst such manifold damps and discouragements from Satan, to cast and adventure himself upon Christ, and that upon such self-denying terms; but the pinch of necessity will bring the Soul to this, for now it reasons with it self as the Lepers did, 2 Kings 7. 4, 5. If we go to the Camp of the Assyrians we can but dye, and if we abide here we must certainly dye; thus here, if I sit still in the state of Nature and still continue demurring and delaying, my damnation is unavoidable, to Hell I must go▪ and if I cast my self upon Christ, I can but be rejected; but he hath said, He will not cast out those that come unto him; in this way of Faith there is a possibility of Salvation, yea, there dawns from it a strong probability; this therefore is my only way, To him I will go, and if I perish, I perish.