A39660:644
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.
If any Man open, I will come in to him. It is not unworthiness, but unwillingness that Bars any Man from Christ: thousands have mist of Christ by their unwillingness, but Christ never put off one Soul upon account of its unworthiness; Christ is not the Sale, but the Gift of God; you come not to make a bargain, but to receive a free gift: Faith is a marriage with Christ, wherein nothing but your Hearty consent is expected; so runs the strain of the whole Scriptures, Isa. 55. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, (i. e. no merit, no worthiness of his own) let him come. Behold the free grace of Christ to the vilest and unworthiest of sinners, so Revel. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him […], and take the water of Life freely; and in the very phrase of my Text he speaks again, John 7. 37. If any Man thirst, let him come to me and drink. 'Tis very observable, throughout the whole Gospel, that Christ never made any objection against any Soul that came to him upon the account of its sinfulness and unworthiness; but all the complaints of ⟨p. 232⟩Christ are still upon the account of their unwillingness; so in his complaint over Jerusalem, Luke 13. 34. I would, but you would not; so again, John 5. 40. You will not come unto me, that you might have life. The complaint is still upon their unwillingness. In the stating of this Point, I shall Doctrinally discourse these two things, 1. What it is to be truly willing to receive Jesus Christ. 2. How it appears that they who are so, shall certainly be received and graciously accepted of him.
If any Man open, I will come in to him. It is not unworthiness, but unwillingness that Bars any Man from Christ: thousands have mist of Christ by their unwillingness, but Christ never put off one Soul upon account of its unworthiness; Christ is not the Sale, but the Gift of God; you come not to make a bargain, but to receive a free gift: Faith is a marriage with Christ, wherein nothing but your Hearty consent is expected; so runs the strain of the whole Scriptures,