A39660:689
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.
II. Inference.
Hence in like manner it follows, 1that the greatness, heinousness of past sins is no bar to believing and accepting Christ upon Gospel terms. Let no sinner be dismayed by the atrocity, and heinousness of sins past, from coming unto Jesus Christ for remission and peace. I am aware what mischievous use Satan makes of former sins, to discourage Souls from the work of Faith, by heaping them together, he raiseth up a Mountain betwixt Christ and the distressed Soul; but behold this day Christ leaping over these Mountains, and skipping over these Hills. Could this objection be rolled out of the way, sinners would go on in hope; but certainly if God have given thee a broken Heart, and a willing Mind, the greatness of thy sin need not discourage thee from believing. For (1.) thou hast sufficient encouragement, from the sufficiency of the causes of pardon, whatever thy particular enormities have been; there is a sufficiency in the impulsive cause, the Free Grace and Mercy of God, Exod. 34. 6, 7. Micah 7. 18, 19. Isa. 55. 7, 8, 9. It is well there is Mercy enough in God to heal and cover all, and there is no less sufficiency in the meritorious cause of pardon, the Blood of Jesus Christ, which taketh away all sin, 1 John 1. 7. 1 John 29. And it must needs be so, because it is Divine Blood, Acts 20. 28. Neither is there any defect in the applying cause, the Spirit of God, who hath already begun to work upon thy Heart, and is able to break it and bow it, and bring it home fully to Christ; and to complete the work ⟨p. 255⟩