A39660:704
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 7 › Application 2: II. Use for Exhortation.Sermon 7 › Application 2: II. Vse for Exhortation.
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. Use for Exhortation.
II. Vse for Exhortation.
In the next place, The point naturally leads me to a vehement persuasive unto all sinners of what rank or size soever they be, to hearken to the voice of Christ, who takes them all within the compass of his gracious invitation in the Text, saying, If any Man open I will come in. Let all sorts of sinners bless God for the extensiveness of this invitation, and that they find themselves by it as yet within the reach and compass of the Arms of a merciful Redeemer. And that there is nothing wanting to secure their Salvation, but the hearty consent of their Wills to the reasonable and necessary terms of the Gospel. Look over the whole Book of God, and you shall there find but one case absolutely excepted from the possibility of forgiveness; but one wound absolutely incurable, of which Christ speaks, Matth. 12. 31, 32. And what may be the reason that this only i• an incurable wound? certainly it cannot be, because the malignity of this sin exceeds the meritorious and pardoning virtue of the Blood of Christ; but rather because there is no sacrifice ⟨p. 265⟩appointed by the Lord for it. God never designed that the Blood of Christ should be an expiatory Sacrifice for that sin; as the Apostle plainly speaks, Heb. 6. 4, 5, 6, 7. All other sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto Men, saith Christ, that is, they are capable of forgiveness upon sincere and actual repentance and faith; yea, they have been actually pardoned unto many; now the greater any Mans sins hath been, the greater need he hath to hasten to Christ for pardon: There are some of you greater sinners than others; for though no sin be venial, light and trivial in it self; yet compared one with another, there is a vast difference found betwixt them in the weight and aggravations of them. Now I will labour to show you by what rules Men are to estimate the greatness and aggravation of sin; and then to convince you that the greatest of sinners stand yet fair for mercy, as well as the lesser; and sometimes much fairer: Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you, saith Christ,