A39660:800
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.
V. Inference.
If no Soul can open to Christ until it hear his powerful spiritual voice, then the change made upon men by conversion is wholly supernatural.
The rise of Faith is from this power of Christ, not from the nature of Man, John 1. 13. Proud Nature arrogates this power and honour to it self, but without any ground; for though some things may be done by men in their natural state, which have a remote tendency to conversion and spiritual life, yet it can never open to Christ savingly without a power communicated from himself. There is a total impotence in Nature to produce such an effect as this. The Scripture speaks it roundly; telling us, The Natural man cannot (of himself) know the things that are of God, 1 Cor. 2. 14. Cannot believe; for Faith is not of our selves, it is the gift of God, John 6. 44. Cannot obey, Rom. 8. 7. The carnal Mind is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. Cannot speak a good word, Matth. 12. 34