A39669:1000
The Method of Grace
The method of grace, in bringing home the eternal redemption contrived by the Father, and accomplished by the Son through the effectual application of the spirit unto God's elect, being the second part of Gospel redemption : wherein the great mystery of our union and communion with Christ is opened and applied, unbelievers invited, false pretenders convicted, every mans claim to Christ examined, and the misery of Christless persons discovered and bewailed / by John Flavell ...The method of grace, in bringing home the eternal redemption contrived by the Father, and accomplished by the Son through the effectual application of the spirit unto God's elect, being the second part of Gospel redemption : wherein the great mysterie of our union and communion with Christ is opened and applied, unbelievers invited, false pretenders convicted, every mans claim to Christ examined, and the misery of Christless persons discovered and bewailed / by John Flavell ...
London: printed by M. White for Francis Tyton, 1681
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.
Secondly, The Lord is pleased to nourish still some hope in the soul under the greatest fears and troubles of Spirit: though it have no comfort or joy, yet it hath some hope in the bottom and that keeps up the heart: the afflicted soul doth in this case as the afflicted Church, Lam. 3. 29. he putteth his mouth in the dust if yet there may be hope: he saith, its good for a man to hope, and quietly to wait for the salvation of God: there are usually some glimmerings or dawnings of mercy through Christ in the midnight darkness of inward troubles: non dantur purae tenebrae, in hell indeed there is no hope to enlighten the darkness, but it is not so upon earth.
Thirdly, The experiences of others who have been in the same deeps of trouble are also of great use to keep up the soul 1above water. The experience of another is of great use to prop up a desponding mind, whilst as yet it hath none of its own: and indeed for the support of souls in such cases they were recorded 1 Tim. 1. 16. For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting: for an encouraging pattern, an eminent precedent to all poor sinners that were to come after him: that none might absolutely despair of finding mercy through Christ. You know if a man be taken sick, and none can tell what the disease is, none can say that ever they heard of such a disease before, it's exceeding frightful; but if one and another, it may be twenty, come to the sick mans bedside and tell him, ⟨p. 191⟩Sir, be not afraid, I have been in the very same case that you now are, and so have many more, and all did well at last, why this is half a cure to the sick man. So it is here a great support to hear the experiences of other Saints.