A39669:1060
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.
First, It hints this to us, That the souls of convinced and burdened sinners, do not only discern the reality of Christ, or that he is; but also the necessity of applying Christ, and that their eternal life is in their union with him: for this is most certain, that the object of faith must be determinate and ⟨p. 194⟩fixed; the soul must believe that Christ is, or else there can be no emotions of the soul after him: all coming presupposes a fixed term to which we come, Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God, must believe that God is. Take away this, and all motion after Christ presently stops. No wonder then that souls in their first motions to Christ find themselves clogged with so many atheistical temptations, shaking their assent to the truth of the Gospel at the very root and foundation of it: but they that come to Christ do see that he is, and that their life and happiness lies in their union with him; else they would never come to him upon such terms as they do.
First, It hints this to us, That the souls of convinced and burdened sinners, do not only discern the reality of Christ, or that he is; but also the necessity of applying Christ, and that their eternal life is in their union with him: for this is most certain, that the object of faith must be determinate and ⟨p. 194⟩fixed; the soul must believe that Christ is, or else there can be no emotions of the soul after him: all coming presupposes a fixed term to which we come, Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God, must believe that God is. Take away this, and all motion after Christ presently stops. No wonder then that souls in their first motions to Christ find themselves clogg'd with so many atheistical temptations, shaking their assent to the truth of the Gospel at the very root and foundation of it: but they that come to Christ do see that he is, and that their life and happiness lyes in their union with him; else they would never come to him upon such terms as they do.