A39669:1867
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.
This Scripture hath much of the mind of God in it, and he that is to open it had need himself to be taught of God. In the foregoing verses Christ offers himself as the bread of life unto the souls of men: against this doctrine they oppose their carnal reason, ver. 41, 42. Christ strikes at the root of all their Cavils and objections in his reply, ver. 43, 44. Murmur not among your selves, no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, q. d. you slight me because you do not know me, you do not know ⟨p. 374⟩me, because you are not taught of God: of these divine teachings, the Prophets of old have spoken, and what they foretold is at this day fulfilled in our sight: so many as are taught of God, and no more come unto me in the way of faith: 'tis impossible to come without the teachings of God, ver. 44. 'tis as impossible not to come, or to miscarry in their coming unto me, under the influence of these Divine teachings, ver. 45.
The words read consist of two parts, Viz. 1. An allegation out of the Prophets. 2. The application thereof made by Christ.
First, An allegation out of the Prophets: it is written in the Prophets, And they shall be all taught of God: the places in 1the Prophets to which Christ seems here to refer are, Isa. 54. 13. and all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord, and Jer. 31. 34. and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: these promises contain the great blessings of the New Covenant, viz. Divine instruction, and heavenly illumination, without which no man can be brought up to the terms of the New Covenant.