A39669:2026
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.
Rule 6.
Although the works of the spirit in all sanctified persons do substantially agree, both with the written word, and with one another (as ten thousand copies penned from one original must needs agree within themselves) yet as to the manner of infusion, and operation, there are found many circumstantial differences: the spirit of God doth not hold one and the same method of working upon all hearts: the work of grace is introduced into some souls with more terror and trouble for sin than it is in others: he wrought upon Paul one way; upon Lydia in another way: he holds some much longer under terrors and troubles than he doth others: inveterate and more profane sinners find stronger troubles for sin, and are held longer under them, than those are into whose hearts grace is more early and insensibly infused by the spirits blessing upon religious education: but as these have less trouble than the others at first, so commonly they have less clearness, and more doubts and fears about the work of the spirit afterwards.
Although the works of the spirit in all sanctified persons do substantially agree, both with the written word, and with one another (as ten thousand copies penned from one original must needs agree within themselves) yet as to the manner of infusion, and operation, there are found many circumstantial differences: the spirit of God doth not hold one and the same method of working upon all hearts: the work of grace is introduced into some souls with more terrour and trouble for sin than it is in others: he wrought upon Paul one way; upon Lydia in another way: he holds some much longer under terrours and troubles than he doth others: inveterate and more prophane sinners find stronger troubles for sin, and are held longer under them, than those are into whose hearts grace is more early and insensibly infused by the spirits blessing upon religious education: but as these have less trouble than the others at first, so commonly they have less clearness, and more doubts and fears about the work of the spirit afterwards.