A39669:2030
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.
Evidence 1.
In whomsoever the spirit of Christ is a spirit of sanctification, to that man or woman he hath been more or less a spirit of conviction and humiliation: this is the order which the spirit constantly observes in adult, or grown converts. Joh. 16. 8, 9. and when he is come he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of Judgement: of sin because they believed not on me. This you see is the method he observes all the world over: he shall reprove or convince the world of sin. Conviction of sin hath the same respect unto sanctification, as the blossoms of trees have to the fruits that follow them: a blossom is but fructus imperfectus, & ordinabilis; an imperfect fruit in it self, and in order to a more perfect and noble fruit: where there are no blossoms, we can expect no fruit, and where we see no convictions of sin, we can expect no conversion to Christ. Hath then the spirit of God been a spirit of conviction to thee? hath he more particularly convinced thee of sin because thou hast not believed on him? (i. e.) hath he shown thee thy sin and misery, as an Unbeliever? not only terrified and affrighted thy conscience with this or that more notorious act of sin, but sully convinced thee of the state of sin that thou art in by reason of thy unbelief; which holding thee from Christ, must needs also hold thee under the guilt of all thy other sins. This gives at least a strong probability that God hath given thee his spirit, especially, when this conviction remains day and night upon thy soul, so that nothing but Christ can give it rest, and consequently the great inquisition of thy soul is after Christ, and none but Christ.
In whomsoever the spirit of Christ is a spirit of sanctification, to that man or woman he hath been more or less a spirit of conviction and humiliation: this is the order which the spirit constantly observes in adult, or grown converts.