A39669:2108
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.
From all which it follows, that seeing there can be no complacence or delight in God without suitableness and conformity to him, as is plain from 1 Joh. 3. 2. as well as from the reason and nature of the thing it self: either God must become like us suitable to our sinful, corrupt and vain hearts, which were but a rude blasphemy once to imagine; or else we must be made agreeable and suitable to God, which is the very thing I am now proving the necessity of.
Fourthly, There is an absolute necessity of the new creature to all that expect interest in Christ and the glory to come: since all the characters, marks and signs of such an interest are constantly taken from the new creature wrought in us. Look over all the marks and signs of interest in Christ or salvation by him which are dispersed through the Scriptures, ⟨p. 441⟩and you shall still find purity of heart, Matth. 5. 8. holiness both in principle and practice, Heb. 12. 14. mortification of sin, Rom. 8. 13. longing for Christs appearance, 2 Tim. 4. 8. with multitudes more of the same nature, to be constantly made the marks and signs of our salvation by Christ. So that either we must have a new Bible or a new Heart: for if these Scriptures be the true and faithful words of God, no unrenewed creature can see his face; which was the fourth thing to be opened.