A39669:2351
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.
Pattern 1.
And first of all, the purity and holiness of the life of Christ is proposed as a glorious pattern for the Saints imitation, 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: [Greek or Hebrew], in every creek and turning of your lives. There is a twofold holiness in Christ; the holiness of his nature and the holiness of his practice; his holy being, and his holy working: this obligeth all that profess interest in him, to a twofold holiness, viz. holiness in actu primo, in the principles of it in their hearts; and holiness in actu secundo, in the practice and exercise of it in their conversations: 'tis very true, we cannot in all respects imitate the holiness of Christ; for he is essentially holy; proceeding by nature, as a pure beam of holiness from the Father: and when he was incarnate he came into the world immaculate, and pure from the least stain of pollution; therefore it was said, Luke 1. 25. That holy thing which shall be ⟨p. 502⟩born of thee, shall be called the Son of God: in this we can never be like Christ in the way of our production: for who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean? not one. The Lord Jesus was also efficiently holy, (i. e.) he makes others holy: therefore his sufferings and blood are called a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness, (i. e.) to cleanse other mens souls, Zech. 13. 1. in this Christ also is inimitable: no man can make himself or others holy. That's a great truth though it will hardly go down with proud nature, minus est te fecisse hominem, quam sanctum, we may sooner make our selves to be men than to be Saints. Beside, Christ is infinitely holy as he is God, and there are no stints or measures set to his holiness as Mediator,