A39669:281
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.
O think again and again upon this Scripture, consider what forcible and mighty Arguments are here laid together to engage relief to the wants of Christians.
Here you see their near relation to Christ: they are Mystically one person: what you did to them, you did to me. Here you see also how kindly Christ takes it at our hands: acknowledging all those kindnesses that were bestowed upon him, even to a bit of bread: he is you see content to take it as a courtesy, who might demand it by authority, and bereave you of all immediately upon refusal.
Yea, here you see this one single branch or act of obedience, (our charity to the Saints) is singled out from among all the duties of obedience, and made the test and evidence of our sincerity in that great day, and men blessed or cursed ⟨p. 39⟩according to the love they have manifested this way to the Saints.
O then henceforth let none that understand the relation the Saints have to Christ, as the members to the head, or the relation they have to each other thereby as fellow members of the same body, from henceforth suffer Christ to hunger, if they have bread to relieve him, or Christ to be thirsty, if they have to refresh him; this Union betwixt Christ and the Saints affords an Argument beyond all other arguments in the world to prevail with us: methinks a little Rhetoric might persuade a Christian to part with any thing he hath to Christ, who parted with the glory of heaven, yea, and his heart blood to boot for his sake.