A39669:618
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.
First, The renouncing of all other hopes and dependencies whatsoever. Self in all its acceptations, natural, sinful, and moral, is now to be denied and renounced for ever, else Christ can never be received, Rom. 10. 3. not only self in its vilest pollutions, but self in its richest ornaments, and endowments: but this is as impossible to the unrenewed natural man, as it is for rocks or mountains to start from their Centre, and fly like wandering Atoms in the air: nature will rather choose to run the hazard of everlasting damnation, than escape it by a total renunciation of its beloved lusts, or self-righteousness: this supernatural work necessarily requires a supernatural principle, Rom. 8. 2.
First, The renouncing of all other hopes and dependencies whatsoever. Self in all its acceptations, natural, sinful, and moral, is now to be denyed and renounced for ever, else Christ can never be received, Rom. 10. 3. not only self in its vilest pollutions, but self in its richest ornaments, and endowments: but this is as impossible to the unrenewed natural man, as it is for rocks or mountains to start from their Centre, and fly like wandering Atomes in the air: nature will rather choose to run the hazard of everlasting damnation, than escape it by a total renunciation of its beloved lusts, or selfrighteousness: this supernatural work necessarily requires a supernatural principle, Rom. 8. 2.
Secondly, The opening the heart fully to Jesus Christ, without which Christ can never be received, Rev. 3. 20. but 1this also is the effect of the quickening Spirit, the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus: sooner may we expect to see the flowers and blossoms open without the influence of the Sun, than the heart and will of a sinner open to receive Christ, without a principle of spiritual life first derived from him: and this will be past doubt to all that consider, not only the impotence of nature, but the ignorance, prejudice, and aversations of nature by which the door of the heart is barred and chained up against Christ,