A39669:671
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.
And indeed it involves many deep mysteries and things of greatest weight: people are generally very ignorant and unacquainted with the importance of this expression, they have very sleight thoughts of faith, who never past under the illuminating, convincing and humbling work of the Spirit: but we shall find that saving faith is quite another thing, and differs in its whole kind and nature from that traditional faith, and common assent, which is so fatally mistaken for it in the world.
And indeed it involves many deep mysteries and things of greatest weight: people are generally very ignorant and unacquainted with the importance of this expression, they have very sleight thoughts of faith, who never past under the illuminating, convincing and humbling work of the Spirit: but we shall find that saving faith is quite another thing, and differs in its whole kind and nature from that tra•itional faith, and common assent, which is so fatally mistaken for it in the world.
For First, It is evident, that no man can receive Jesus Christ in the darkness of natural ignorance: we must understand and discern who and what he is, whom we receive to be the Lord our righteousness. If we know not his person and his offices, we do not take, but mistake Christ. It's a good rule in the Civil Law, non consentit qui non sentit: a mistake of the person invalidates the match: •e that takes Christ for a mere man, or denies the satisfaction of his blood, or divests him of his humane nature, or denies any of his most glorious and necessary offices, let them cry up as high as they will, his spirituality, glory, and exemplary life and death; they can never receive Jesus Christ aright: this is such a crack, such a flaw in the very foundation of faith, as undoes and destroys all: ignorantis non est consensus: all saving faith is founded in light and knowledge: and therefore it's called knowledge, Isa. 53. 11. and seeing is inseparably connected with believing,