A39669:888
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.
The Method of grace in uniting souls with Jesus Christ, hath been opened in the former discourses, thus doth the Spirit (whose office it is) make application of Christ to Gods elect: The result and next fruit whereof is Communion with Christ in his graces and benefits: our Mystical union is the very ground-work and foundation of our sweet soul-enriching Communion, and participation of spiritual privileges; we are first engrafted into Christ, and then suck the sap and fatness of that root: first married to the person of Christ, then endowed and instated in the privileges and benefits of Christ. This is my proper work to open at this time, and from this Scripture.
THe Method of grace in uniting souls with Jesus Christ, hath been opened in the former discourses, thus doth the Spirit (whose office it is) make application of Christ to Gods elect: The result and next fruit whereof is Communion with Christ in his graces and benefits: our Mystical union is the very ground-work and foundation of our sweet soul-enriching Communion, and participation of spiritual priviledges; we are first ingraffed into Christ, and then suck the sap and fatness of that root: first married to the person of Christ, then endowed and enstated in the priviledges and benefits of Christ. This is my proper work to open at this time, and from this Scripture.
The words read are a part of that excellent song of love, that heavenly Epithalamium, wherein the spiritual espousals of ⟨p. 163⟩Christ and the Church are figuratively, and very elegantly 1celebrated and shadowed. The subject matter of this Psalm is the very same with the whole book of the Canticles: and in this Psalm under the figure of King Solomon and the daughter of Egypt whom he espoused, the spiritual espousals of Christ and the Church are set forth and represented to us. Among many rapturous and elegant expressions in pra•e of this glorious bridegroom Christ, this is one which you have before you. God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows: (i. e.) enriched and filled thee in a singular and peculiar manner with the fullness of the Spirit, whereby thou art consecrated to thy office; and by reason whereof thou out-shinest and excellest all the Saints who are thy fellows or Copartners in these graces. So that in these words you have two parts,