A39680:411
Sacramental meditations upon divers select places of scripture
Sacramental meditations upon divers select places of scripture wherein believers are assisted in preparing their hearts, and exciting their affections and graces, when they draw nigh to God in that most awful and solemn ordinance of the Lords Supper / by Jo. Flavel ...
London: printed for Jacob Sampson, 1679
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.
Christ returns his doubting language upon himself, ver. 23. If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. q. d. Dost thou doubt of my ability to heal thy Child? question rather thy own ability to believe for his cure: If he be not healed, the cause will not be in my inability, but in thine own infidelity: Which he speaks not to insinuate that Faith was in his own power, but to convince him of his weakness, and drive him to God for assistance, which effect it obtained; for immediately, he cried out and said with tears, Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief.
Christ returns his doubting language upon himself, ver. 23. If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. q. d. Dost thou doubt of my ability to heal thy Child? question rather thy own ability to believe for his cure: If he be not heal'd, the cause will not be in my inability, but in thine own infidelity: Which he speaks not to insinuate that Faith was in his own power, but to convince him of his weakness, and drive him to God for assistance, which effect it obtain'd; for immediately, he cry'd out and said with tears, Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief.
O how good is it for men to be brought into the straights of affliction sometimes? Had not this man fallen into this distress, it's not like that he had (at least not so soon) arrived either to the sense of his grace, or the weakness of it.
In the words we may note these three parts.