PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Whole Works of John Flavel — Volume 2
Flavel, John, 1630?-1691 · 304,299 words · 252 reading sections
Section 121
First, From the various subjects upon whom it works : The hearts and consciences of men of all orders and qualities, have been reached and wounded to the quick by the two-edged sword of God's law. Some, among the great and honourable of the earth, (though indeed the fewest of that rank) have been made to stoop and trem…
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Thirdly, In the last place, it will concern us to enquire whence the word of God hath all this power ? And it is most certain, that it is not a power inherent in itself, nor derived from the instru- ment by which it is managed, but from the Spirit of the Lord, who communicates to it all that power and efficacy which it…
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Inf. 1. Is there such a mighty power in the word? then certain!?/ the word is of divine authority. There cannot be a more clear and satisfying proof that it is no human invention, than the common sense that all believers have of the Almighty power in which it works upon their hearts. So speaks the apostle, 1 Thes. ii. …
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O therefore, as you love your own souls, and are loth to ruin them to all eternity, attend upon every opportunity that God af- fords you ; for you know not in which of them the Lord may work upon your hearts. Lay aside your prejudices against the word or the weaknesses and infirmities of them that preach it ; for the w…
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under it : the commandment comes to them, and shews them this or that more gross and startling sin. Doth it come to you, and shew you not only this or that particular sin, but all the evils of vour heart and life ; the corruption of your natures, as well as the transgressions of your lives ? If so, it promises well, an…
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Of the necessity of divine teaching, in order to believing, the apos- tle speaks, in Eph. iv. 20, 21. " But ye have not so learned Christ; " if so be that you have heard him, and been taught by him, as " the truth is in Jesus ;" i. e. Your faith must needs be effectual, both to the reformation of your lives, and your p…
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Secondly, In the next place we are to enquire what those special truths are which believers hear and learn of the Father, when they come to Christ. And there are divers great and necessary truths, wherein the Spirit enlightens men in that day. I cannot say they are all taught every believer in the same degree and orde…
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Lesson 4. Fourthly, The Lord teaches the soul that is coming to Christ, that though it he their duty to strive to the uttermost for sal- vation ; yet all strivings, in their own strength, are insufficient to obtain it. This work is quite above the power of nature : u It is " not of him that willeth, nor of him that run…
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Lesson 9. Ninthly, All that come to Christ are taught of God to abandon their former ways and companions in sin, as ever they expect to be received unto mercy, Isa. lv. 7. 2 Cor. v. 17. Sins that were profitable and pleasant, that were as the right hand, and right eye, must now be cut off. Companions in sin, who were o…
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First, The soul seeth an absolute necessity of coming : necessity- is laid upon it, there is no other way, Acts iv. 12. God hath shut it up by a blessed necessity to this only door of escape, Gal. iii. 23. Damnation lies in the neglect of Christ, Heb. ii. 3. The soul hath no choice in this case ; angels, ministers, dut…
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Seventhly, The teachings of God make their own way into the dullest and weakest capacities, Isa. xxxii. 4. " The heart also of " the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the " stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.1'' Upon this account Christ said, Matth. xi. 25. " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of " h…
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Secondly, The impossibility of coming to Christ, without the Father's teachings, evidently appears from the indisposedness of man, the subject of this change ; " The natural man receives not " the things which are of God," 1 Cor. ii. 14. Three things must be wrought upon man, before he can come to Christ : His blind un…
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Inf. 4. Learn hence the transcendent excellency of saving, spiritual knowledge, above that which is merely literal and natural. One drop of knowledge taught by God, is more excellent than the whole ocean of human knowledge and acquired gifts, Phil. hi. 8. John xvii. 3. 1 Cor. ii. 2. Let no man therefore be dejected at …
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First, To those that never yet heard the voice of God speaking to their hearts ; and truly this is the general case of most men and women, in the professing world : They have heard the sound of the gospel, but it hath been a confused, empty, and ineffectual sound in their ears ; they have heard the voice of man, but ha…
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Secondly, The trial of this union, which is by the giving of the Spirit to us : The Spirit of Christ is the very bond of union betwixt him and our souls. I mean not that the very person of the Spirit dwelleth in us, imparting his essential properties to us ; it were a rude blasphemy so to speak ; but his saving influen…
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Secondly, In the next place we are to enquire and satisfy our- selves, how this giving of the Spirit evidently proves and strongly concludes that soul's interest in Christ unto whom he is given : and this will evidently appear by the consideration of these five particu- lars. 1. The Spirit of God in believers is the v…
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Rule 1. Though the Spirit of God be given to us, and worketh in us, yet he worketh not as a natural and necessary, but as a free and arbitrary agent : He neither assists, nor sanctifies, as the fire burn- etii, ad ultimum sui posse, as much as he can assist or sanctify, but as 33-i THE METHOD OF GRACE, SEEM. XXIV, mu…
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Evidence 1. In whomsoever the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit qj sanctifieation, to that man or woman he hath been, more or less, a Spirit of conviction and humiliation. This is the order which the Spirit constantly observes in adult or grown converts, John xvi. 8, 9. " And when he is come, he will reprove the world of si…
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Evidence 4. Wherever the Spirit of God dicellcth, he doth in some degree, mortify and subdue the evils and corruptions of the soid in which he resides. This Spirit lusteth against the flesh, Gal. v. 7. and believers, " through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body," Rom. vih. 13. This is one special part of his …
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Evidence 7. Those to whom the Spirit of grace is given, are led by the Spirit, Rom. viii. 14. "As many as are led by the Spirit of " God, they are the sons of God :" Sanctified souls give themselves up to the government and conduct of the Spirit ; they obey his voice, beg his direction, follow his motions, deny the sol…
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Secondly, Know also, that there is a great difference betwixt spi- ritual death, and spiritual deadness ; the former is the state of the unregenerate, the latter is the disease and complaint of many thou- sand regenerate souls : If David had not felt it as well as thee, he would never have cried out nine times in the c…
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JL OU have seen one trial of an interest in Christ, in our last dis- course, namely, hy the donation of the Spirit. We have here ano- ther trial of the same matter, from one of the greatest, and most noble effects of the Spirit upon our souls ; namely, his work of re- novation, or new creation : " If any man be in Chri…
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4. The necessity of this new creation to all that are in Christ. 5. How this new creation evidences our interest in Christ. 6. And then apply the whole in the proper uses of it. First, Why the regenerating work of the Spirit is called a new creation. This must be our first enquiry. And, doubtless, the reason of this…
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Secondly, Every man in Christ is renewed in his frame and con- stitution ; all the faculties and affections of his soul are renewed by regeneration : his understanding was dark, but now is light in the Lord, Eph. v. 8. his conscience was dead and secure, or full of guilt and horror, but is now become tender, watchful, …
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Secondly ', But though this life of the new creature be a great mystery, and secret in some respects ; yet so far as it is known, and appears unfo us, the new creature is the most beautiful and lovely creature that ever God made ; for the beauty of the Lord himself is upon it : " The new man is created after God," Eph.…
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Seventhly, The new creature is an heavenly creature ; " It is not " born of flesh, nor of blood, nor of the will of man, but of " God," John i. 13. its descent and original is heavenly, it is spi- rit born of spirit, John iii. 6. its centre is heaven, and thither are all its tendencies, Psal. lxiii. 8. its proper food,…
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Thirdly, So necessary is the new creation to all that expect sal- vation by Christ, that without this, heaven would be no heaven, and the glory thereof no glory to us, by reason of the unsuitable- ness and aversion of our carnal minds thereunto; " The carnal " mind is enmity against God," Rom. viii. 7. and enmity is ex…
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Inference 1. How miserable and deplorable an estate all unrenewed souls are in ; who can lay no claim to Christ during that state, and therefore are under an impossibility of salvation. O reader ! if this be the state of thy soul, better had it been for thee not to have been God's natural workmanship as a man, except t…
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Inf. 5. If none but new creatures be in Christ, how small a rem- nant among men belong to Christ in this world ! Among the multi- tude of rational creatures inhabiting this Avorld, how few, how very few, are new creatures ? It is the observation of the learned Mr. Brerewood, that if the world be divided into thirty par…
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Thirdly, That excellent gifts and abilities, fitting men for ser- vice in the church of God, may be where the new creature is not ; for these are promiscuously dispensed by the Spirit both to the re- generate and unregenerate : Matth. vii. 22. " Many will say unto " me, in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied i…
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5. The new creature is a praying creature, living by its daily communion with God, which is its livelihood and subsistence, Zech. xii. 10. Acts ix. 11. If, therefore, thou be a prayerless soul, or if, in all thy prayers, thou art a stranger to communion with God ; if there be no brokenness of heart for sin in thy con- …
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First, The subject of the proposition, they that are Christ's, viz. " * True Christians, real members of Christ ; such as truly belong " to Christ, such as have given themselves up to be governed by " him," and are indeed acted by his Spirit ; such, all such per- sons (for the indefinite is equipollent to an universal)…
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Thirdly, The crucifixion of the flesh doth not consist in the ces- sation of the external acts of sin; for, in that respect, the lusts of men may die of their own accord, even a kind of natural death. The members of the body arc the weapons of unrighteousness, as the apostle calls them ; age or sickness may so blunt or…
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Fifthly, The crucifying of the flesh notes to us the believers' de- signed application- of all spiritual means and sanctified instruments for the destruction of it : There is nothing in this world which a gracious heart more vehemently desires and longs for than the death of sin and perfect deliverance from it, Rom. vi…
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First, From the inconsistency and contrariety that there is be- twixt Christ and unmortificd lust, Gal. v. 17. " These are contrary u the one to the other." There is a threefold inconsistency be- twixt Christ and such corruptions ; they are not only contrary to the holiness of Christ, 1 John iii. 6. " Whosoever abideth…
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Fourthly, In the next place, we are to enquire into the true principle of mortification ; it is true, there are many ways attempt- ed by men for the mortification of sin, and many rules laid down, to guide men in that great work ; some of which are very trifling and impertinent things : such are those prescribed by Pop…
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Evidence 3. That which is the fruit and evidence of saving faith, must needs be a good evidence of our interest in Christ ; but mor- tification of sin is the fruit and evidence of saving faith. Acts xv. 9. " Purifying their hearts by faith." 1 John v. 4. " This is the " victory whereby we overcome the world, even our f…
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Inf. 4. If they that be Chrisfs have crucified the flesh*, then the number of real Christians is very small. It is true, if all that seem to be meek, humble, and heavenly, might pass for Chris- tians, the number would be great ; but if no more must be ac- counted Christians, than those who crucify the flesh, with its a…
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i4 meekness." If temptations prevail, and overbear us that we fall under sin, it is a special mercy to have the reproofs and coun- sels of our brethren, who will not suffer sin to rest upon us, Lev. xix. 17. Whilst we are sluggish and sleepy, others are vigilant and careful for our safety : The humility of another repr…
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3 Motive. Your stability and safety in the hour of temptation, depend upon the success of your mortifying endeavours. Is it then a valuable mercy in your eyes to be kept upright and stedfast in the critical season of temptation, when Satan shall be wrestling with you for the crown, and the prize of eternal life ! Then …
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Rule 3. Keep your consciences under the awe and in the fear of God continually, as ever you hope to be successful in the mortifi- cation of sin. The fear of God is the great preservative from sin, without which all the external rules and helps in the world signify nothing : " By the fear of the Lord, men depart from ev…
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Rule 10. Accustom your thoughts to such meditations as are proper to mortify sin in your affections, else all endeavours to mor- tify it will be but faint and languid : To this purpose, I shall re- commend the following meditations, as proper means to destroy the interest of sin. Meditation 1. Consider the evil that i…
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Meditation 7. Consider with yourselves what hard things some Christians have chosen to endure and suffer rather than they would defile themselves with guilt ; and shall every small temptation en- snare and take your souls? Read over the xi. chapter to the Hebrews, and see what the saints have endured to escape sin ; no…
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Fifthly, To shut up all, if you, through the Spirit, be daily mor- tifying the deeds of the body, then the death of Christ is effectually applied by the Spirit unto your souls, and your interest in him is unquestionable : For they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts ; and they that…
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Secondly, This imitation of Christ implies, that as no man is, or may pretend to be his own guide, so no mere man, how wise or holy soever he be, may pretend to be a rule to other men ; but Christ is the rule of every man's way and walking. It is true in- deed, the apostle saith, " We should be followers of them, who "…
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Secondly, In the next place we are to enquire, in what things all who profess Christ are obliged to the imitation of him ; or what those excellent graces in the life of Christ were, which are pro- pounded as patterns to the saints. The life of Christ was a living law ; all the graces and virtues of the Spirit were rep…
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Sixthly, In a word, the delight of Christ was only in holy things and holy persons : they were his chosen companions ; even so it becometh his people to have all their delights in the saints, and in the excellent of the earth, Psal. xvi. 3. Thus, Christians, be ye fol- lowers of Christ in his holiness ; God hath decree…
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Pattern 3. The self-denial of Christ is the pattern of believers, and their conformity unto it is their indispensible duty, Phil. ii. 4, 5, 6. 2 Cor. viii. 9. " For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus " Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became " poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.,, Jes…
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SEUM. XXIX. THE METHOD OF GRACE. 4>09 spicuous in the life of Christ, and is a rare pattern for believers imitation, John iv. 32, 34. " But he said unto them, I have meat " to eat that ye know not of, my meat is to do the will of him that " sent me, and to finish his work." The delights of Christ were all in heaven. T…
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1 Pet. iii. 1. What the Heathens said of moral virtue, (which they called verticordia, turn-heart) that if it were but visible to mortal eyes, all men would be enamoured with it, will be much more true of religion when you shall represent the beauty of it in your conversation. Pattern 7. The humility and lowliness of …
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and unalterable : God that hath appointed the end, hath also established the means and order by which men shall attain the ul- timate end. Now conformity to Christ is the established method in which God will bring souls to glory, Rom. viii. 29. " For whom " lie did foreknow, he also did predestinate, to be conformed to…
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Thirdly, According to this reasoning, there can be no religion in the world ; for name me that religion which is not scandalized by the practices of some that profess it. So that this practice hath a natural tendency to Atheism ; and is, no doubt, encouraged by the devil for that end. Inf. 2. If all men forfeit their …
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Motive 3. The conformity of your lives to Christ, your pattern, is vour highest excellency in this world : The measure of your grace is to be estimated bv this rule. The excellency of every creature rises higher and higher, according as it approaches still nearer and nearer to its original ; the more you resemble Chris…
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Though God have left many defects to humble you, yet he hath given many things to comfort you. This is a comfort that the desire of thy soul is to God, and to the remembrance of his name. This is a comfort, that thy sins are not thy delight as once they were ; but thy shame and sorrow. This is a comfort, that thy case …
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First, In what sense are Christless and unregenerate men said to be dead men. To open this, we must know there is a three-fold death, viz. Natural death is nothing else but the privation of the principle of natural life, or the separation of the soul from the body, James ii. 26. " The body without the spirit is dead.…
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First, They have no feeling, or sense of misery and danger. I mean no such sense as thoroughly awakens them to apply Christ their remedy. That spiritual judgment lies upon them, Isa. vL 9, 10. " And he said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but " understand not ; and see ye indeed, but perceive not ; make the …
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The change from grace to glory is acknowledged by all, and that justly, to be a wonderful change for God to take a poor crea- ture out of the society of sinful men ; yea, from under the burden of many sinful infirmities, which made him groan from day to day in this world ; and in a moment to make him a complete and per…
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VyHRIST having discoursed with Nicodemus in the beginning of this chapter, about the necessity of regeneration, proceeds to shew in this following discourse, the reason and ground why re- generation and faith are so indispensably necessary, viz. because 482 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SEltM. XXXII. ; there is no other way t…
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2. Respectu pcencc, In respect of the punishment. First, Condemnation, with respect to the fault, is the casting of the person as guilty of the crime charged upon him ; condemna- tion, with respect to the punishment, is the sentencing of the con- victed offender to undergo such a punishment for such a fault ; to bear …
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condemned men and women. That is a sad complaint of the pro- phet, Isa. liii. i. " Who hath believed our report, and to whom is " the arm of the Lord revealed ?" Many there be that talk of faith, and many that profess faith ; but they only talk of and profess it : There are but few in the world unto whom the arm of the…
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.