PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Whole Works of John Flavel — Volume 4
Flavel, John, 1630?-1691 · 295,325 words · 248 reading sections
Section 181
(3.) Eye the free grace of God in them, yea, see riches of grace in every bequest of comfort to so vile and unworthy creatures as you are ; see yourselves over-topped by the least of all your mercies. Gen. xxxii. 10. '' I am not wqrthy of the least,"' said Jacob. 426 DIVINE CONDUCT ; OR, (4.) Eye the condescension of…
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L When the providences of God are sad and afflictive, either w^n the church in general, or your families and persons in parti- cular; then it is seasonable Jbr you to exercise godly sorrow and humility cyf spirit : For in that day, and by those providences^ God doth call to it, Isa. xxii. 12. Micah vi. 9. Now sensitive…
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3. Exercise heavenly mindedness, and keep your hearts upon things eternal, under all the providences with ivhich the Lord exercises you in this worldy Gen. vi. 9. Noah walked with God, yet met with as sad pro\'idences in his day as any man that ever lived since his time. But alas ! we find most providences, rather stop…
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(2.) Consider your sins, and that 'will maJce you contented with your lot. Yea, consider two things in sin. (1.) What it deserves froni God, and, (2.) W^hat it requires to mortify and purge it in you- It deserves from God eternal ruin ; the merit of hell is in the least vain thought ; every sin forfeits all the mercies…
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There arc hard texts m the works, as well as in the word of God. It becomes us modestly and humbly to reverence*, but not to dogmatize too boldly and positively upon them : a man may easily get a strain by over-reaching. When I thought to know thisy (saitli Asaph) it was too wonderful/br me. I thought to know this, the…
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1. It is usually found in the experience of all the saints, that in what ordinance or duty soever they have any sensible communion with God, it naturally produces in their spirits a deep abasement and humiliation from the sense of divine condescensions to such vile, poor worms as we are. Thus Abraham, Gen. xviii. 27 " …
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before seemed to clash and contradict one another in the buslnesi of our salvation, have a sweet agreement and accomplishment: Truth and righteousness do in him meet with mercy and peace, in a blessed agreement. What a lovely sight is this ! and how plea- sant to behold ! - O, if, with Habakkuk, chap. ii. ver. 3. we wo…
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St. Paul knew, that both his bonds and the afflictions added to them, should turn to, or (as the word a'iro(3rigirai imports) finally issue in his salvation, Phil. i. 19. Not that in themselves they serve to any such purpose ; but as they are over-ruled and deter- mined to such an end, through prayer, and the supply of…
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(3.) Have you not plainly discerned the hand of God in the re- turns and accomplishments of your prayers ? Nothing can be more evident than this to men of observation, Psalm xxxiv. 4, 5, 6. " I " sought the Lord, and he heard me, and dehvered me from all " my fears. They looked unto him and were lightened, and their " …
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(2.) Unbelief objects against the will of God, and questions, whether he will now be gracious, though he hath formerly been so. But after so many experiences of his readiness to help, what room for doubting remains.'' Thus Paul reasoned from the ex- perience of what he had done, to what he could do, 2 Cor. i. 10, and s…
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3. As the freeness of mercies, dispensed by providence, engageth praise; so the multitudes of mercy heaped this way upon us strongly oblige the soul to thankfulness. Thus David comes be- fore the Lord encompassed with a multitude of mercies to praise him, Psal. v. 7. We have our loads of mercies, and that every day, Ps…
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4. The continuation of all your mercies and comforts, outward as well as inward, is the fruit of his intercession in heaven for you. For look, as the offering up of the law of God a sacrifice for sin, opened the door of mercy at first ; so his appearing before God as a lamb that had been slain, still keeps that door of…
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4. Compare the dealings of providence with you and others ; yea, with others that sprang up with you in the same generation, it may be, in the same families, and from the same parents, it may be in families greater and more flourishing in the world than yours, and see the difference, upon many great accounts, it hath m…
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mind, that he knows not, but his good may be imported in what seemed to threaten his ruin. Many were the distresses and straits of Israel in the wilderness, but all was " to humble them, that he " might do them good in the latter end,'' Deut. viii. 16. Sad and dismal was the face of that providence that sent them out o…
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2. His providences, if duly observed, promote holiness by stop- ping up our way to sin. O if men would but note the designs of God in his preventive providences, how useful would it be to keep them upright and holy in their ways ! For why is it that the Lord so often hedges up our way with thorns, as it is, Hos. ii. 6.…
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1. The time of death is the time when souls are usually most violently assaulted by Satan with hoi'rid temptations and black sug- gestions. We may say of that figuratively, as it is said of the natu- ral serpent, numquam nisi moriens, producitur in logum ; he never exerts his utmost rage till the last encounter : and t…
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5. At death we begin the Angelical life of praise and thanksgivj ing. We then enter upon that everlasting sweet employment; and as I doubt not but the providences in which we were concern- ed in this world will be a part of that song which we shall sing in heaven, so certainly it will become us to tune our hearts and t…
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It is a grave and weighty observation of Chry-sostome -f- ; Nothing (saith he) should be grievous and bitter to a Christian, but to pro- voke the displeasure of God. Avoid that, and no affliction or trouble whatever can cast down such a prudent soul ; but even as a spark is easily extinguished in the sea, so will the f…
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That God doth give men secret hints and intimations of his will by his providence, cannot be doubted ; but yet providences in themselves, are no stable rule of duty, nor sufficient discovery of the will of God. We may say of them, as it is. Job xxiii. 8, 9. *' Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, bu…
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5. And this being done, follow providence so far as it agrees with the word, and no further. There^ is no use to be made of providence against the word, but in subserviency to it. And there are two excellent uses of providence in subserviency to the word. (1.) Providences, as they follow promises and prayer, are evi- d…
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So it was with David, after God had made him such a promise, and in the time thereof so faithfully performed it, that never was mercy better secured to any man ; for they are called, " the sure mer- " cies of David," Isa. Iv. 3. yet providence delayed the accom- plishment of them so long, and suffered such difficulties…
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But if you say you have long waited upon God for spiritual mer- cies to your souls according to the promise, and still those mercies are deferred, and your eyes fail whilst you look for them ; I would desire you seriously to consider of what kind those spiritual mercies are, for which you have so long waited upon God. …
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1. To some, all providences are over-ruled and ordered for good, according to that blessed promise, Rom. viii. 28. Not only things that are good in themselves, as ordinances, graces, duties, and m.ercies; but things that are evil in themselves, as tempta- tions, afflictions, and even their sins and corruptions shall tu…
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fitted by the wisdom of God to the strength and abiUty of our in- herent grace, Isa. xxvii. 8. " In measure when it shooteth forth *' tliou wih debate with it : he stayeth his rough wind in the day of <« the east wind.'" It is an allusion to a physician, who exactly weighs and measures all the ingredients which he ming…
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2. Whatever success, prosperity, or comfort men acquire by sinful mediums, and indirect courses, are not sanctified mercies to them. This is not the method in which those mercies are bestowed* " Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without " right,'' Prov. xvi. 8. Better upon this account that it c…
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alieratwns made by providence upon our conditions, try the stfengtli of our graces? and too often discover the weakness and corrup- tion of holy men. Hezekiali was a good man, but yet his weak- ness and corruption was bewrayed by the alterations providence made upon his conditions. When sickness and pains summoned him …
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How often do we afflict and torment ourselves by our o^^ti un- quiet thoughts, when there is no real cause or ground for so do^ ing ? Isa. li. 13. — " and hast feared continually every day because ** of the fury of the oppressor, as if he ^vere ready to destroy, and THE MYSTERY OF PROVIDENCE. 489 <^ where is the fury…
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S. The case before us supposeth, that these premonitions and fore-runners of affliction, do usually very much disturb the order, and break the peace of our souls ; they put the mind under great discomposure, the thoughts under much distraction, and the af- fections into tumults and rebellion. Ah, how unwilling are we …
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2. There is a great deal of vanity in it : all the thoughtfulness in the world will not make one liair white or black : all our dis- contents will not prevail with God to call back (or as the word may be rendered) make void his word, Isa. xxxi. 2. He is in one mind, Job xxiii. 15. The thoughts of his mind are from ever…
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Whilst this work was under my hand, I was both delighted and assisted by a pious and useful essay of an unknown author *, who liath to very good purpose improved many scriptural passages of providence, which seem to lie out of the road of common obser- vation: some passages I have noted out of it, which have been sweet…
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In this strait we consulted what course to steer. Debates must have quick dispatch, when danger is at hand. Our case and re- solve was much like that of the lepers^ at the siege of Samaria ; if we linger here we perish, if we make sail and try to extricate our- selves out of the innumerable difliculties v>e can but per…
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S. Those three that perished in the long-boat, were the most nimble and active in the whole company, and in such an extremity^ the most likely of all to have saved themselves ; yet these perished, when the feeblest and most unactive were preserved. " Let not the strong man therefore glory in his strength," nor the most…
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Now we began exceedingly to bewail the want of a compass, without which (the weather so continuing) our labour was in vain; and now to shew to what degree hunger, fear, and cold, had stupified and benumbed the limbs not only, but brains ; a poor, seaman hearing the lamentations that were made for want of a compass, ver…
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But certainly we had much more reason to rejoice than they, had the ground of our joy been as certain as the matter of it was sweet ; for they were safe in their ships, but Me ship- wrecked and destitute of all comfort ; they were returned from a good voyage, we had lost our goods and voyage too, and our lives were oft…
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two leagues of the shore, and conferring together what part of the land it was, both he and we concluded it to be Renouse ; and finding the Frenchmen bound for Placentia, and the weather calm, we being a little refreshed, ])lessed God, and thanked the master for his great civility ; we went again into our boat, hoping …
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This was our sad condition that day. A Sabbath it was, but without rest to us ; yet we wanted not the teaching and convinc- ing voice of God in his dreadful providences, had our hearts been in a fit capacity to improve it. We now saw how near we were brought to siifety, and even there Uke to perish. When we thought all…
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JjJ-ASTER Thomas Reed, yet living to attest the truth of this narrative, (an abstract whereof I procured from his nearest relations from Ratcliff, himself j at that time, being at sea,) was some years since in Carolina Bay, in Newfoundland, to load fish, with which he designed to go for the Straits. The ship accordingl…
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as never was since man was upon the earth, Dan. xii. 1. *Rev. xi, 7, 8. The witnesses of Jesus must first be slain, and their dead bodies for a time he in the streets of the great city : And as the naturalists observe, that a beast never bites more furiously and dead- ly, than when dying, even so it is with this beast …
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To prevent the success of the tempter, in all, or either of these, I shall oifer you my best assistance under these eight ensuing heads of advice and counsel ; beseeching you, by all the dear regard you have to the dreadful and glorious name of God, which is called upon you, Eph. iv. 1. Col. i. 10, 11. 2 Tim. ii. 19. o…
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4. Consider, e'er thou let go thy profession, how remarkably the lighteous hand of heaven hath met with, and paid home the apostates, even in this life ; which nevertheless, is but as a few drops upon them before the cloud dissolve, and the whole storm falls ; but as the parboiling of them, before they be roasted in th…
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^ In this commanr] the question is answered, which hath so disquieted tlie church in all ages, sc. Who shall prescribe the form of God's worship, sliall angels? shall men' shall the church? shall councils? The answer is, that when we have chosen Jehovah for our God, and rejected all false gods, according to his first l…
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Such a fleshly way of worship, I say it is manif st, we have fancied to ourselves another god, altogether different from that God re- vealed to us in the word. Hence it was that Joshua told the peo- ple, Josh. xxiv. 19. " Ye cannot serve the Lord, for he is a jea- " lous God, and will not forgive your sins."^ q. d. You…
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By all which, you see where the idolatry of worship lies. The instituting of any, though the smallest part of worship, in and by our own authority, without scripture- warrant, makes it idolatrous, as well as if we worshipped an idol. And hence it isj that God gives his people the same call from this latter sort of Romi…
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I By such a shaking he prepared the way for Christ's first eomlng, and in like man- ner he will prepare the way for his second appearance. Great have been the cliangea he has made in the world before this, but there is still to come a much greater, Grotius. t Accessorium sequitur naturam principalis. Ageiites et conse…
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Arg. 2. Doth not your attendance upon, and following of such a ministrv, help to midwife and bring forth all those evils with which their ministry travails, and is in pain to be delivered of? Could they do any hurt, if they were generally dechned and a- voided ? Their strength lieth in you : As a great commander once s…
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Object. But this ic'dl invalidate and nullify the call of (mr former ancient and godly ministers, for they came in the same way : yet God hath ozcncd them, and they have made full proof of their ministry. Sol. Not at all. For, (1.) Though it must be confessed (and themselves vnW not deny) but there were many' grand irr…
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2. It is further considerable, that the arguments drawn from this text, are commonly fallacious, taking it for granted, that re- Hgious hearing, as an act of worship, is here enjoined; whereas there is not a syllable of any such thing in the text : Indeed Christ bids them observe and do whatsoever ihey bid them ; but i…
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j7-g\ 1. From the relation itself, which is betwixt you and them; look but into your own bowels, and you shall find arguments enough to provoke your utmost care and industry for their good : what is a child but a piece of yourself (as one f saith) wrapt up in another skin ? What an inestimable value doth nature itself …
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how well doth God take it when his people will not be terrified from their duty by the fear of men ! " The Lord hearkened and " heard it :" ' They did not whiper so in one another's ear (saith ' a modern divine) but God over-heard them,' the Lord listened, as it were at the key-hole, he was under the window, and kept i…
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It is not only a great sin, but an ill sign, to be carried away with the streams of the times. A sin, because directly opposite to the command, Rom. xii. 2. " Be not conformed to this world,'' rw aiwi raroj, to this age ; the meaning is. Do not get into the garb of the times. And an ill sign, because the scripture make…
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* gets the start of religion in the morning, it can hardly overtake it ' all the day ; and so the heart is habituated to vanity all the day ' long : but when we begin with God, we take him along with us ' to all the businesses and comforts of the day ; which being sea^ ' soned with his love and fear, are the more sweet…
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Quest. But what are they? And how must they he prepared'^ Sol. Though every grace is necessary in its place, and in the Course of a Christian's conversation, comes to take his turn ; as every spoke in a Avheel bears a stress, and is of use in the whole turn and round thereof; yet as those spokes which are under- iTiost…
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Psal. cxxxvii. 5. " If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my tongue " cleave to the roof of my mouth.'' The pouring out of this spirit of compassion, will be a token for good to us ; Psal. cii. 13, " Thou wilt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to fa- " vour her, vea, the set time is come."" But how knew he that…
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Arg. 4. Those that are most deeply humbled, and do most fer- vently intercede for Zion now, shall have a peculiar share in her joy when the Lord restores it: " When the Lord turned again the " captivity of Sion, we Avere like them that dreamed, then was " our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.'^ P…
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3 Mark. A person may know his uprightness by the consciona- ble disposition of his heart about all sins, Psal. xviii. 23. Job i. 1. Hypocrites have still some way of wickedness. Such a soul as is upright, will make conscience of secret, as well as open sins, Job xxxi. 26, 27, &c. Prov. xii. 5. yea, of the least sins ; …
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Direct. 6. Condemn not tliyself presently for an hypocrite, upon tlie discoveries of thy many weaknesses and imperfections in obe- dience; tliese should humble, but not discourage thee; it is not thine inevitable weaknesses, thy sensible dulness, thy lamented rov- ings, thine opposed distractions, thy mistaken unbelief…
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How often have you been told, both from the pulpit and press, what the sad fruit and issue of these things would be ? And as God hath given you timely warnings of this enemy bv your faith- ful watchmen in an ordinary way, so hath he vouchsafed us' some extraordinary ones too ; amongst which, I cannot here omit a strang…
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2. And your fears cannot chuse but increase, when you con- sider the preparation and progress these enemies have already made. Have they been sleeping, think you, all this while ? No ; they have digged as deep as hell in their counsels, their numbers among us are already formidable, their combinations strong, their con…
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But to return from this sad (though necessary) digression; here- by it is manifest, the common enemy hath obtained a singular and long expected advantage to their design ; often have they in vain attempted it ; but now God hath delivered it into their hands : Well might they rejoice (as they did) to see its flames asce…
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3. Are not the professing part of the nation at this day divided, both in their judgments and affections .? And what a singular ad- vantage the enemy hath thereby, is obvious to every considering person : w^e have been often told, that except the spirit of love did speedily close up those unchristian breaches, the comm…
1,260 wordsSource & rights
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.