The Method of Grace - John Flavel

TheMethodofGrace byJohnFlavel  TableofContents TheEpistleDedicatory EpistletotheReader Sermon1:TheGeneralNatureofEffectualApplicationStated Sermon 2: Wherein the Union of the Believer with Christ, as a Prin cipal PartofEffectual Sermon 3: Of the Nature and Use of the Gospel-Ministry, as an External MeansofApplyingChrist. Sermon 4: Concerning the Work of the Spirit, as the Interna l, and Most effectualMeansoftheApplicationofChrist. Sermon 5: Of the Work of the Spirit more particularly, by which the Soul isenabledtoapplyChrist. Sermon 6: Of that Act on our Part, by which we do Actually and EffectuallyApplyChristtoourownSouls. Sermon 7: But as Many as Received Him, to them gave He Power to becometheSonsofGod Sermon 8: Setting forth the Believer's Fellowship With Christ, the next EndofhisApplicationtothem. Sermon 9: Containing the First General Use of Exhortation, Inviting all MentoApplyJesusChrist. Sermon 10: Wherein the General Exhortation is Enforced by one Motive drawnfromthefirstTitleofChrist. Sermon 11: Containing the Second Motiv e to Enforce the General Exhortation,fromasecondTitleofChrist. Sermon 12: Containin g a third Motive to enliven the general Exhortation fromathirdTitleofCHRIST. Sermon 13: Alluring the Hearts of Men to come to Christ,  by a fourth MotivecontainedinanotherTitleofChrist. Sermon 14: Containin g the fifth Motive to apply Christ, drawn from anotherexcellentTitleofChrist. Sermon 15: Openingthe Sixth Motive to Come to Christ, contained in the sixthandlastTitleofChrist. Sermon 16: Enforcing the general Exhortation, by a seventh Motive drawnfromthefirstBenefitpurchasedbyChrist. Sermon 17: Opening the eighth Motive to come to CHRIST, drawn  from thesixthBenefitpurchasedbyChristforBelievers. Sermon18:TheLibertyofBelieversopenedandstated. Sermon 19: The Saints coming home to GOD by Reconciliation and Glorification,openedandapplied. Sermon 20: The great usefulness of the Law or Word of GOD, in order to theApplicationofCHRIST. Sermon 21: The great usefulness of the Law or Word of GOD, in order to theApplicationofCHRIST.PartII Sermon22:TheTeachingsofGodopened,intheirNatureandNecessity. Sermon 23:The Teachings of God opened, in their Nature and Necessity. PartII Sermon24:OftheMannerandImportanceoftheSpirit'sIndwelling. Sermon25:OftheNatureandNecessityoftheNewCreature. Sermon26:OftheNatureandNecessityoftheNewCreature.Par tII Sermon27:OftheNature,Principle,andNecessityofMortification. Sermon 28:Of the Nature, Principle, and Necessity of Mortification. Part II Sermon 29:  Of the Im itation of Christ in holiness of Life, and the necessityofitinBelievers. Sermon 30: Of the Imitation of Christ in holiness of Life, and the necessityofitinBelievers. Sermon31:OftheStateofSpiritualDeath,andtheMiserythereof. Sermon32:TheCondemnationofUnbelievers,illustratedandapplied. Sermon 33: Of the Aggravation of the Sin, and Punishment of Unbelief underthelightoftheGospel. Sermon 34: The blinding Policies of Satan opened, as the cause of Unbelief,andForerunnerofDestruction. Sermon 35: The blinding Policies of Satan opened, as the cause of Unbelief,andForerunnerofDestruction. Conclusion Copyright  TheEpistleDedicatory         To the Worshipful John Upton of Lupton, Esq. and the most accomplished and virtuous Lady, his dear Consort, the Author wishes Grace,Mercy,andPeace. HonouredandworthyFriends.         It was a comfortable expression, which Ambrose used in his funeral orations at the death of Theodosius; "what though he were gone, yet he wasnotwhollygone;for hehadleftHonorius, withothers of his children, behind him, in whom Theodosius still lived." Your renowned and worthy ancestors are gone, yet (blessed be God) they are not wholly gone; whilst the prudence, piety, and publicness of their spirits, still live and flourish in you, the top branch of a renowned and religious Family. It is a great truth, which Philo Jude us recommends to the observation of all posterity, "That it is not a natural descent from the most honourable and illustrious prog enitors, nor the greatest affluence of riches and pleasures that makes a man either honourab le or happy; but the habitation of God in his soul, as in his temple, tho' (saith he) those that never tasted religion, nor have seen its glory, will not credit this assertion." "The soul which is filled with God, (saith Plotinus) and brings forth the beautiful fruits of righteousness, this is the truly noble soul:" Our new birth makes usmorehonourablethanournaturalbirth,letourbirth-right dignities be what they will. The children of nobles are, by nature, the children of wrath, even as others: Omnis Sanguisconcolor, all blood is of one colour: it is all taint ed in Adam, and mingled together in his posterity. "There is no king,  saith Seneca, which rose not from a servant; there is no servant which rose not from a king: these things have beenblended, andjumbled to and fro in a long issue of changes, ever directed by an all wise Providence. But though the privileges of natural birth signify nothing as to eternal salvation, yet in civil and political respects and considerations,those that by birth, education, or estate, possess an higher station in the world, differ from the vulgar, as stars of greater magnitude and lustre: t heir interest and influence are great in these things, and the welfare of kingdomsgreatlydependsuponthem. It is thereforea great design of the enemy of mankind, to corruptpersons of eminent rank and quality both in religion and morality; and by their influence and example, to infect and poison the whole body politic; and his success herein deserves to be greatly lamented and bewailed. Persons of eminency are more especially obliged to shun base and sordid actions. Hierom professed he saw nothing desirable in nob ility, except this, that such persons are bound by a certain kind of necessity, not to degenerate fromtheprobity,or stain the glory of their ancestors. Butalas! how many in our times have not only exposed Christianity to contempt, but obscured the glory of their own families, and the kingdom in which they had their birth and breeding; so that if you will take right marks of your way to heaven you will have little direction from those of your own rank. As mariners take their direction at sea, by looking up to the heavens, so must you. In this general corruption it is very hard to escape infection; many (as Salvian complained) are compelled to be ev il, lest they should be accounted vile, and incur the offence of God, to avoid the slights and censures of men. Although there is no more reason why they should be offended at the rational and religious pleasures you and other pious gentlemen take in the ways of godliness, than there is, that you should envy the sinful pleasures they take in the w ays of wickedness. It was an excellent apology that Tertullian made for the Christians of his time, against the Gentiles "Wherein (saith he) do we offend you, if we believe thereareother pleasures? if we will not partake with you in your delights, it is only for our own injury: we reject your pleasures, and you are not delightedwithours." But by how much the infection spreads and prevails among those of your order, by so much the more we have reason to value you, and all those that remain sound and untainted, both in religion and morality, as persons worthy of singular respect and honour: and blessed be God there isyetanumberofsuchleft. Sir, It was a special happiness, which Chrysostom earnestly recommended to persons of quality, that they would so order their conversations, that their parents might rather glory in them, than they in their parents; "Otherwise (saith he) it is better to rise to honour from a contemptibleparent,thantobecontemptiblefromanhonourablepar ent; but blessed be God, you and your worthy ancestors reflect honour upon eachother. Had God suffered you to degenerate, as many do, it would have been but a poor consolation to have said, My progenitors were men of honour, the love and delight of their country. This, as one excellently expresseth it, wouldbethesamething,asifonethatisblindhimself,shouldboastwhat a sharp and piercing sight his father had or one that is lame himself, should glory in those feats of activity his grandfather performed; but God (to whose bounty therefore you are doubly obliged) has made you the inheritor of their virtues, as well as of their lands, and therein fulfilled many thousand prayers, which have been pour ed out to God upon your account.But I must forbear, lest I provoke others to envy, and draw upon myself the suspicionof flattery. What has been already said may serve far a sufficient reason of this dedication. I know the agreeableness of such discourses to the pious dispositions of your souls, is of itself sufficient to make it welcome to you. It is a treatise of Christ, yea, of the Method of Grace, in the application of Christ; than which no subject can be more necessary to study, or sweet to experience. All goodness is attractive, how powerfully attractive then must Jesus Christ be, who is the ocean of all goodness, from whom all streams of goodness are derived, and into whom they all empty themselves? If Pindarus could say of the lovely Theoxenus, that whosoever saw that august and comely face of his, and wasnot surprisedwith amazement, and inflamed with love, musthave an heart of adamant or brass; what then shall we resemble that man's heart unto, that has no ferverous affections kindled in it by the incomparable beauty of Christ! a beauty, which excels in lustre and brightness, that visible light which so dazzles our eyes, as that light does darkness itself; as Plato speaks of the divine light Christ is "huperkallontos kalos", inexpressible beauty, and all other beaut ies are but "eikon, kai skia", an image, nay, a shadow of his beauty. How was holy Ignatius ravished with desiresafterChrist,whenhecried out,Ohow Ilongto bethrowninto the jaws of t hose lions, which I hear roaring for me! and if they will not dispatch me the sooner, "kai orostiasomai" I will enforce them to it by violence, that I may enjoy the sight of my blessed Jesus. O my heart, (saith another, how is it thou art not drawn up by the very root, by thy desires after Christ? The necessity, and the trial of our union with, and interest in, this lovely LORD JESUS, the main subject of this discourse. Without the personal application of Christ by faith, our hopes of heaven are but deluding dreams, Heb. 3: 11. "I sware in my wrath, "ei eiseleusontai", if they shall enter into my rest:" What then? Nay, there is all: but it is a dreadful Aposiopesis (as one calls it) such a pause a s may justly shake every vein of the unbeliever's heart: If they shall enter: as if he had said, If ever they come into my glory, then say, I am no God, for I haveswornthecontrary. I will not be tiresome, but conclude all in a few requests to you and to Godforyouboth.ThatwhichIrequestofyouis, (1.) That you will search and try your own hearts by these truths, especially now, when so great trials are like to be made of every man's root and foundation in religion. Account that your first work, which Bellarmine calls "the first error of Protestants", to make sure your interest in Christ; every thing is as its foundation is: a true diamond will endurethesmarteststrokeofthehammer,butafalseonewillfly. (2.) That you be humble under all that dignity and honour, which God has put upon you; be ye clothed with humility. It was the glory of the primitive Christians, that they did not speak but live great things: humility will be the lustre of your other excellencies: estates and honours are butappendants and finetrappings, which add not any real worth, yet how are some vainminds puffed up with these things! But ye have not so learnedChrist. (3.) That you steadily persevere in those good ways of God, in which you have walked, and beware of heart, or life-apostasy. You expect happiness whilst God is in heaven, and God expects holiness from you whilst you are on earth. It was an excellent truth which Tossanus recommended to his posterity in his last will and testament, from his own experience: "I beseech you, (smith he) my dear children and kindred, that you never be ashamed of the truths of the g ospel, either by reason of scandals in the church, or persecutions upon it: truth may labour for a time,  but cannot beconquered, and I haveoften found God to be wonderfully present with them that walk before him in truth, though for a time they may be oppressedwithtroublesandcalumnies." (4.) Lastly, that you keep a strict and constant watch over your own hearts, lest they be ensnared by the tempting, charming, and dangerous snares attending a full and easy condition in the world. There are temptationssuitedtoall conditions. Thosethat are poor and low inestate and reputation, are tempted tocozen, cheat, lie, and flatter, and all to get up to the mount of riches and honours; but those that were born upon that mount, thoug h they be more fre e from those temptations, yet lie exposed to others no less dangerous, and therefore we find, "Not many mighty, not many noble are called," 1 Cor. 1: 26. Many great and stately ships, which spread much sail, and draw much water, perish in the storms, when small barks creep along the shore under the wind, and get safeintotheir port. Never aimat an higher station in this world than that you are in: Some have wished in their dying hour, they had been lower, but no wise man ever wished himself at the top at honour, at the br ink of eternity. Iwill conclude all with this heartywish for you, that as God hassetyouin acapacity of much service for him in your generation, so your hearts may be enlarged for God accordingly, and that you may be very instrumental for his glory on earth, and may go safe, but late to heaven. That the blessings of heaven may be multiplied upon you both, and your hopeful springingbranches: and that you may liveto see your children's children, andpeaceuponIsrael.Inaword,thatGodwill followthesetruthsinyour hands with the blessing of his Spirit; and that the manifold infirmities of him that ministersthem, may be no prejudice or bar to their success with you, or any into whose hands they shall come; which is the hearty desire of YourMostFaithfulFriend, andServantinChrist, JOHNFLAVEL. 

The Method of Grace - John Flavel

UNIASSELVI

Teologia

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