Quote

It is a common thing for men to benumb their own arms, and make them as dead and useless by leaning too much upon them: so it is in a moral as well as a natural way: all the prudence and pains in the world avail nothing without God. So saith the Psalmist, in Psalm cxxvii. 2.

John Flavel

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John Flavel
Age: 61 †
Born: 1630
Born: January 1
Died: 1691
Died: June 26
Author
Cleric
Theologian
John Flavell
Johan Flavel
Johannes Flavel
Much
Natural
Pains
Way
Pain
Prudence
Make
Wells
Useless
Psalmist
Men
Without
Arms
Psalm
World
Well
Dead
Saith
Nothing
Moral
Avail
Thing
Common
Psalms
Work
Upon
Leaning

More quotes by John Flavel

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Whatsoever we have over-loved, idolized, and leaned upon, God has from time to time broken it, and made us to see the vanity of it so that we find the readiest course to be rid of our comforts is to set our hearts inordinately upon them.
John Flavel
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He is bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, a garment to the naked, healing to the wounded and whatever a soul can desire is found in Him.
John Flavel
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When God gives you comforts, it is your great evil not to observe His hand in them.
John Flavel
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I think it is not very difficult to discern by the duties and converses of Christians, what frames their spirits are under. Take a Christian in a good frame, and how serious, heavenly, and profitable, will his converses and duties be! what a lovely companion is he during the continuance of it!
John Flavel
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The Lord's supper is memorative, and so it has the nature and use of a pledge or token of love, left by a dying to a dear surviving friend.
John Flavel
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Afflictions have the same use and end to our souls, that frosty weather hath upon those clothes that are laid and bleaching, they alter the hue and make them white.
John Flavel
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My soul is of more value than ten thousand worlds.
John Flavel
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Observed duties maintain our credit but secret duties maintain our life.
John Flavel
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The carnal person fears man, not God. The strong Christian fears God, not man. The weak Christian fears man too much, and God too little.
John Flavel
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Providence is like a curious piece of tapestry made of a thousand shreds, which, single, appear useless, but put together, they represent a beautiful history to the eye.
John Flavel
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The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying.
John Flavel
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As the blood of Christ is the fountain of all merit, so the Spirit of Christ is the fountain of all spiritual life and until he quicken us and infuse the principle of the divine life into our souls, we can put forth no hand, or vital act of faith, to lay hold upon Jesus Christ.
John Flavel
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Christ and his benefits go inseparably and undividedly... Many would willingly receive his privileges, who will not receive his person but it cannot be if we will have one, we must take the other too: Yea, we must accept his person first, and then his benefits: as it is in the marriage covenant, so it is here.
John Flavel
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One word of God can do more than ten thousand words of men to relieve a distressed soul.
John Flavel
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Ah, did we but rightly understand what the demerit of sin is, we would rather admire the bounty of God than complain of the straithandedness of Providence. And if we did but consider that there lies upon God no obligation of justice or gratitud to reward any of our duties, it would cure our murmurs (Gen. 32:10).
John Flavel
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We must not think that faith itself is the soul's rest it is only the means of it. We cannot find rest in any work or duty of our own, but we may find it in Christ, whom faith apprehends for justification and salvation.
John Flavel
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Christ [is] the very essence of all delights and pleasures, the very soul and substance of them. As all the rivers are gathered into the ocean, which is congregation or meeting-place of all waters in the world: so Christ is that ocean in which all true delights and pleasures meet. . . .
John Flavel
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Where there is no want, there is usually much wantonness.
John Flavel
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All the dark, intricate, puzzling providences at which we were sometimes so offended...we shall [one day] see to be to us, as the difficult passage through the wilderness was to Israel, the right way to the city of habitation.
John Flavel
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Tell me, you vain professor, when did you shed a tear for the deadness, hardness, unbelief, or earthliness of your heart? Do you think that such an easy religion can save you? If so, we may invert Christ's words and say, 'Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to life, and may there be that go in there.'
John Flavel