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The Spirit must therefore first take hold of us before we can live in Christ, and when he doth so, then we are enabled to exert that vital act of faith, whereby we receive Christ.

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
Faith
Exert
Christ
Enabled
Spirit
Whereby
Live
Doth
Firsts
Vital
First
Receive
Take
Therefore
Must
Hold

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God's unspotted faithfulness never failed any soul that durst trust himself in its arms.
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Whatever be the ground of one's distress, it should drive him to, not from God.
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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.
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There is no grace more excellent than faith no sin more execrable and abominable then unbelief. Faith is the saving grace and unbelief the damning sin. (Mark 16:16) ... Before Christ can be received, the heart must be emptied and opened: but men's heart's are full of self-righteousn ess and vain confidence (Rom 10:3).
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Christian, thou knowest thou carriest Gunpowder about thee, desire those that carry Fire to keep at a Distance from thee 'tis a dangerous Crisis when a proud Heart meets with flattering Lips.
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No doctrine is more excellent, or necessary to be preached and studied, than Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
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The knowledge of Christ is profound and large. All other sciences are but shadows this is a boundless, bottomless ocean. Though something of Christ be unfolded in one age, and something in another, yet eternity itself cannot full unfold him.
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If you neglect to instruct children in the way of holiness, will the devil neglect to instruct them in the way of wickedness? No if you will not teach them to pray, he will to curse, swear, and lie if ground be uncultivated, weeds will spring.
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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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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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Observed duties maintain our credit but secret duties maintain our life.
John Flavel
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Surely if He would not spare His own Son one stroke, one tear, one groan, one sigh, one circumstance of misery, it can never be imagined that ever He should, after this, deny or withhold from His people, for whose sakes all this was suffered, any mercies, any comforts, any privilege, spiritual or temporal, which is good for them.
John Flavel
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We acknowledge no righteousness but what the obedience and satisfaction of Christ yields us. His blood, not our faith his satisfaction, not our believing it, is the matter of our justification before God.
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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Let all Arminians know: we have as high an esteem for faith as any men in the world, but yet we will not rob Christ to clothe faith.
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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 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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Creatures, like pictures, are fairest at a certain distance, but it is not so with Christ the nearer the soul approaches Him, and the longer it lives in the enjoyhment of Him, still the sweeter and more desirable He becomes.
John Flavel
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Christ comes with kingly power, to rescue sinners, as a prey from the mouth of the terrible one.
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