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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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John Flavel
Age: 61 †
Born: 1630
Born: January 1
Died: 1691
Died: June 26
Author
Cleric
Theologian
John Flavell
Johan Flavel
Johannes Flavel
Christ
Nearer
Lives
Desirable
Stills
Pictures
Certain
Distance
Still
Creatures
Soul
Approach
Fairest
Like
Longer
Sweeter
Becomes
Approaches

More quotes by 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.
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Whatever be the ground of one's distress, it should drive him to, not from God.
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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.
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Scripture knows no other way to glory, but Christ put on and applied by faith.
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Where there is no want, there is usually much wantonness.
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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.
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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.
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Christ is so in love with holiness, that at the price of His blood He will buy it for us.
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To keep the heart then, is carefully to preserve it from sin which disorders it and maintain that spiritual and gracious frame, which fits it for a life of communion with God.
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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.
John Flavel
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Affliction is a pill, which, being wrapt up in patience and quiet submission, may be easily swallowed but discontent chews the pill, and so embitters the soul.
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Sometimes God makes use of instruments for good to His people, who designed nothing but evil and mischief to them. Thus Joseph's brethren were instrumental to his advancement in that very thing in which they designed his ruin (Gen. 50:20).
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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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It is the duty of the saints, especially in times of straights, to reflect upon the performances of Providence for them in all the states and through all the stages of their lives.
John Flavel
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When the world smiles upon us, and we have got a warm nest, how do we prophesy of rest and peace in those acquisitions, thinking with good Baruch, great things for ourselves, but Providence by a particular or general calamity overturns our plans (Jer. 45:4,5), and all this to turn our hearts from the creature to God.
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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 carnal person fears man, not God. The strong Christian fears God, not man. The weak Christian fears man too much, and God too little.
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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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Grace makes the promise and providence the payment.
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A saving, though an immethodical knowledge of Christ, will bring us to heaven, John 17: 2, but a regular and methodical, as well as a saving knowledge of him, will bring heaven into us, Col. 2: 2, 3.
John Flavel