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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
Certain
Distance
Still
Creatures
Soul
Approach
Fairest
Like
Longer
Sweeter
Becomes
Approaches
Christ
Nearer
Lives
Desirable
Stills
Pictures

More quotes by John Flavel

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And now let us consider and marvel that ever this great and blessed God should be so much concerned, as you have heard He is in all His providences, about such vile, despicable worms as we are! He does not need us, but is perfectly blessed and happy in Himself without us. We can add nothing to Him.
John Flavel
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Christ bounds and terminates the vast desires of the soul He is the very Sabbath of the soul.
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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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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Where there is no want, there is usually much wantonness.
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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Suppose that by revenge you might destroy one enemy yet, by exercising the Christian's temper you might conquer three‌–‌your own lust, Satan's temptation, and your enemy's heart.
John Flavel
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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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To see a man humble under prosperity is one of the greatest rarities in the world.
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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It is the great support and solace of the saints in all the distresses that befall them here, that there is a wise Spirit sitting in all the wheels of motion, and governing the most eccentric creatures and their most pernicious designs to blessed and happy issues.
John Flavel
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How often has providence convinced its observers, upon a sober recollection of the events of their lives, that if the Lord had left them to their own counsels they had as often been their own tormentors, if not executioners!
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.
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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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 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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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.
John Flavel
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Observed duties maintain our credit but secret duties maintain our life.
John Flavel
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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).
John Flavel
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What a mercy was it to us to have parents that prayed for us before they had us, as well as in our infancy when we could not pray for ourselves!
John Flavel