Observed duties maintain our credit; but secret duties maintain our life. John Flavel More Quotes by John Flavel More Quotes From John Flavel 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 soul mean thinking To see a man humble under prosperity is one of the greatest rarities in the world. John Flavel humble christian men One word of God can do more than ten thousand words of men to relieve a distressed soul. John Flavel thousand soul men Whatever be the ground of one's distress, it should drive him to, not from God. John Flavel distress should Jesus, our head, is already in heaven; and if the head be above water, the body cannot drown. John Flavel water heaven jesus Christ is so in love with holiness, that at the price of His blood He will buy it for us. John Flavel holiness blood christ Guilt is to danger, what fire is to gunpowder; a man need not fear to walk among many barrels of powder, if he have no fire about him. John Flavel guilt fire men The Providence of God is like Hebrew words-it can be read only backwards. John Flavel hebrew backwards providence 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 tears heart thinking [Providences] often puzzle and entangle our thoughts, but bring them to the Word, and your duty will be quickly manifested. "Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end" (Ps. 73:17). And not only their end, but his own duty, to be quiet in an afflicted condition and not envy their prosperity. John Flavel envy sanctuary christian The more afflictions you have been under, the more assistance you have had for this life of holiness. John Flavel affliction grace christian When God gives you comforts, it is your great evil not to observe His hand in them. John Flavel evil giving hands The soul of man, like the bird in the shell, is still growing or ripening in sin or grace, till at last the shell breaks by death, and the soul flies away to the piece it is prepared for, and where it must abide forever. John Flavel forever bird men Grace makes the promise and providence the payment. John Flavel payment grace promise If God has given you but a small portion of the world, yet if you are godly He has promised never to forsake you (Heb. 13:5). Providence has ordered that condition for you which is really best for your eternal good. If you had more of the world than you have, your heads and hearts might not be able to manage it to your advantage. John Flavel godly christian heart What, at peace with the Father and at war with the children? It cannot be. John Flavel christian father children 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. John Flavel men world christ 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). John Flavel self heart men All the tears of a penitent sinner, should he shed as many as there have fallen drops of rain, since the creation, to this day, cannot wash away one sin. The everLasting burnings in hell, cannot purify the flaming conscience, from the least sin. John Flavel burning tears rain Let us see that our knowledge of Christ be not a powerless, barren, unpractical knowledge: O that, in its passage from our understanding to our lips, it might powerfully melt, sweeten, and ravish our hearts! Remember, brethren, a holy calling never saved any man, without a holy heart; if our tongues only be sanctified, our whole man must be damned. We must be judged by the same gospel, and stand at the same bar, and be sentenced to the same terms, and dealt with as severely as any other men. John Flavel understanding heart men
