A Puritan at Heart

By revenge thou canst but satisfy a lust, but by forgiveness thou shalt conquer a lust. [John Flavel]

Some providences, like Hebrew letters, must be read backwards. [John Flavel]

A crucified style best suits the preachers of a crucified Christ.… Prudence will choose words that are solid, rather than florid.… Words are but servants to matter. An iron key, fitted to the wards of the lock, is more useful than a golden one that will not open the door to the treasures.… Prudence will cast away a thousand fine words for one that is apt to penetrate the conscience and reach the heart. [John Flavel]

Though the wisdom of Providence has ordered you a lower and poorer condition than others, yet consider how many there are that are lower than you in the world. You have but little of the world, yet others have less. Read the description of those persons (Job 30:4, etc).If God has given you but a small portion of the world, yet if you are godly He has promised never to foresake 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 heart might not be able to manage it to your advantage. A small boat must have but a narrow sail. You have not lacked hitherto the necessities of life, and are commanded ‘having food and rainment (though none of the finest) to be therewith content.’ ‘A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.’ (Psalm 37:16): better in the acquisition, sweeter in the fruition, and more comfortable in the account. [John Flavel]

O how ravishing and delectable a sight will it be to behold at one view the whole design of Providence and the proper place and use of every single act, which we could not understand in this world! What Christ said to Peter is as applicable to some Providences in which we are now concerned as it was to that particular action: ‘What I do, thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter,’ (John 13:7). All the dark intricate, puzzling providences at which we were sometimes so offended, and sometimes amazed, which we could neither reconcile with the promise nor with each other, nay, which we so unjustly censured and bitterly bewailed, as if they had fallen out quite against our happiness we shall then see to be to us, as the difficult passage through the wilderness was to Israel, ‘the right way to a city of habitation.’ (Ps. 107.) [John Flavel]

We find the best hearts, if God bestow any comfortable enjoyment upon them, too apt to be over-heated in their affections towards it, and to be too much taken up with these outward comforts. this also shows the great power and strength of corruption in the people of God, and must be some means or other be mortified in them. [John Flavel]

If a man do really look to God in a day of trouble and fear, as to the Lord of Hosts, (i.e.) one that governs all the creatures, and all their actions; at whose beck and command all the Armies of Heaven and Earth are, and then can rely upon the care and love of this God, as a child in danger of trouble reposes on, and commits himself with greatest confidence to the care and protection of his Father: O what peace, what rest must necessarily follow upon this! Who would be afraid to pass through the midst of armed troops and regiments, whilst he knows that the General of that Army is his own Father? The more power this filial fear of God obtains in our hearts, the less will you dread the power of the creature.When the dictator ruled at Rome, then all other officers ceased; and so in a great measure will all other fears when the fear of God is Dictator in the heart. [John Flavel]

If that God that made, and will shortly judge you; if the Redeemer that shed his valuable blood, and now offers you the purchases and benefits of it; if you have any love to, or care of your own souls, which are of more worth than the whole world; if you have any value for Heaven, or dread of hell, then for God’s sake, for Christ’s sake, for your precious soul’s sake, trifle with Heaven and Hell no longer, but be in earnest to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Could I think of any other motives to secure your souls from danger, I would surely use them. Could I reach your hearts effectually, I would deeply impress this great concern upon them; but I can neither do God’s part nor yours; it is some ease to me, I have in sincerity (though with much imperfection and feebleness) done part of my own; the Lord prosper it by the Blessing of His Spirit on the Hearts of them that read it. Amen. [John Flavel]

Sin brought in sweat (Genesis 3:19), but now, not to sweat increases sin. [John Flavel]

If you neglect to instruct them 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 teach them to curse, swear, and lie; if ground be uncultivated, weeds will spring. [John Flavel]

To crucify this corruption, Providence takes off the bridle of restraint from ungodly men, and sometimes permits them to traduce the names of God’s servants, as Shimei did David’s. Yea, they shall fall into disesteem among their friends, as Paul did among the Corinthians; and all this to keep down the swelling of their spirits at the sense of those excellencies that are in them. [John Flavel]

Sorry, increased illness laid me low:

There are two sorts of mercies that are seldom eclipsed by the darkest affliction that befalls the saints in their temporal concerns, that is, sparing mercy in this world and saving mercy in that to come. [John Flavel]

That which begins not with prayer, seldom winds up with comfort. [John Flavel]

It would much support thy heart under adversity, to consider that God by such humbling providences may be accomplishing that for which you have long prayed and waited. And should you be troubled at that? Say, Christian, hast thou not many prayers depending before God upon such accounts as these; that he would keep thee from sin; discover to thee the emptiness of the creature; that he would mortify and kill thy lusts; that thy heart may never find rest in any enjoyment but Christ? By such humbling and impoverishing strokes God may be fulfilling thy desire.  [John Flavel]

And is it well done, then, to repine and droop because your Father consults more the advantage of your souls than the pleasing of your humors? Because He will bring you a nearer way to heaven than you are willing to go? Is this a due requital of His love, who is pleased so much to concern Himself for your welfare? This is more than He will do for thousands in the world, upon whom He will not lay a rod or send an affliction for their good (Hosea 4:17; Matthew 15:14). But alas! We judge by sense, and reckon things good or evil according to what we, for the present, can taste and feel in them. - JOHN FLAVEL

Our dear Parents are gone, our lovely and desirable children are gone, our bosom relations that were as our own souls, are gone: And do not all thse warning knocks at our doors acquaint us, that we must prepare to follow shortly after them?

O that by these things our own Death might be both more easy and familar to us, the oftener it visits us, the better we should be acquainted with it; and the more of our beloved relations it removes before us, the less of either  snare or entanglement remains for us when our turn comes. [John Flavel]

There is a two-fold union, one mystical, between Christ and believers; another moral, between believers themselves. Faith knits them all to Christ, and then Love knits them one to another. Their common relation to Christ, their head, endears them to each other as fellow members in the same body. Thus they become glued together by the blood of Christ. Union with Christ is fundamental to union amongst the Saints. Perfect union would grow from this, their common union with Christ their head, were they not in an imperfect state, where their corruptions disturb and hinder it; and as soon as they shall attain to complete sanctification, they shall also attain unto perfect unity. How their unity with one another comes by way of neccessary resultancy their unity with Christ; and how this unity amongst themselves shall at last arise into just perfection. That one text plainly discovers: John 17:23: "I in them and thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one." &c.

Unity amongst those who hold not the head is rather a conspiracy than a gospel unity. Believers and non-beleivers may have a political or civil union. bit there is no spiritual unity but which flows from unity in Christ. I will not deny but in particular churches there may be and still are some hypocrites who hold communion with the Saints and pretend to belong unto Christ, the same head with them; but as they have no real union with Christ, so neither have they any sincere affection towards the Saints; and these for the most part are they that raise Tummults and Divisions within the church, as disloyal citizens do in the commonwealth. Of these the Apostle Speaks: 1 John 2:19

Sincere Christianity holds fast the soul by a Firm Bond of Life to the truly Christian community, wherein they reap those Spiritual pleasures and Advantages which assure their continuance therein to a great degree. But those that join with the church upon carnal and external inducements make little conscience of rending from it, and God permits their schismatical spirits to act thus for the discovering of their hypocrisy.  [John Flavel]

And as it serves to render the mind more judicious, so it causes the memory to be more tenacious, and retentive of truths. The chain of truth is easily held in the memory, when one truth links in another; but the loosing of a link endangers the scattering of the whole chain. We use to say, order is the mother of memory; I am sure it is a singular friend to it: hence it is observed, those that write of the art of memory, lay so great a stress upon place and number. The memory would not so soon be overcharged with a multitude of truths, if that multitude were but orderly disposed. It is the incoherence and confusion of truths, rather than their number, that distracts. Let but the understanding receive then regularly, and the memory will retain them with much more facility. A bad memory is a common complaint among Christians: all the benefit that many of you have in hearing, is from the present influence of truths upon your hearts; there is but little that sticks by you, to make a second and third impression upon them. I know it may be said of some of you, that if your affections were not better than your memories, you would need a very large charity to pass for Christians.[John Flavel]

What shall I say of Christ? The excelling glory of that object dazzles all apprehension, swallows up all expression. When we have borrowed metaphors from every creature that has any excellency or lovely property in it, till we have stript the whole creation bare of all its ornaments, and clothed Christ with all that glory; when we have even worn out our tongues, in ascribing praises to Him, alas! We have done nothing, when all is done.

Look often upon Christ in this glass; He is fairer than the children of men. View Him believingly, and you cannot but like and love Him. ‘For love, when it sees, cannot but cast out its spirit and strength upon amiable objects and things loveworthy.’ And what fairer things than Christ! O fair sun, and fair moon, and fair stars, and fair flowers, and fair roses, and fair lilies, and fair creatures! But, O ten thousand, thousand times fairer Lord Jesus! Alas, I wronged Him in making the comparison this way. O black sun and moon; but O fair Lord Jesus! O black flowers, and black lilies and roses; but O fair fair, ever fair Lord Jesus! O all fair things, black, deformed, and without beauty, when ye are set beside the fairest Lord Jesus! O black heaven, but O fair Christ! O black angels, but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus.[John Flavel]

Knowledge is man’s excellency above the beasts that perish (Ps. 32:9). The knowledge of Christ is the Christian’s excellency above the Heathen (1 Cor. 1:23, 24). Practical and saving knowledge of Christ is the sincere Christian’s excellency above the self-cozening hypocrite (Heb. 6:4, 6). But methodical and well-digested knowledge of Christ is the strong Christian’s excellency above the weak (Heb. 5:12, 13, 14). 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 to us (Col. 2:2, 3). For such is the excellency thereof, even above all other knowledge of Christ, that it renders the understanding judicious, the memory tenacious, and the heart highly and fixedly joyous (1:21).[John Flavel]

And is it well done, then, to repine and droop because your Father consults more the advantage of your souls than the pleasing of your humors? Because He will bring you a nearer way to heaven than you are willing to go? Is this a due requital of His love, who is pleased so much to concern Himself for your welfare? This is more than He will do for thousands in the world, upon whom He will not lay a rod or send an affliction for their good (Hosea 4:17; Matthew 15:14). But alas! We judge by sense, and reckon things good or evil according to what we, for the present, can taste and feel in them.[John Flavel]

“Heart-work is hard work indeed. To shuffle over religious duties with a loose and careless spirit, will cost no great difficulties; but to set yourself before the Lord, and to tie up your loose and vain thoughts to a constant and serious attendance upon him: this will cost you something. To attain ease and dexterity of language in prayer and to be able to put your meaning into appropriate and fitting expressions is easy; but to get your heart broken for sin while you are actually confessing it; melted with free grace even while you are blessing God for it; to be really ashamed and humbled through the awareness of God’s infinite holiness, and to keep your heart in this state not only in, but after these duties, will surely cost you some groans and travailing pain of soul.” [John Flavel]

Remember how much needless trouble your vain fears have bought upon you formerly: “And hast feared continually because of the oppressor, as if he were ready to devour; and where is the fury of the oppressor?” He seemed ready to devour, yet you are not devoured. I have not bought upon you the thing that you feared; you have wasted your spirit, disordered your soul, and weakened your heads to no purpose: you might have all this while you enjoyed your peace, and possessed your soul in patience. And here, I cannot but observe a very deep policy of Satan in managing a design against the soul by these vain fears. I call them vain in reference to the frustration of them by Providence; but certainly they are not as vain as the end in which Satan aims by raising them; for herein he acts as soldiers do in the siege of a garrison, who to wear out the besieged by constant watchings, and thereby unfit them to make resistance when they storm it in earnest, every night rouse them with false alarms, which though they come to nothing yet remarkably answer the ultimate design of the enemy. Oh, when will you beware of Satan’s devices? [John Flavel]

Remember how much needless trouble your vain fears have bought upon you formerly: "And hast feared continually because of the oppressor, as if he were ready to devour; and where is the fury of the oppressor?" He seemed ready to devour, yet you are not devoured. I have not bought upon you the thing that you feared; you have wasted your spirit, disordered your soul, and weakened your heads to no purpose: you might have all this while you enjoyed your peace, and possessed your soul in patience. And here, I cannot but observe a very deep policy of Satan in managing a design against the soul by these vain fears. I call them vain in reference to the frustration of them by Providence; but certainly they are not as vain as the end in which Satan aims by raising them; for herein he acts as soldiers do in the siege of a garrison, who to wear out the besieged by constant watchings, and thereby unfit them to make resistance when they storm it in earnest, every night rouse them with false alarms, which though they come to nothing yet remarkably answer the ultimate design of the enemy. Oh, when will you beware of Satan's devices? [John Flavel]