Inspirational Quotes by John Flavel
“in what manner we are to reflect upon the performances of Providence for us. And certainly, it is not every slight and transient glance, nor every cold, historical, unaffecting rehearsal or recognition of His providences towards you that will pass with God for a discharge of this great duty.”
― John Flavel ,
“No es que yo piense que sea posible sondear la profundidad de la providencia con nuestra pequeña plomada: “En el mar fue tu camino, y tus sendas en las muchas aguas; y tus pisadas no fueron conocidas” (Sal. 77:19). Pero es nuestro deber bucear lo más lejos que podamos, y admirar la profundidad cuando no podamos tocar el fondo.”
“Such was the mighty power and deep policy used by Pharaoh to destroy God’s Israel, that to the eye of reason it was as impossible to survive it as for crackling thorns to abide unconsumed amidst devouring flames. By this emblem their miraculous preservation is expressed;”
― John Flavel ,
“Fue una excelente expresión la que le dijo Lutero a alguien que estaba muy desconcertado en su espíritu respecto a los dudosos eventos sobre algunos asuntos de los cuales entonces estaba dependiendo: “El Señor hará todo por ti, y tú no harás nada más que reposar en Cristo”.”
“Enjoyment of your desires is the thing that will please you, but resignation of your wills is that which is pleasing to God.”
― John Flavel ,
“Esta es la razón por la que se abren tantas tumbas, para la sepultura de nuestros ídolos con el fin de apartarlos de nuestra vista.”
“Providences in themselves are not a perfect guide. They often puzzle and entangle our thoughts; but bring them to the Word, and your duty will be quickly manifested.”
― John Flavel ,
“Lutero dijo: “Me habría desesperado por completo si Cristo no hubiera sido la cabeza de la iglesia”.”
“1 Pedro 5.10–11 Y después de que hayan sufrido un poco de tiempo, el Dios de toda gracia, que los llamó a Su gloria eterna en Cristo, El mismo los perfeccionará, afirmará, fortalecerá, y establecerá. A El sea el dominio por los siglos de los siglos. Amén. Si mil aflicciones les son designadas, al final vendrán a ser solo una, y luego de eso, no más. Y aunque nuestras leves aflicciones solo sean momentáneas, estas producen en nosotros “un eterno peso de gloria que sobrepasa toda comparación” (2 Co. 4:17). Permitan que esto alivie sus corazones bajo todos sus sufrimientos.”
“Every man loves the mercies of God, but a saint loves the God of his mercies. The mercies of God, as they are the fuel of a wicked man's lusts, so they are fuel to maintain a good man's love to God; not that their love to God is grounded upon these external benefits.”
― John Flavel ,
“Es una prosperidad no santificada la que conduce a los hombres a dormir y hace que caigan en un profundo olvido de Dios: Deuteronomio 32.13–15 Lo hizo cabalgar sobre las alturas de la tierra, Y comió el producto del campo; Le hizo gustar miel de la peña, Y aceite del pedernal, Cuajada de vacas y leche de ovejas, Con grasa de corderos, Y carneros de raza de Basán y machos cabríos, Con lo mejor del trigo; De la sangre de uvas bebiste vino. Pero Jesurún (Israel) engordó y dio coces (has engordado, estás cebado y rollizo); Entonces abandonó a Dios que lo hizo, Y despreció a la Roca de su salvación.”
“Some poor creatures are engaged in callings that eat up their time and strength, and make their lives very uncomfortable to them: they have not only spending and wasting employments in the world, but such as allow little or no time for their general calling; and yet all this doth but keep them and theirs alive.”
― John Flavel ,
“There is more in one of their mercies to comfort them, than in all their troubles to deject them. All your losses are but as the loss of a farthing to a prince,”
― John Flavel ,
“The providences of God may be observed to conduce to our holiness, not only by preventing sin, that we may not fall into it; but also by purging our sins when we are fallen into them. ‘By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin’ (Isaiah 27:9).”
― John Flavel ,
“He has either strengthened your back to bear, or lightened your burden, or else opened an unexpected door of escape, according to promise (1 Corinthians 10:13), so that the evil which you feared did not come upon you.”
― John Flavel ,
“O happy providences, however smart, that make the soul for ever afraid of sin!”
― John Flavel ,
“There is many a bodily ailment inflicted on this very score, to be a clog to prevent sin. O bear them patiently upon this consideration. Basil was sorely grieved with an inveterate headache; he earnestly prayed it might be removed; God removed it. No sooner was he freed of this clog, but he felt the inordinate motions of lust, which made him pray for his headache again. So it might be with many of us, if our clogs were off.”
― John Flavel ,
“Sin had so shut up mercy from us, that had not Christ made an atonement by his death, we should never have obtained it to all eternity.”
― John Flavel ,
“His providences, if duly observed, promote holiness by stopping up our way to sin. O, if men would but note the designs of God in his preventive providences, how useful would it be to keep them upright and holy in their ways! For why is it that the Lord so often hedges up our way with thorns, as it is in Hosea ii. 6, but that we should not find our paths to sin?”
― John Flavel ,
“A cross without a Christ never did any man good.”
― John Flavel ,
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John Flavel (1628 - 1691)
Was an English Presbyterian clergyman, puritan, and author. Flavel, the eldest son of the Rev. Richard Flavel, described as ‘a painful and eminent minister,’ who was incumbent successively of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, Hasler and Willersey, Gloucestershire (from which last living he was ejected in 1662), was born in or about 1630 at Bromsgrove.He was ejected from his living by the passing of the Act of Uniformity in 1662, but continued to preach and administer the sacraments privately till the Five Mile Act of 1665, when he retired to Slapton, 5 miles away. He then lived for a time in London, but returned to Dartmouth, where he labored till his death in 1691. He was married four times. He was a vigorous and voluminous writer, and not without a play of fine fancy. His principal works are his Navigation Spiritualized (1671); The Fountain of Life, in forty-two Sermons (1672); The Method of Grace (1680); Pneumatologia, a Treatise on the Soul of Man (1698); A Token for Mourners; Husbandry Spiritualized (1699).
John Flavel was an English Presbyterian clergyman. Flavel was born at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire and studied at Oxford. A Presbyterian, held livings at Diptford (in Devon) and Dartmouth. He was ejected from the latter as a result of the Great Ejection of 1662; however, he continued to preach there secretly. After the Declaration of Indulgence 1687, became a minister of a Nonconformist Church there.
He was a prolific and popular author. Among his works are The Mystery of Providence (1678), Husbandry Spiritualised (1669) and Navigation Spiritualised (1671), The Seamon's Companion (1676), titles which suggest some of his characteristics as a writer.
He died at Exeter, Devonshire, on 26 June 1691. Flavel is commemorated in the name of Flavel Road on Bromsgrove's Charford Estate.
John Flavel (or Flavell) was born in 1628 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. He was the son of Richard Flavel, a minister who died of the plague in 1665 while in prison for nonconformity. John Flavel was educated by his father in the ways of religion, then "plied his studies hard" as a commoner at University College, Oxford. In 1650, he was ordained by the presbytery at Salisbury. He settled in Diptford, where he honed his numerous gifts.
He married Joan Randall, a godly woman, who died while giving birth to their first child in 1655. The baby died as well. After a year of mourning, Flavel married Elizabeth Stapell and was again blessed with a close, God-fearing marriage, as well as children.
In 1656, Flavel accepted a call to be minister in the thriving seaport of Dartmouth. He earned a smaller income there, but his work was more profitable; many were converted. One of his parishioners wrote of Flavel, "I could say much, though not enough of the excellency of his preaching; of his seasonable, suitable, and spiritual matter; of his plain expositions of Scripture; his talking method, his genuine and natural deductions, his convincing arguments, his clear and powerful demonstrations, his heart-searching applications, and his comfortable supports to those that were afflicted in conscience. In short, that person must have a very soft head, or a very hard heart, or both, that could sit under his ministry unaffected."