JOHN FLAVEL

JOHN FLAVEL'S QUOTES

In giving Christ to die for poor sinners, God gave the richest jewel in His cabinet; a mercy of the greatest worth, and most inestimable value. Heaven itself is not so valuable and precious as Christ is!

They that know God will be humble. They that know themselves cannot be proud.

If you neglect to instruct children in the way of holiness, will the devil neglect to instruct them in the way of wickedness? No...

As the blood of Christ is the fountain of all merit, so the Spirit of Christ is the fountain of all spiritual life; and until he quicken us and infuse the principle of the divine life into our souls, we can put forth no hand, or vital act of faith, to lay hold upon Jesus Christ.

A THREAD FROM THE TAPESTRY

This letter is not sent to compliment you, but for your benefit; not to trumpet your excellencies, but Christ’s; not to show the world how much I love you, but to build and nurture the connection between you and Christ.

Without question, I feel an immense amount of joy and gratitude. However, you and I are enough of an audience to one another and can be content with the enclosed pleasures and joys from our mutual love and companionship. Nevertheless, permit me to say, that the world is not expansive enough to demonstrate the magnificence of Christ or to uncover a fraction of the inconceivable wealth which lies hidden in Him.

The understanding and discussion of these truths will be a much more vibrant experience in Heaven, where the assembled hosts in radiation proclaim praise of Him. Such words uttered by me and my inadequate pen can only do them injustice.

It is dicult to suciently express my admiration for Him; and no tongue but his own could adequately describe Him. What can be said of Christ? His transcendent radiance outshines everything and there are no words to describe it accurately.

When we have snatched away every bright and lovely metaphor from all that is beautiful in the world and decked out Christ with all of its glimmering glory; when we have exerted ourselves to the utmost, uttering praises unto Him, we still have not done nothing, when all is done.

Every day, I observe reasonable souls becoming unreasonably opposed to the one who can compel even the stoniest heart into love. No matter how much they care, it is nothing in comparison with what Christ has given for it.

It is horrible and amazing to see how the minds of so many are captivated and ensnared by every silly and insignificant thing; and furthermore how they can effortlessly change channels betweenall that exist in this world and hardly ever hesitate, resist, or reject, until they commit to Christ.

It would be easier to turn cold rocks into sweet syrup than to turn their hearts into divine love. How do the great men of this world ambitiously go after the honours, fame and pleasures in a world full of vanity? The merchants of the earth continuously strive for materials possessions, yet the price and worth of Christ falls ever too low, every day lower and lower with every passing day in this earthly marketplace.

It would be easier to turn cold rocks into sweet syrup than to turn their hearts into divine love. How do the great men of this world ambitiously go after the honours, fame and pleasures in a world full of vanity?

The merchants of the earth continuously strive for materials possessions, yet the price and worth of Christ falls ever too low, every day lower and lower with every passing day in this earthly marketplace.

Christ is the peerless pearl that is hidden in the field. Ah, if you would but see that Christ is a commodity that can never be bought too dear.

I earnestly hope that you have not forgotten and never will how vain the world unfolded when you looked back and saw how it shrunk away from you; nor can you forget the overwhelming sensation of infinity which then surrounded your being, or the genuine admiration for Christ that arose in that moment.

And what is fairer than Christ? Oh warming sun, and delightful moon, shining stars, lovely flowers, adoring roses and pretty lilies or fair creatures. But, ten thousand, thousand times wonderful Lord Jesus? Sadly, I wronged him with such a comparison. Oh black sun and moon, but oh my magnificent LordJesus. Oh black flowers, dark lilies and roses. All things deformed and without beauty, when you are placed beside it, Jesus. Surpassing all my Christ.

Excerpts from "The Fountain of Life"

FLAVEL'S WORDS KINDLES HEARTS IN THE SILENCE

In a quiet corner of seventeenth-century England, where the winds of persecution swept through churches and homes like an unseen sword, a man named John Flavel lived and preached with unwavering fire. He was not famous in his own day like kings or generals, but the fragrance of his writings has lingered for centuries, drawing readers into a deeper love for Christ. Born around 1627, Flavel was a Puritan minister whose voice never shouted, yet it carried the thunder of eternity. He taught suffering saints how to smile through tears and invited all who would listen to dwell in the secret nearness of God.

John’s life was carved by hardship from the beginning. His father, a faithful minister, died in prison for preaching the gospel. Flavel inherited that same calling, and the same cost. After studying at Oxford and being ordained, he began to pastor in the seaside town of Dartmouth. His sermons were not heavy with cleverness but rich with Christ. He had a way of speaking to the soul, of lighting up truth like a lantern in a storm. People did not merely come to hear—they came to be changed.

Then came the Great Ejection of 1662, when nearly two thousand ministers were forced out of their pulpits for refusing to conform to the new rules of the Church of England. Flavel was among them. He left his church, but he did not abandon his flock. He preached in secret, in forests, in homes, sometimes at night, sometimes in caves. Always with joy. Always with tears. He knew what it meant to be hunted, yet he never preached bitterness. His soul had been made tender by the nearness of Christ.

One night, while crossing the sea to preach in secret, a storm rose so fiercely that many thought they would drown. But Flavel remained calm. He was ready to meet his Lord, though God saw fit to still the waves and let him live. That journey became a picture of his entire life—danger on every side, but peace in the center, for Christ was there.

Flavel married several times, burying more than one beloved wife. He knew loss well, yet he never lost sight of heaven. He wrote not just as a theologian, but as a friend. His books, such as The Mystery of Providence and Keeping the Heart, were balm to bruised souls. He taught believers to see God’s hand in every thread of life, not just the golden ones. He did not promise ease, but he promised that Christ would be enough.

He once wrote of a man who read one of his sermons and was so pierced by conviction that he gave his life to Christ—seventy years later. Flavel had already been long in glory. Yet his words, planted like seeds in time, bore fruit across the decades.

John Flavel died in 1691, but his legacy is not buried in history. His words still carry the scent of heaven. He showed the world how to walk through affliction without letting it harden the soul. He taught that every trial, every joy, every breath is under the kind hand of Providence. And above all, he revealed a Savior who is gentle, sovereign, and worthy of our trust—even when the skies turn black.

Through Flavel’s life and writings, we learn that faith is not about escaping the storm, but clinging to Christ within it. He invited us not to admire God from afar, but to rest in Him as children in the arms of a Father who never lets go.