John Flavel (1630–1691) on Christ’s Willingness to Receive Sinners

Quest. 13. But how may it appear that he is willing to receive me?

Answ. Make trial of him thyself. If thou didst but know his heart to poor sinners, you would not question it. Believe what he saith in the gospel; there thou shalt find that he is a willing Saviour; for therein thou hast, first, his most serious invitations, Mat. 11:28. “Come unto me, ye that are weary and heavy laden.” Isa. 55:1. “Ho! every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters.” These serious invitations are, secondly, backed and confirmed with an oath, Ezek. 33:11. “As I live, I desire not the death of a sinner.” Thirdly, Amplified with pathetical wishes, sighs and groans, Luke 19:42. “Oh! that thou hadst known, even thou, at least, in this thy day.” Fourthly, Yea, delivered unto them in undissembled tears, Matt. 23:37, 38. “He wept over it, and said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” Fifthly, Nay, he hath shed not only tears, but blood, to convince thee of his willingness. View him in his dying posture upon the cross, stretching out his dying arms to gather thee, hanging down his blessed head to kiss thee; every one of his wounds was a mouth opened to convince thee of the abundant willingness of Christ to receive thee.

John Flavel, “A Sober Consideration of the Sin of Drunkenness,” The Whole Works of the Reverend John Flavel, 6 vols. (London; Edinburgh; Dublin: W. Baynes and Son; Waugh and Innes; M. Keene, 1820), 5:337. In question 9, on page 336, Flavel described sinners not yet damned as saying to themselves, “I have the [may be’s] of mercy, and they [the damned] have not. Oh! what would they give for a possibility of salvation?”

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