John Flavel

John Flavel.

John Flavel (1627 - 1691) was an English Presbyterian clergyman.

Life

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.

Quotes

• "It is the duty of the saints, especially in times of straights, to reflect upon the performances of Providence for them in all the states and through all the stages of their lives".^[1]

• "When God gives you comforts, it is your great evil not to observe His hand in them." ^[2]

• "They foresaw that the concession of a Providence would impose an eternal yoke upon their necks, by making them accountable for all they did to a higher tribunal, so that they must necessarily 'pass the time of their sojourning here in fear', while all their thoughts, words and ways were strictly noted and recorded, for the purpose of an account by an all-seeing and righteous God. They therefore laboured to persuade themselves that what they had no mind for did not exist." ^[3]

• 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.

Works

• Works of John Flavel (6 vol set), Banner of Truth Trust, ISBN 0-85151-060-4.
• The Fountain of Life Opened Up Diggory Press, ISBN 978-1846857980
• Husbandry Spiritualised (1669)
• Keeping The Heart Diggory Press ISBN 978-1846857072
• The Method of Grace in the Gospel Redemption - accessed 26 July, 2008
• Navigation Spiritualised (1671)
• The Mystery of Providence (1678)
• A Saint Indeed
• The Seamon's Companion (1676)

Notes

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: John Flavel

• The Life of the late Rev. Mr. John Flavel, minister of Dartmouth
• Flavel, John (c. 1630-1691)
• John Flavel — brief biography and further links
• Sermons by John Flavel and others in the Reformed Tradition
• The Mystery of Providence text
• Chapter by Chapter Summary of The Mystery of Providence

This article incorporates public domain text from : Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J. M. Dent & Sons; New York, E. P. Dutton.