John Flavel: Get Ready Now!

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[00:00:30] Revived Thoughts is a production of Revived Studios.

[00:00:39] This is Troy Angel and you are listening to Revived Thoughts.

[00:00:53] We're going back to the 1600s to listen to a sermon by John Flavell.

[00:01:13] We've done a Flavell before and I remember it's six in my head because we probably spent

[00:01:18] like 15 minutes off air before we started recording debating on how to pronounce Flavell.

[00:01:23] I feel pretty confident.

[00:01:25] We got it.

[00:01:26] It's Flavell and it's not Flavell or Flaviflave or something like that.

[00:01:30] It is Flavell.

[00:01:31] I remember it too.

[00:01:32] It stuck in my mind for the same reason, but also because John Flavell has a great

[00:01:37] story and I'm actually really excited because when I was doing the research on his episode

[00:01:41] this time, I actually found his memoirs.

[00:01:44] I was able to...

[00:01:45] The stories and stuff we have this time are not from people doing research on him,

[00:01:50] but they're from his actual official memoirs, which is cool.

[00:01:53] I'm always excited when I can get as close to their source information and not just the

[00:01:59] research written about that information.

[00:02:02] There's some great quotes in there.

[00:02:05] The first Joel, some positive responses to Revived Thoughts.

[00:02:07] We always try to read the messages and things you send and everywhere I find them

[00:02:11] I will read them.

[00:02:12] I'm always trying to learn and get feedback from everybody and understand where you

[00:02:17] guys are at.

[00:02:18] I always try to read the messages, but we try to read them on air as well.

[00:02:20] This one came in to us from an email.

[00:02:23] Dear Troy and Joel, what an honor to write to you.

[00:02:26] Your voices feel like those of old friends after several years of listening to Revived

[00:02:29] Thoughts.

[00:02:30] Thank you for your work that has helped me build me up and enriched my theology

[00:02:33] and relationship with Christ and give me such great references to discuss with those

[00:02:36] around me.

[00:02:37] The show has helped sustain me through medical school and I often double back to old

[00:02:40] favorites for courage when needed even this past weekend going back to Dietrich

[00:02:43] Bonhoeffer's Overcoming Fear, Josh.

[00:02:46] Josh, I want to say, hey, obviously extremely grateful for those words.

[00:02:50] Can't believe we'd help you through medical school.

[00:02:53] It's awesome that you've been listening to us for years and I have to say I also have

[00:02:57] some old favorites and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Overcoming Fear is in my opinion the classic...

[00:03:03] That was the...

[00:03:04] When we explained to people, when we were way back when we were trying to tell

[00:03:08] people what we were doing, the person who recorded that episode for us, that

[00:03:12] was the episode I used where I was like, look, this is what we're doing.

[00:03:15] This is why it's important.

[00:03:16] When people heard that episode they would go, oh, I get it.

[00:03:19] This is why it's important.

[00:03:20] So I have a very special place in my heart.

[00:03:23] If it were not for Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Overcoming Fear, I don't think we'd have

[00:03:27] revived thoughts.

[00:03:28] To this day, I think it still maybe be the most shared episode that we've ever put

[00:03:32] out.

[00:03:33] Yeah.

[00:03:34] It definitely was the first real turning point in those early days of revived

[00:03:40] thoughts for good reason.

[00:03:41] It's a great sermon.

[00:03:42] Again, it's probably the very best.

[00:03:43] Josh, thank you so much for those kind words.

[00:03:44] I actually told my wife about that, about his email.

[00:03:47] I was like, look at these kind things that Josh said about our show.

[00:03:52] Every time we...

[00:03:53] And I know we read these and I'm not trying to read them like to brag.

[00:03:55] Like, look how amazing we are.

[00:03:56] It's just like I want people to know that we really do care.

[00:03:58] And I do think it's encouraging to see how much church history is impacting

[00:04:02] people, but also it blows my mind.

[00:04:04] Every single time we get a message and I read it, I go, wow, I can't believe

[00:04:07] that revived thoughts this many years later is still having this kind of an impact.

[00:04:11] It's just a blessing.

[00:04:12] I would say if anything, I feel like we're getting even more responses and hearing

[00:04:16] from more people these days than we used to.

[00:04:18] This is another one.

[00:04:19] It came in on email, I believe again as well.

[00:04:22] Hi, I have felt a call to take a dive into past sermons and your Revived Thoughts

[00:04:25] podcast has been a blessing.

[00:04:27] Chelsea, another one that came in by PLEZ.

[00:04:30] This was another email.

[00:04:31] But I am very much in agreement with Troy.

[00:04:33] Oh, sorry, this was on the Revive History...

[00:04:35] Revived Conversation on History Conferences 1.

[00:04:37] I saw this come in.

[00:04:38] I knew you were going to include it because I knew you wanted to gloat about,

[00:04:42] you know, people saving your opinion.

[00:04:44] That's what I'm European in here.

[00:04:45] Ha-ha!

[00:04:46] I won the argument.

[00:04:47] No, no, that was not it.

[00:04:48] I was actually looking for the part where he...

[00:04:49] I just thought he had some interesting thoughts here.

[00:04:51] I was mainly looking for the part where he said,

[00:04:53] I didn't understand from a business perspective, nor should it function that way.

[00:04:55] I thought there was a part where he said anything something more direct about us.

[00:04:58] So, anyway, tell the listeners this is in regards to our Revived Conversations

[00:05:02] about whether you should pay for conferences or not.

[00:05:04] Whether you should pay for conferences or not, PLEZ, thank you for writing in

[00:05:07] and thank you for picking the correct side.

[00:05:08] No, I'm just kidding.

[00:05:09] Thank you so much for writing in.

[00:05:11] And finally, I really like this response we got on Spotify from Richard, who says,

[00:05:15] Bible, phenomenal, wonderfully encouraging episode.

[00:05:18] Shows how phenomenal the Bible was in the life of this man.

[00:05:21] Wonderfully read too by David Martin.

[00:05:23] And if you do not know, Bible is a little bit of an inside joke that I think is now forming.

[00:05:28] Right up there with my hopeful heart, Eric, if you don't know why we said Bible,

[00:05:32] you're going to need to listen to a little bit more of our episodes

[00:05:35] because it came up recently why he did that.

[00:05:37] I love that he put Bible on that.

[00:05:39] Just solid stuff.

[00:05:40] So thank you so much for sending that, Richard.

[00:05:42] I understand.

[00:05:43] I got it.

[00:05:44] I knew why you did that.

[00:05:45] That was not, that's not nothing.

[00:05:46] So we have now, now if all things work out, we will not have two inside jokes

[00:05:51] for our audiences between Eric and Bible if it keeps up.

[00:05:54] Where will this end?

[00:05:55] I don't know.

[00:05:56] Speaking of things that we need to catch up on, Joel,

[00:05:58] how's reading and screw tape letters going?

[00:06:00] Have we gotten any further on that?

[00:06:02] You know, haven't touched it if I'm real.

[00:06:04] I do have a flight coming up though.

[00:06:06] Maybe I'll grab an audio book.

[00:06:07] Hey.

[00:06:08] I'm going to double down and muscle my way through.

[00:06:11] Muscle, man.

[00:06:12] That is screw tape letters.

[00:06:14] I will say we got at least, I remember at least two different messages

[00:06:17] where people were like, I can't believe Joel hasn't read screw tape letters.

[00:06:20] Like Troy, you need to get him to read that straight away.

[00:06:22] That's crazy.

[00:06:23] So, you know what we should do?

[00:06:24] We should have a read through series on for live thoughts where we just,

[00:06:32] we just, yeah, you read them through tape letters.

[00:06:35] Yeah, book club.

[00:06:36] Yeah.

[00:06:37] A live recollecting of screw tape letters.

[00:06:39] That would work.

[00:06:40] I could do that.

[00:06:41] That would be fun.

[00:06:42] I would have a blast with a book club like that.

[00:06:44] You don't even tempt me.

[00:06:45] We almost, if you recall, Joel, we almost started a show called Book Club.

[00:06:49] And then I moved to Cambodia on you and threw it off.

[00:06:51] But we were actually hot in the middle of that.

[00:06:54] So it would not be the first time book club has come up.

[00:06:57] I'm not opposed at all.

[00:06:59] All right.

[00:07:00] Let's jump into this.

[00:07:01] Maybe we can do like a, we should do like a chapter summary.

[00:07:06] At the end of each show or something like that, where we can just talk about what that's

[00:07:11] like a little like three minutes.

[00:07:13] Yeah.

[00:07:14] Like them.

[00:07:15] I like this.

[00:07:16] Joel, off air.

[00:07:17] We need to flesh this out.

[00:07:18] There's something.

[00:07:19] There's there's a great idea here.

[00:07:21] This is happening.

[00:07:22] It's happening live and I like where you're going with it.

[00:07:25] Okay.

[00:07:26] We're here to talk about Flaville though.

[00:07:27] John Flaville, to be exact again covered him before it's been a hot second though.

[00:07:32] And he was born in 1627 in England, which is a peak English Civil War controversy era.

[00:07:40] So and we've covered several speakers that embody this era before it's a beautiful time

[00:07:47] in a terrifying time to be a believer in Europe during this era because thinking of England

[00:07:53] was there was a lot of stuff going down and for a segment of time Christianity and gatherings

[00:08:00] were outlawed entirely.

[00:08:02] Lots of different speakers that we've covered on this show were bold and had gatherings

[00:08:06] out in the woods and such like that.

[00:08:08] So Flaville is one of these people that lived throughout this era of how long it was like

[00:08:14] a 30 year period.

[00:08:15] How long was this period where they weren't allowed to gather?

[00:08:17] It was just a little short of 30 years and yeah, Flaville was we've had several

[00:08:22] different people my mind's blanking on like immediate names.

[00:08:25] However, John Bunyan would probably be one of the most famous who was in jail for

[00:08:29] 12 years and that's where he read or that's where he wrote Pilgrim's Progress.

[00:08:33] And so big, big lots of big names here in this era all over the place to put it to put

[00:08:39] it as I like how you said it was there was a lot going on.

[00:08:41] That's a good way to describe it.

[00:08:43] There's a lot going on.

[00:08:44] Yeah.

[00:08:45] So but it was also a time in history where like you're coming out of the Middle

[00:08:49] Ages like religion as a whole Christianity as a whole was booming up around and

[00:08:57] through these eras to varying degrees.

[00:09:00] His father was a very proud and prominent preacher.

[00:09:04] He preached out on the countryside and it's amazing we have we have some great

[00:09:08] accounts about Flaville's life some from him, some from other authors that

[00:09:12] that were recording these events but they speak about his father leading Bible

[00:09:17] studies in their small town out on the countryside when again due to certain

[00:09:22] laws that were recently passed soldiers broken and demanded the pastor because

[00:09:29] their gathering was illegal technically.

[00:09:32] And although he was dressed as a pastor at the time one of the buddies one of

[00:09:38] his friends passed him a colorful jacket and he put it on to disguise himself

[00:09:42] and so they didn't know who the exact pastor was in their gathering there.

[00:09:46] The whole lot was rallied up and shipped off to jail where they had to pay a big

[00:09:52] fine in order to get out.

[00:09:54] This is also though dirt you know while the plague is kind of rampaging across

[00:09:58] London here and so while they were able to have some friends bail them out

[00:10:04] of jail essentially while they were there in London they did catch the the

[00:10:08] plague and his father would pass away from it both of his parents right

[00:10:12] Troy they both died of the plague from this from this.

[00:10:15] They both died. Yeah which by the way is we covered this or we don't cover this

[00:10:20] specific story. This was a new story to me. However we cover this entire event in

[00:10:25] the London Fire episode. I highly encourage you to listen to that episode

[00:10:29] we put it out on the public feed about a year ago it was open to

[00:10:32] Patreons earlier than that and I love that story and I told it to my one

[00:10:37] of my classes recently and they were just listening to it the whole way

[00:10:40] and they got to the end there like that was that was a story of

[00:10:43] a whistle we were not not expect when you go into that story like okay a

[00:10:47] story about a fire in London like what's what's the big deal and you get to

[00:10:50] the end of it you're like there was alchemist there was a conspiracy

[00:10:53] there were assassination attempts I mean it is a wild time so definitely go

[00:10:57] check that one out if you haven't this would have been around John's

[00:11:01] thirty seventh year when his parents died but going back a little bit

[00:11:05] when he was younger he went to Oxford and at only twenty three he

[00:11:08] was made a preacher which back then was kind of young I remember we

[00:11:11] were told by Andrew Gray I think he started preaching at twenty one and

[00:11:14] like you just weren't supposed to you weren't supposed to be preaching that

[00:11:17] young you're supposed to start much later but these guys were just that good

[00:11:21] they were that faithful people appreciated them and respected them that much

[00:11:24] so they they moved up the bar for them so that they could go a little younger

[00:11:27] now for about ten years he had worked in England as a preacher but then

[00:11:31] if you know your history you would know that the king came back over

[00:11:34] through the Commonwealth and ended the Puritanism that had been raining

[00:11:38] and as soon as he kind of got into power he immediately said if you don't join

[00:11:41] the Church of England if you don't come under my authority we're kicking you out

[00:11:45] and he joined a group of Puritans called the non-conformists who did not join

[00:11:49] back with the Church of England but were basically outlaws once one rule

[00:11:54] they enforced which ended his ministry in Dartmouth was that a pastor could

[00:11:58] not work within five miles of his home this today would be an easy rule

[00:12:03] might not be not be convenient but you can totally get around it because

[00:12:06] we have cars and motorcycles and you know things like that

[00:12:09] but back then they walked pretty much everywhere unless you had a horse

[00:12:12] the horses were expensive and even that doesn't really make it an easy ride

[00:12:16] and it is a snowy winters it just it basically ends your ministry in these places

[00:12:21] and so he moved and while he was moving it says that the whole church

[00:12:25] followed him out of town that they basically were like leaving with him

[00:12:29] watching him go helping carry his belongings so they couldn't really go any further

[00:12:32] and then they gave like a long tearful farewell to him

[00:12:36] there's two different moments actually in his story that are almost Old Testament

[00:12:40] reminding me of almost like Moses or something and this is one of them where he's just

[00:12:44] he's leaving the church he's been with and the whole town is following him crying

[00:12:48] and saying goodbye and it just sounds very on the one hand very sweet

[00:12:52] shows the impact on the other hand very sad I'm sure it was really hard for him to go through that

[00:12:56] another time he at the new town town he would go to he would preach in the woods

[00:13:00] three miles from town where they would meet they would sing songs

[00:13:03] but at one point soldiers showed up to catch them while they were doing this

[00:13:07] and they did catch a few of the people that were there

[00:13:09] but Flavel himself had actually been kind of like secretly snuck out by his church

[00:13:13] and like a couple hours later they re-gathered together

[00:13:16] reassembled somewhere else in the woods and they just continued the service

[00:13:20] and were like okay go back to the sermon so he went back to preaching

[00:13:22] and finished the sermon those guys who had gotten caught enough

[00:13:25] they didn't get killed like his parents did but they did have to pay a heavy fine

[00:13:28] and when I hear these stories I just have to remind myself this is England

[00:13:32] like this this is not Saudi Arabia or China or North Korea

[00:13:37] like places where you think this kind of stuff would happen

[00:13:40] this is England a few hundred years ago where people are getting arrested

[00:13:45] people are dying because of these arrests for just wanting to worship God

[00:13:49] it's just it is wild to me to think of just how different times used to be

[00:13:54] yeah we really Troy we really need to create

[00:13:57] and I know why we haven't done this yet because it's complicated

[00:14:01] and we're pretty sure we'd screw something up in it

[00:14:04] but we really need to create like a 30 minute crash course on the English Civil War

[00:14:09] that we can like reference for people like point to people

[00:14:13] because every time we do one of these episodes we kind of like

[00:14:17] we gloss we bump into certain details of it that are sure to be interesting

[00:14:22] for people but like a we don't have time to explain it all

[00:14:25] and see like there's like eight layers to what we just said

[00:14:29] that is really hard to to kind of flesh out

[00:14:32] but I feel like if there was like a really condensed easy

[00:14:36] it would have to be very generalized overview of the

[00:14:40] English Civil War that we could just put out in like a 30 minute episode

[00:14:44] and that way whenever we talk about this we could say go listen to that

[00:14:47] if you're one a better understanding of you know what the country is going through

[00:14:52] during this like 50 year time frame

[00:14:55] so I love this idea in theory Jill and I think it is a good idea

[00:14:59] we should do this because I think at this point after having taught

[00:15:02] a couple history classes and taught this subject

[00:15:05] and the London Fire episode I do think I could do it

[00:15:08] the only problem is Jill I know myself and I know that you're going to

[00:15:11] suddenly get a 900 page script and I'm like here we go

[00:15:14] part one through 88

[00:15:17] it's got to be short

[00:15:19] the first episode 30 minutes that's the real question

[00:15:22] alright and we're going to look at the script I'm just going to say starting in the year 804

[00:15:25] and you're going to go Troy no this was not what we started with before

[00:15:28] before we understand the English Civil War we're going to have to go back

[00:15:32] so we're going to go back so it's understood as I say

[00:15:35] exactly you see and Eve took the fruit

[00:15:39] and that's exactly what goes wrong with these ideas

[00:15:43] several of our deep dives started out with that simple premise of

[00:15:46] well what if this and they turned into something completely different

[00:15:49] but I think I can do it so we'll put that on our burner of ideas

[00:15:53] we'll put that right next to book club

[00:15:55] so eventually King Charles relaxed the laws that were going on

[00:15:59] if you want to know more about that listen to our

[00:16:02] 30 minute explanation of English Civil War that hasn't come out yet

[00:16:06] and so John Flaville immediately went back to Dartmouth

[00:16:11] and opened up his church again and preached as often as he could

[00:16:16] the change of the laws technically meant that he

[00:16:20] like they weren't completely lifted they were just kind of relaxed a bit

[00:16:24] so he technically had to be classified as a seasonal preacher

[00:16:27] but like in reality he was doing this as much as he could

[00:16:31] and during this time he decided to try to go to London

[00:16:34] London of course across the waterway there which required a boat ride

[00:16:38] and leading up to this trip he had a dream that predicted that

[00:16:44] he would have a bad time traveling to London

[00:16:48] so he was a bit cautious and sure enough they ran into a large storm

[00:16:53] on the ocean there on the sea and everyone was terrified

[00:16:57] and sure that they would die and from his memoir

[00:17:00] we have this account from it I'm going to read it to you here

[00:17:03] quote the master seaman concluded that unless God changed the winds

[00:17:07] there was no hope for life it was impossible for them to weather in Portland

[00:17:11] so that they must of necessity be wrecked on the rocks or on the shore

[00:17:15] upon this Mr. Flaville called all hands that could be spared into his cabin to pray

[00:17:20] but the violence of the tempest was such that they could not prevent themselves

[00:17:24] from being thrown from one side as unto the other as the ship was tossed

[00:17:28] and not only so but mighty seas broke upon them

[00:17:31] as if they would have drowned in their very cabin

[00:17:34] Mr. Flaville in the danger took a hold of two pillars of the cabin bed

[00:17:38] and calling upon God beg mercy upon himself and the rest in the ship

[00:17:42] amongst other arguments and prayer he made use of this

[00:17:45] that if he and his company perish in that storm

[00:17:49] the name of God would be blasphemed

[00:17:51] the enemies of religion would say that though he escaped their hands on shore

[00:17:55] yet divine vengeance would had overtaken him at sea

[00:17:58] in the midst of prayer his faith and hope were raised

[00:18:01] and as much that he expected a gracious answer

[00:18:04] so that committing himself and his company to the mercies of God

[00:18:08] he concluded the duty

[00:18:10] no sooner was the prayer ended but one came down from the deck crying

[00:18:14] deliverance, deliverance

[00:18:16] God is a God hearing prayer

[00:18:18] in a moment the wind was coming far west

[00:18:21] so sailing before it they were brought safely to London

[00:18:25] and reading that quote for the first time

[00:18:27] I even asked Troy I was saying

[00:18:29] what is his argument to God here

[00:18:31] his argument is that people would accuse God

[00:18:35] of letting him die at sea if they did go down

[00:18:39] he was kind of trying to guilt trip God a little bit there

[00:18:42] not unlike a Moses

[00:18:44] yeah it reminded me of Moses standing

[00:18:46] this is my other Old Testament moment

[00:18:48] it reminded me of Moses where he's the God says

[00:18:51] Moses stand back I'm going to wipe these people from the earth and God goes

[00:18:54] if you do that the you know not sorry

[00:18:56] Moses does that like oh if you do that the Egyptians they will accuse you

[00:18:59] as not being strong enough to bring them into the land

[00:19:02] that's basically the same thing Flavéle is doing here

[00:19:05] he's like God if you let us die here the church of England wins

[00:19:09] you know kind of thing and I just think that's so interesting how he did that

[00:19:12] and I have never had to pray like that

[00:19:15] and I don't know that I ever will

[00:19:17] and I don't know that I would think to do it that way if that makes sense

[00:19:20] so it was interesting to see that kind of Old Testament moment come to light

[00:19:24] very different mindset

[00:19:26] now while he was in London while he was there he was praying and fasting

[00:19:29] when soldiers showed up and they were so close like they came in to grab them

[00:19:33] and they were so close to getting taken that he gets that that Flavéle said

[00:19:37] as he was leaving the area like running away he could hear the soldiers

[00:19:40] grabbing the guy behind him

[00:19:42] he found out that the man had tried to get out of there

[00:19:45] but a lady with very long hair had gotten her hair caught on the stairs

[00:19:49] and when he bent down to kind of like pull her hair out

[00:19:52] the soldier grabbed him in that moment and sadly that soldier

[00:19:55] went to the jail and died there and did not recover

[00:19:58] so I mean that's the soldier the man that got grabbed there

[00:20:01] so that's how close Flavéle was to getting caught

[00:20:04] and maybe even dying as well

[00:20:06] now he was asked to come and be the preacher of the church in London

[00:20:09] that would replace that guy who died they said oh you know that was our pastor

[00:20:12] could you come and they really tried to get him to move there

[00:20:15] but Flavéle said no my home is Dartmouth this is where God has me

[00:20:19] and he just no matter how much they tried he stayed with his local congregation

[00:20:23] this much smaller town but he stayed where he had always been

[00:20:27] and not to be fair if the guy who had the job before me died

[00:20:31] and I had almost you know died with him

[00:20:33] I might also be a little bit hesitant to take the job

[00:20:36] but I really do think it was more that he just loved that church in Dartmouth

[00:20:39] he loved his people and he didn't want to abandon them

[00:20:42] now Flavéle has other great stories

[00:20:45] on our last episode there's the story is one of the most incredible stories

[00:20:48] I tell the story to my students and anyone I can

[00:20:51] of a man who accepted Christ 87 years after Flavéle died

[00:20:54] because he remembered the sermon he heard in his church as a kid

[00:20:58] one of the craziest stories

[00:21:00] and of a man that tried to commit suicide that Flavéle basically prayed to life

[00:21:04] so go listen to our other John Flavéle episodes if you want to hear those

[00:21:08] because those stories are just

[00:21:10] there are stories that you hear them and you go wow that is a genuinely

[00:21:14] I can't believe that happened but it really

[00:21:16] it really makes you go wow the word of God

[00:21:18] it could just do things that's crazy but here's another one

[00:21:21] when Mr. Flavéle was back in London in 1673

[00:21:25] an old book seller there Mr. Boulder gave him the following story

[00:21:28] that sometime before there came into his shop a gentleman

[00:21:32] to inquire for some books

[00:21:34] and Mr. Boulder told him he had none

[00:21:36] but showed him that he had Mr. Flavéle's little treaties keeping the heart

[00:21:40] and he said you should read this and assured him it would do more good

[00:21:43] than the books he was asking for

[00:21:45] and it says in the quote that there are playbooks

[00:21:47] I don't know what a playbook is

[00:21:49] the gentleman read the title and glancing upon several pages here and there

[00:21:51] broke out into those expressions of what a fool

[00:21:53] what a fanatic

[00:21:55] who made this book

[00:21:57] but Mr. Boulder begged him and said go ahead buy it and read it

[00:21:59] you'll love this

[00:22:01] and told him he had no cause to censure it so bitterly

[00:22:03] so at last he bought it

[00:22:05] but told him well I'll buy it but I'm not going to read it

[00:22:07] now what will you do with it then said Mr. Boulder

[00:22:09] he said I will tear it and burn it

[00:22:11] Mr. Boulder told him that he should not have it

[00:22:13] then if he's going to do that

[00:22:15] but upon this a gentleman promised okay yeah I'll read it fine

[00:22:17] and Mr. Boulder told him if he disliked it

[00:22:19] he would return it with his money

[00:22:21] so this conversation with this book seller and the guy

[00:22:23] I don't want to read it no I'll burn it

[00:22:25] no don't do that okay fine I'll read it

[00:22:27] but okay if you don't like it you can get your money back

[00:22:29] okay so a month later the gentleman came to the shop

[00:22:31] again in a very modest attitude

[00:22:33] and have it and closed with a serious face

[00:22:35] and spoke to Mr. Boulder so

[00:22:37] he said sir I most heartily

[00:22:39] thank you for putting this book into my hands

[00:22:41] I bless God that moved you to do it

[00:22:43] it has saved my soul blessed to be God

[00:22:45] that I ever came into your shop that day

[00:22:47] and then he's bought a hundred more of those books

[00:22:49] and told him I'm going to give them to the poor

[00:22:51] who don't have enough money to buy them

[00:22:53] and so left him praising and admiring the goodness of God

[00:22:55] and so please God to bless the sermons, discourses

[00:22:57] and writings of Mr. Flaville

[00:22:59] now Flaville was a preacher

[00:23:01] but you can see his way of preaching

[00:23:03] wasn't easy and so one of the things he would do

[00:23:05] is he would write letters to his congregants

[00:23:07] basically back and forth encouraging them

[00:23:09] because he couldn't go and see them face to face

[00:23:11] he couldn't always preach to them

[00:23:13] so he wrote lots of letters and Flaville hated it

[00:23:15] he wanted to be there in person

[00:23:17] his letters are just him agonizing over

[00:23:19] oh I wish we could do this in person

[00:23:21] I hate these rules and these laws

[00:23:23] and these persecution made life difficult for him

[00:23:25] however those letters have been

[00:23:27] you know

[00:23:29] put into a book compiled

[00:23:31] that's the word I was looking for

[00:23:33] and that book itself has had a huge impact

[00:23:35] on many many different people who've read it

[00:23:37] and you can go find those letters

[00:23:39] they're still out there being sold

[00:23:41] just a list of names who have said

[00:23:43] this book had a huge impact on them

[00:23:45] Samuel Davies, Archibald Alexander

[00:23:47] Charles Virgin, Robert Murray McChain

[00:23:49] Samuel Miller, James Alexander, John the Cross

[00:23:51] Thomas Murphy all claimed that the letters

[00:23:53] that he wrote had a profound impact

[00:23:55] on their life

[00:23:57] and so it just goes to show that even though

[00:23:59] he was frustrated by his circumstances

[00:24:01] because he had to write those letters

[00:24:03] it impacted history and it reminds me of Paul

[00:24:05] you know Paul always said

[00:24:07] I wish I could be there in person but those letters

[00:24:09] were then put into scripture and were

[00:24:11] part of our New Testament today

[00:24:13] Floville's letters are not a scripture

[00:24:15] but it's the same kind of idea here

[00:24:17] where if he hadn't been taken from them

[00:24:19] those letters wouldn't have been able to reach all those other people

[00:24:25] What's the easiest choice you can make

[00:24:27] window instead of middle seat

[00:24:29] picking a vendor who sends a great gift

[00:24:31] basket outsourcing business

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[00:25:29] Flavéld's life was not easy

[00:25:31] but through his

[00:25:33] life and writings God used

[00:25:35] him to make a lasting impact

[00:25:37] during this sermon he talks

[00:25:39] about pain and suffering

[00:25:41] that will inevitably come and

[00:25:43] how we must get ready for it now

[00:25:59] get up on your watchtowers and

[00:26:01] tremble in yourselves that you may

[00:26:03] rest in the day of evil

[00:26:05] abackic 2 verses 1 to 3

[00:26:07] and 16

[00:26:09] put on the whole armor of God

[00:26:11] that you may be able to withstand

[00:26:13] an evil day and having done all

[00:26:15] to stand a fusion 6 verses

[00:26:17] love in the 13

[00:26:19] let it never be said of your

[00:26:21] dwellings as it is said of

[00:26:23] the houses of the wicked

[00:26:25] the house of the wicked

[00:26:27] their houses are safe from fear

[00:26:29] Job 219

[00:26:31] Caesar Augustus hearing

[00:26:33] of one who is deeply in debt

[00:26:35] who yet slept hardly

[00:26:37] sent for the man's pillow

[00:26:39] supposing there was some strange

[00:26:41] virtue in it

[00:26:43] I wonder what pillow you have

[00:26:45] oh you drowsy saints

[00:26:47] did you can sleep so quietly on it

[00:26:49] when things all about you were

[00:26:51] conspiring trouble and threatening

[00:26:53] danger can you sleep like

[00:26:55] Jonah when seas of wrath are

[00:26:57] tumbling and roaring all around you

[00:26:59] and threatened to entomb you

[00:27:01] in all your pleasures

[00:27:03] the store can have a nose

[00:27:05] or appointed times

[00:27:07] Jeremiah 8 verse 7

[00:27:09] his God that made you wiser than

[00:27:11] the fowls of heaven

[00:27:13] perhaps a son of some present judgment

[00:27:15] might startle you a little

[00:27:17] like a sudden clap of thunder in the air

[00:27:19] but how soon the sloth

[00:27:21] of security prevail and overcome

[00:27:23] you again

[00:27:25] they say poison by being habituated

[00:27:27] may be made harmless

[00:27:29] we're so used to

[00:27:31] a rather hard and under

[00:27:33] calamities that nothing moves are

[00:27:35] effectively awakens us

[00:27:37] Lord what will the end of these things be

[00:27:39] will you surprise your people

[00:27:41] unprepared

[00:27:43] will your judgments find them secure

[00:27:45] and leave them desperate

[00:27:47] oh the God would persuade you

[00:27:49] to gather yourselves together

[00:27:51] you gather together

[00:27:53] not in an unlawful and seditious way

[00:27:55] but in a way of duty

[00:27:57] before the degree bring forth

[00:27:59] before the day pass as a chaff

[00:28:01] Zephaniah 2 verses 1 and 2

[00:28:05] prepare to meet your God

[00:28:07] prepare your faith

[00:28:09] your love

[00:28:11] courage and so on

[00:28:13] before God calls you to exercise them

[00:28:17] besides all the four mentioned benefits

[00:28:19] prepare your spirit

[00:28:21] consider the following motives to excite you

[00:28:23] to prepare for this duty

[00:28:25] motive one

[00:28:27] God has given you many calls to this work

[00:28:29] the Lord has spoken

[00:28:31] and called from heaven to you

[00:28:33] will you be deaf to his calls

[00:28:35] he has called you by the word

[00:28:37] God will have it cry to you first

[00:28:39] because he gives

[00:28:41] the first honor to his word

[00:28:43] he's given all of his prophets one mouth

[00:28:45] he's spake by the mouth

[00:28:47] of his holy prophets

[00:28:49] Luke 1 verse 70

[00:28:51] and they have warned you faithfully

[00:28:53] he has called you by the rod

[00:28:55] this also has a loud voice

[00:28:57] Psalm 2 verse 5

[00:28:59] Micah 6 verse 9

[00:29:01] men of understanding will hear

[00:29:03] this voice

[00:29:05] those who will not hear it

[00:29:07] will be lashed by it until they are sick

[00:29:09] from smiting Micah 6 verse 13

[00:29:13] and he has called you by prodigious

[00:29:15] and portentous signs in the heavens

[00:29:17] and the earth

[00:29:19] unparalleled in any other age

[00:29:21] these are loud voices

[00:29:23] to all who regard the works of the Lord

[00:29:25] or the operations of his hand

[00:29:27] you said he has called

[00:29:29] them God's sermons to the world

[00:29:31] oh for wisdom

[00:29:33] to consider what God's hands are

[00:29:35] in these things

[00:29:37] one observes

[00:29:39] that is there the plainest

[00:29:41] and most obvious to sense

[00:29:43] so they are commonly the last sermons

[00:29:45] that God intends to preach

[00:29:47] to the nations

[00:29:49] before he inflicts his punishment

[00:29:51] on them

[00:29:53] if they don't repent

[00:29:55] do not let God

[00:29:57] who is speaking in ordinary and extraordinary ways

[00:29:59] to you

[00:30:01] speak in vain

[00:30:03] your preparations for suffering are the most probable

[00:30:05] means of preventing your fall and ruin

[00:30:07] by those sufferings

[00:30:09] motive number 2

[00:30:11] suffering proves fatal and destructive

[00:30:13] to some

[00:30:15] to the self confident and careless ones

[00:30:17] those who are diligent

[00:30:19] and faithful in the use of God's means

[00:30:21] are safe from danger

[00:30:23] Christ lays our constancy

[00:30:25] and perseverance very much

[00:30:27] on our forecasting the worst

[00:30:29] that may fall out

[00:30:31] put on the whole armor of God

[00:30:33] that you may be able to stand

[00:30:35] separate Christ

[00:30:37] in your thoughts from all worldly

[00:30:39] advantages and put the question to your own soul

[00:30:41] oh my soul

[00:30:43] can you embrace

[00:30:45] or love a naked Christ

[00:30:47] can you be content to be impoverished

[00:30:49] imprisoned and suffer the loss

[00:30:51] of all for him

[00:30:53] you are most likely to cleave faithfully

[00:30:55] to him

[00:30:57] when the case is truly presented to you

[00:30:59] in your eyes

[00:31:01] can it seem a little thing

[00:31:03] to be unable to stand in such an evil day

[00:31:05] if you fall away from Christ

[00:31:07] then all you have worked for is lost

[00:31:11] Gideon's one illegitimate son

[00:31:13] destroyed all seventy of his other sons

[00:31:15] judges a 29

[00:31:17] to 9 verse 5

[00:31:19] this one act renders all former

[00:31:21] actions in professor vain

[00:31:23] and if you fall you will be brought

[00:31:25] into a more perfect bondage

[00:31:27] to the devil

[00:31:29] than ever

[00:31:31] yes ordinarily apostates

[00:31:33] are judicially given up to be persecutors

[00:31:35] and are seldom

[00:31:37] or never restored again by grace

[00:31:39] he were 6 verses 4 to 6

[00:31:41] those who lick up their vomit

[00:31:43] seldom throw it up anymore

[00:31:45] the fall brings him almost as low

[00:31:47] as the unpardonable sin from which none ever rise again

[00:31:49] in some cases a judge

[00:31:51] will not allow the offender

[00:31:53] his book

[00:31:55] is it not then a choice

[00:31:57] and desirable mercy to escape

[00:31:59] and prevent such a fall with this

[00:32:01] oh my soul

[00:32:03] steadily intelligently

[00:32:05] work on your preparations

[00:32:07] prepare

[00:32:09] or you will perish

[00:32:11] motive number 3

[00:32:13] preparing your spirit for suffering

[00:32:15] is the best response to the grace of God

[00:32:17] and afford a new such choice

[00:32:19] helps and advantages as you have enjoyed

[00:32:21] how long have you enjoyed

[00:32:23] the free liberty of the gospel

[00:32:25] shining radiantly among you

[00:32:27] this son has not risen on some nation

[00:32:29] and you have been a great

[00:32:31] son has not risen on some nations

[00:32:33] and to many on whom it

[00:32:35] has shined it is like a remote

[00:32:37] and feeble winter sun

[00:32:39] but you have lived as it were

[00:32:41] under the line

[00:32:43] it has been over your heads

[00:32:45] and shed its richest influences on you

[00:32:47] God's ministers

[00:32:49] who are not only appointed to be watchmen

[00:32:51] as he go 3 verse 17

[00:32:53] but trumpeters

[00:32:55] to reveal danger

[00:32:57] numbers 10 verse 8

[00:32:59] I have faithfully warned you of a day of trouble

[00:33:01] and given you

[00:33:03] their best assistance to make you ready for it

[00:33:05] their joy

[00:33:07] even their life

[00:33:09] is bound up in your stability

[00:33:11] in such a day of trial

[00:33:13] does not everyone call

[00:33:15] to you in the words of the apostle

[00:33:17] therefore my brethren

[00:33:19] dearly beloved and longed for

[00:33:21] my joy and crown

[00:33:23] sustain fast and the Lord

[00:33:25] my dearly beloved

[00:33:27] will it not cut them

[00:33:29] to the very hard if

[00:33:31] after all their consuming labor

[00:33:33] among you they still

[00:33:35] leave you unready

[00:33:37] still enemies to the cross of Christ

[00:33:39] and impossibly

[00:33:41] enabled to be reconciled

[00:33:43] and persuaded to suffering

[00:33:45] work for Christ

[00:33:47] I remember reading of the Athenian

[00:33:49] King Kodris

[00:33:51] who was informed that the oracle had prophesied

[00:33:53] that the people whose king would be slain

[00:33:55] in battle would be the conquerors

[00:33:57] on hearing that news

[00:33:59] he disguised himself

[00:34:01] went into the enemies quarters and provoked

[00:34:03] the coral on which it was killed in order

[00:34:05] to make his people victorious

[00:34:07] how glad would your ministers be

[00:34:09] no matter what became

[00:34:11] of their lives and liberties

[00:34:13] if you might conquer and overcome

[00:34:15] in a day of temptation

[00:34:17] if they are offered up on the sacrifice

[00:34:19] and service of your faith

[00:34:21] they can still rejoice and joy

[00:34:23] with you all

[00:34:25] such as their zeal and longing after your

[00:34:27] security and welfare

[00:34:29] but if you still remain an unready

[00:34:31] people and become

[00:34:33] a prey to temptation

[00:34:35] how inexcusable

[00:34:37] will you be

[00:34:39] motive for

[00:34:41] remember how ready the Lord Jesus was

[00:34:43] to suffer the hardest and vile

[00:34:45] of things for you

[00:34:47] Durath

[00:34:49] both of God and man which squeezed out

[00:34:51] a cup

[00:34:53] put into his hands to drink for you

[00:34:55] never did any man undergo

[00:34:57] such sufferance as Christ

[00:34:59] consider the dignity of

[00:35:01] his person

[00:35:03] he was in the form of God and might have stood

[00:35:05] on his peerage and equality with him

[00:35:07] he is a sparkling

[00:35:09] diamond of heaven

[00:35:11] the darling of the father's soul

[00:35:13] Isaiah 42 verse 1

[00:35:15] glorious as he only be gotten

[00:35:17] of the father John 1 verse 14

[00:35:19] yes he is glory itself

[00:35:21] in the very brightness

[00:35:23] of his glory he was one for three

[00:35:25] he is fairer than the children

[00:35:27] of men

[00:35:29] Psalm 45 verse 2

[00:35:31] for him to be so debased

[00:35:33] below so many

[00:35:35] thousands of his own creatures

[00:35:37] to become a worm

[00:35:39] and no man

[00:35:41] Psalm 22 verse 6

[00:35:43] was an astonishing humiliation

[00:35:45] it was Jeremiah's

[00:35:47] lament that those who were brought up

[00:35:49] in scarlet embraced

[00:35:51] dung hills, dip-princes

[00:35:53] were hanged up by the hands

[00:35:55] and the faces of elders were not

[00:35:57] revered but what is

[00:35:59] that compared to the humiliation

[00:36:01] of the Lord of Glory

[00:36:03] considered that he suffered in the prime

[00:36:05] and flower of his ears

[00:36:07] he suffered and died when full

[00:36:09] of life and feeling and more capable

[00:36:11] of an intense sense of pain

[00:36:13] than others for he was

[00:36:15] of a singular constitution

[00:36:17] all the while he hung

[00:36:19] on the tree his sense of pain

[00:36:21] was not at all blunted or decayed

[00:36:23] Mark 15 verses 37 and 39

[00:36:27] consider the manner of his death

[00:36:29] it was a death of the cross

[00:36:31] which was a rack

[00:36:33] of torture to Christ

[00:36:35] for in reference to the

[00:36:37] distention of his body

[00:36:39] on the cross it is spoken

[00:36:41] I may tell all my bones

[00:36:43] Psalm 22 verse 17

[00:36:45] and consider that in all this

[00:36:47] God hid his face from him

[00:36:49] when Stephen suffered

[00:36:51] he saw the heavens opened

[00:36:53] many of the martyrs were seized

[00:36:55] and transported with

[00:36:57] ecstasies of joy in their

[00:36:59] sufferings but Christ

[00:37:01] suffered in the dark

[00:37:03] he suffered in a soul

[00:37:05] as well as in his body

[00:37:07] and the sufferings of his soul

[00:37:09] were the very soul of his sufferings

[00:37:11] it was a father's wrath

[00:37:13] that lays so heavy on him

[00:37:15] and put him into such an agony

[00:37:17] that there was never another instance

[00:37:19] given like his

[00:37:21] his sweat great drops

[00:37:23] or clots of blood

[00:37:25] that fell from his body to the ground

[00:37:27] he began to be

[00:37:29] so amazed

[00:37:31] and to be very heavy

[00:37:33] even sorrowful into death

[00:37:35] yet as bitter as the cup

[00:37:37] of Christ was

[00:37:39] he freely and willingly drank it up

[00:37:41] he prepared himself

[00:37:43] to be offered up a sacrifice

[00:37:45] and gave his back to the

[00:37:47] spiders

[00:37:49] and longed exceedingly for the time until

[00:37:51] it came

[00:37:53] if Christ so carefully prepared and addressed

[00:37:55] himself to such sufferings of these

[00:37:57] for you

[00:37:59] should you not prepare yourselves

[00:38:01] to encounter any difficulty or hardships

[00:38:03] for him

[00:38:05] do you not consider this a just and fair

[00:38:07] the sufferings of Christ for you

[00:38:09] for as much then as Christ

[00:38:11] has suffered for us in the flesh

[00:38:13] arm yourselves likewise

[00:38:15] with the same mind

[00:38:17] 1 Peter 4 verse 1

[00:38:19] always no more time

[00:38:21] do not feed yourself

[00:38:23] with fancies and groundless

[00:38:25] presumptions of immunity

[00:38:27] and peace

[00:38:29] instead foresee difficulties

[00:38:31] and fit yourselves to bear them

[00:38:37] 2

[00:38:40] Thank you for listening too

[00:38:42] Today's episode of revived

[00:38:44] Taxidae Sermon was

[00:38:46] narrated by Tom Sulavin

[00:38:48] of the Narrated Puritan

[00:38:50] Yeah...Tom Sulavin

[00:38:52] has been, somebody who has been on the show before

[00:38:54] famously he did our Jonathan Edwards

[00:38:56] C Jrs in the Hands Of An Angry God episode

[00:38:58] He also does

[00:39:00] Old Sermon's Other Past with

[00:39:02] is show Därarated Puritan

[00:39:04] which I believe is on Sermon Audio

[00:39:06] well. He unlike us does not edit the sermons and he doesn't have a different voice. It's always his voice

[00:39:12] but if you enjoy listening to his voice definitely go check out the Narrated Pirate and he's done an

[00:39:17] extremely

[00:39:18] unbelievably large amount of sermons and books and classes and stuff like that

[00:39:23] so he's definitely a person if you're looking for resources and want to learn more about this stuff

[00:39:27] you can't get enough of it. I would go check out his work.

[00:39:30] If you enjoyed this episode of Revive Thoughts

[00:39:33] we encourage you to share it send it to other people. Let others know about this episode.

[00:39:37] Let others know about this important subject of getting ready and preparing for times of suffering

[00:39:41] because we know that someday these things will come and so it's good to get ready for them before

[00:39:46] they do and to just acknowledge that it is always on the way. I think I've heard it said that

[00:39:51] you know you're either in a valley or in a mountain peak and if you're in a mountain peak

[00:39:54] you're gonna be in a valley soon and or another way it's been said is you're either living

[00:39:58] through a storm, you're just coming out of a storm or storm clouds are forming on the horizon.

[00:40:02] You know it's not a negative thing. It's just the reality of this world with spiritual warfare

[00:40:06] and the reality of this world of sin, this world does not you know love christians we will be hated

[00:40:11] by the world and the reality is that pain and suffering is a part of our walks with God

[00:40:15] as it was for Christ so it will be for us and so since we know that is how it will be for us

[00:40:20] let us prepare and get ready now before it comes and if you are in one of those times

[00:40:24] of pain and suffering know that they do not last forever. This is Troy and Joel and this

[00:40:28] is Revive Thoughts.

[00:40:32] you