reaganmarsh
Puritan Board Senior
John Flavel, answering the question: What were the grounds and reasons of Christ's being abandoned by his disciples?
"...God's suspending wonted influences and aids of grace from them. They were not wont to do so. They never did so afterwards. They would not have done so now, had there been influences of power, zeal, and love from heaven upon them. But how then should Christ have borne the heat and burden of the day? How should he tread the wine-press alone? How should his sorrows have been extreme, unmixed, succourless (as it behoved them to be) if they had stuck faithfully to him in his troubles? No, no, it must not be; Christ must not have the least relief or comfort from any creature; and therefore, that he might be left alone, to grapple hand to hand with the wrath of God, and of men; the Lord for a time with-holds his encouraging, strengthening influences from them; and then, like Samson when he had lost his locks, they were weak as other men.
"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might," saith the apostle, Eph vi.10. If that be with-held, our resolutions and purposes melt away before a temptation, as snow before the sun."
From The Fountain of Life, in his Works, I.348-49
"...God's suspending wonted influences and aids of grace from them. They were not wont to do so. They never did so afterwards. They would not have done so now, had there been influences of power, zeal, and love from heaven upon them. But how then should Christ have borne the heat and burden of the day? How should he tread the wine-press alone? How should his sorrows have been extreme, unmixed, succourless (as it behoved them to be) if they had stuck faithfully to him in his troubles? No, no, it must not be; Christ must not have the least relief or comfort from any creature; and therefore, that he might be left alone, to grapple hand to hand with the wrath of God, and of men; the Lord for a time with-holds his encouraging, strengthening influences from them; and then, like Samson when he had lost his locks, they were weak as other men.
"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might," saith the apostle, Eph vi.10. If that be with-held, our resolutions and purposes melt away before a temptation, as snow before the sun."
From The Fountain of Life, in his Works, I.348-49
