The Father’s Bargain—John Flavel

In the later 1600’s John Flavel wrote this picture of God the Father talking with His dear Son regarding the hopeless and sinless state. This has come to be known as, “The Father’s Bargain.”

“Here you may suppose the Father to say, when driving his bargain with Christ for you.

“Father—‘My son, here is a company of
poor miserable souls, that have utterly undone
themselves, and now lie open to my justice! Justice
demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself
in the eternal ruin of them: What shall be done
for these souls?’ And thus Christ returns.

“Son—‘O my Father, such is my love to, and pity for
them, that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will
be responsible for them as their Surety; bring in all thy
bills, that I may see what they owe thee; Lord, bring
them all in, that there may be no after-reckonings with
them; at my hand shalt thou require it. I will rather
choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it:
upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.’

“Father—‘But, my Son, if thou undertake for them,
thou must reckon to pay the last mite, expect no
abatements; if I spare them, I will not spare thee.’

“Son—‘Content, Father, let it be so; charge it all
upon me, I am able to discharge it: and though it
prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish
all my riches, empty all my treasures, (for so indeed
it did, 2 Cor. 8: 9. “Though he was rich, yet for our sakes
he became poor”) yet I am content to undertake it.’

“Blush, ungrateful believers, O let shame cover your
faces; judge in yourselves now, has Christ deserved
that you should stand with him for trifles, that you
should shrink at a few petty difficulties, and complain,
this is hard, and that is harsh? O if you knew the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in this his wonderful
condescension for you, you could not do it.”

Opens the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and the Redeemer

Volume 1, Sermon 3—John Flavel

Sign up for my NEW BLOG – FORGE FLOWER. I will no longer be posting on this blog site.