“Christ is a sea of sweetness, without one drop of bitterness.” – John Flavel
Flavel was born at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, about 1630 and died June 26, 1691, he was 64, in the city of Exeter. In 1656, Flavel became the minister at the seaport town of Dartmouth and spent most of his life ministering in the area. His constant prayer and hope were that Dartmouth would be a town of people who loved to pray and commune with God.
In 1662, Flavel along with 1,800 other ministers, refused to comply with the Act of Uniformity, and were forced out of their churches. However, that did not stop him from preaching every week at a church outside of town and bi-weekly at another location. It was a difficult time due to persecution from authorities. John Flavel was a man on a mission to preach the Gospel. When it was illegal to preach without a license, he preached in the woods, in private halls, barns, and on an island that would be submerged at high tide. The various locations kept the authorities guessing where he was going to preach next. He managed to keep his identity a secret and would disguise himself to reach the secret meeting place to preach.
Each Sunday, crowds flocked to see and hear him preach. As the word spread about his ministry, an angry mob burned an effigy outside of his home, but through all of these trials, he never gave up praying for the town of Dartmouth that he loved. Through these trials, he was a humble and godly man.
Unfortunately, the authorities eventually found out who he was. Flavel lost his home and most of his possessions. Flavel was not discouraged because he saw persecution and removal of his earthly items as something that made ministers more faithful to the Gospel. One specific difficult moment in his life happened (which put his thoughts and actions about persecution to the test) when he was holding a prayer meeting in a home, the authorities broke in and captured his parents. They were thrown into jail and died there after catching the plague. Despite this hardship, Flavel would not be swayed.
Flavel had many close encounters with the authorities, two of which could be seen in a modern-day movie. First, he was chased by the king’s men and escaped by plunging his horse into the sea and then swam to shore. Second, while preaching in the woods, the authorities rushed in and dispersed the congregation. Several people were apprehended and fined, but those who escaped went with Flavel to another wooded area where he continued and finished his sermon.
Flavel’s heart for the Gospel and people is inspiring. He was gifted by God with the ability to be compassionate and bold getting to the heart of matters. Historians often share about Flavel’s interactions with a young seafarer who was depressed and tried to take his own life. After the doctors had performed the necessary surgery to prevent his sure death, Flavel ministered to him. Flavel asked about the seafarer’s state before God. The seafarer replied, “I hope that God will grant me eternal life.” Flavel responded with, “I fear your hopes are not well grounded.” Afterward, Flavel explained how God justly punishes sin and that everyone is a sinner before God. The young man started to understand his rebellious nature and recognized his status before God, but he was fearful and wondered if there was any hope. Flavel said, “There might be …” then proceeded to explain the Good News of Jesus Christ and how Christ took the punishment of sin that all people rightfully deserve. After sharing the Gospel, he challenged the young man to put his hope in Christ. Upon hearing the challenge, the man asked Flavel to pray for him, and as Flavel prayed, the Holy Spirit moved in the man and gave him a living faith in Christ. “Cling to Christ and pray,” Flavel said to the young man who made a miraculous recovery and returned home. Sometime later, Flavel received a letter from the pastor who was ministering to the young man, thanking Flavel for being God’s servant and noticing the change in the seafarer’s life.
Eventually, Flavel left his hometown of Dartmouth for London, where he was not well known. Flavel’s reasons were that he could blend into the crowd, continue preaching, and write books. Many people loved his writings, especially with his emphasis on the joy found in Christ. Even the wealthy purchased his books and gave them to the poor to help them understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It was not until 1687 that King James II granted the Nonconformists the liberty to preach publicly again. As a result, Flavel preached twice on Sunday and lectured on Wednesday and Thursday. Four years after the act was presented, John Flavel died on his way to preach at an event for unity between Presbyterians and Independents, and he was excited to promote their unity under the banner of Christ.
Throughout his life, John Flavel was a person of great humility who graciously shared his knowledge with all he came into contact with, even if it were risky. He demonstrated an unwearied application to study and was always eager to learn. He was an encourager of young men for the ministry, some of whom he educated himself and even funded at his own expense. Flavel was bold in his prayers, ready to share a kind word, and warm and affectionate to those he interacted with. He was very influential to other Puritans and the theological giant Jonathan Edwards, whom God used in the Great Awakening.