A39663:1068
The Fountain of Life Opened
The fountain of life opened, or, A display of Christ in his essential and mediatorial glory wherein the impetration of our redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded as it was begun, carried on, and finished by his covenant-transaction, mysterious incarnation, solemn call and dedication ... / by John Flavell ...The fountain of life opened, or, A display of Christ in his essential and mediatorial glory wherein the impetration of our redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded as it was begun, carryed on, and finished by his covenant-transaction, mysterious incarnation, solemn call and dedication ... / by John Flavell ...
London: printed for Rob. White, 1673
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Inference 1.
Did Christ pour out his soul to God,1 so ardently in the garden, when the hour of his trouble was at hand? Hence we infer, that prayer is a singular preparative for, and relief under the greatest troubles.
- 1Infer. 1.
'Tis sweet, when troubles find us in the way of our duty. The best posture we can wrestle with afflictions in, is to engage them upon our knees. The naturalist tells us, if a Lyon find a man prostrate, he will do him no harm. Christ hastened to the garden to pray, when Judas and the Soldiers were hastening thither to apprehend him. O when we are nigh to danger, it's good for us to draw nigh to our God. Then should we be urging that seasonable request to God, Psal. 22.11. Be not far from me for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Woe be to him, whom death or troubles finds a far off from God. And as prayer is the best preparative for troubles; so the choicest relief under them. Griefs are eased by groans. The heart is cooled and disburdened, by spiritual evaporations. You know it is some relief if a man can ⟨p. 290⟩pour out his complaint into the bosom of a faithful friend, though he can but pity him: how much more to pour out our complaints into the bosom of a faithful God, who can both pity and help us! Luther was wont to call prayers the Leaches of his cares and sorrows: they suck out the bad blood. It's the title of