The Fountain of Life Opened

Now to show you how the believing meditation of Christ, and his suffering, comes kindly and savingly to break and melt down the gracious heart; I shall propound these four considerations of the heart breaking efficacy of Faith, eyeing a Crucified Jesus.

Now to shew you how the believing meditation of Christ, and his suffering, comes kindly and savingly to break and melt down the gracious heart; I shall propound these four considerations of the heart breaking efficacy of Faith, eyeing a Crucified Jesus.

First, The very realizing of Christ and his sufferings by Faith, is a most affecting and melting thing. Faith is a true Glass §1that represents all those his sufferings, and agonies to the Life. It presents them not as a fiction, or idle tale▪ but as a true and faithful Narrative. This (saith Faith) is a true and faithful saying, that Christ was not only clothed in our flesh. He that is over all, God blessed for ever; the only Lord, the Prince of the Kings of the Earth become a man; but it is also most certain, that in this body of his flesh, he grappled with the infinite wrath of God. Which filled his soul with horror, and amazement. That the Lord of Life, did hang dead upon the Tree. That he went as a Lamb to the slaughter. And was as a Sheep dumb before the Shearer. That he endured all this, and more than ⟨p. 336⟩any finite understanding can comprehend in my room and stead. For my sake he there groaned and bled. For my Pride, Earthliness, Lust, Unbelief, hardness of Heart, he endured all this. I say to realize the sufferings of Christ thus, is of great power to affect the coldest, dullest heart. You cannot imagine the difference there is in presenting things as realities, with convincing and satisfying evidences; and our looking on them as a fiction or uncertainty.

First, The very reallizing of Christ and his sufferings by Faith, is a most affecting and melting thing. Faith is a true Glass