The Fountain of Life Opened

How do the great men of the world ambitiously court the honours and pleasures of it? the Merchants of the earth trade and strive for the dear bought treasures of it; whilst the price of Christ (alas! ever too low) falls every day lower and lower upon the Exchange of this world! I speak it as a sad truth, if there were no quicker a trade (as dead as they say it is) for the perishing treasures of the earth, than there is for Christ this day in England; the Exchange would quickly be shut up, and all the Trading Companies dissolved.

How do the great men of the world ambitiously court the honours and pleasures of it? the Merchants of the earth trade and strive for the dear bought treasures of it; whilst the price of Christ (alas! ever too low) falls every day lower and lower upon the Exchange of this world! I speak it as a sad truth, if there were no quicker a trade (as dead as they say it is) for the perishing treasures of the earth, than there is for Christ this day in England; the Exchange would quickly be shut up, and all the Trading Companies dissolv'd.

Dear Sir, Christ is the Peerless Pearl hid in the field, Mat. 13.46. will you be that wise Merchant that resolves to win and compass that treasure; whatever it shall cost you? Ah Sir, Christ is a commodity that can never be bought too dear.

My dear Kinsman, my flesh and my blood; my soul thirsteth for your salvation, and the salvation of your family. Shall you and I resolve with good Joshua, that whatever others do, we and our families will serve the Lord. That we will walk as the redeemed of his blood, showing forth his virtues, and praises in the world? that as God hath made us one in name, and one in affection; so we may be one in Christ. That it may be said of us, as it was of Austin and Alippius long ago; that they were sanguine christi conglutinati, glued together by the blood of Christ.