The Fountain of Life Opened

And see that as Christ bequeathed and made over himself to you, so ye in the like manner bestow and make over your selves to him. He lived not, neither dyed (as you hear) for himself, but you. O that you in like manner would down with self, and up with Christ, in the room of it. Woe, woe, is me (saith one) that the holy profession of Christ is made a stag garment by many to bring home a vain fame. And Christ is made to serve mens ends. This is to stop an Oven with a Kings Robes. Except men Martyr and slay the body of sin in sanctified self-denial, they shall never be Christs Martyrs and faithful Witnesses. Oh, if I could be master of that house-Idol my self. Mine own. Mine own wit, will, credit, and ease, how blessed were I! O but we have need to be redeemed from our selves, rather than from the Devil and the world. Learn to put out your selves, and to put in Christ for your ⟨p. 77⟩selves. I should make a sweet bargain, and give old for new, if I could shuffle out Self, and substitute Christ my Lord in place of my self, to say, not I, but Christ, not my will, but Christs, not my ease, not my lusts, not my credit but Christ, Christ. —O wretched Idol my self, when shall I see thee wholly decourted, and Christ wholly put in thy Room? O if Christ had the full place and Room of my self, that all my aims, purposes, thoughts and desires would coast and land upon Christ, and not upon my self.

And see that as Christ bequeathed and made over himself to you, so ye in the like manner bestow and make over your selves to him. He lived not, neither dyed (as you hear) for himself, but you. O that you in like manner would down with self, and up with Christ, in the room of it. Woe, woe, is me (saith one) that the holy profession of Christ is made a stag•e garment by many to bring home a vain fame. And Christ is made to serve mens ends. This is to stop an Oven with a Kings Robes. Except men Martyr and slay the body of sin in sanctified self-denyal, they shall never be Christs Martyrs and faithful Witnesses. Oh, if I could be master of that house-Idol my self. Mine own. Mine own wit, will, credit, and ease, how blessed were I! O but we have need to be redeemed from our selves, rather than from the Devil and the world. Learn to put out your selves, and to put in Christ for your ⟨p. 77⟩selves. I should make a sweet bargain, and give old for new, if I could shuffle out Self, and substitute Christ my Lord in place of my self, to say, not I, but Christ, not my will, but Christs, not my ease, not my lusts, not my credit but Christ, Christ. —O wretched Idol my self, when shall I see thee wholly decourted, and Christ wholly put in thy Room? O if Christ had the full place and Room of my self, that all my aims, purposes, thoughts and desires would coast and land upon Christ, and not upon my self.