The Fountain of Life Opened

Having delivered my message to the Reader in general, I §2have somewhat more particularly, to say to you of this place.

You are a people that were born under, and bred up with the Gospel. It hath been your singular privilege above many Towns and Parishes in England, to enjoy more than 60 years together an able and fruitful Gospel Ministry among you. The dews of Heaven lay upon you, as it did upon Gideons Fleece, when the ground was dry in other places about you. You have been richly watered with Gospel showers. You with Capernaum have been exalted to Heaven in the means of Grace. And it must be owned to your praise, that you testified more respect to the Gospel, than many other places have done, and treated Christs Ambassadors with more civility, whilst they prophesied in Sackcloth; than some other places did. These things are praise worthy in you. But all this and much more than this amounts not to that which Jesus Christ expects from you, and which in his name I would now persuade you to, and oh that I! (the least and unworthiest of all the Messengers of Christ to you) might indeed prevail with all that are Christless among you, (1.) to answer the long continued calls of God to you, by a through and sound Conversion, that the long suffering of God may be your salvation, and you may not receive all this grace of God in vain. O that the damned might never be set a wondering to see a people of your advantages for Heaven sinking as much below many of themselves in misery, as you now are above them in means, and mercy.

You are a people that were born under, and bred up with the Gospel. It hath been your singular priviledge above many Towns and Parishes in England, to enjoy more than 60 years together an able and fruitful Gospel Ministry among you. The dews of Heaven lay upon you, as it did upon Gideons Fleece, when the ground was dry in other places about you. You have been richly watered with Gospel showers. You with Capernaum have been exalted to Heaven in the means of Grace. And it must be owned to your praise, that you testified more respect to the Gospel, than many other places have done, and treated Christs Ambassadors with more civility, whilst they prophesied in Sackcloth; than some other places did. These things are praise worthy in you. But all this and much more than this amounts not to that which Jesus Christ expects from you, and which in his name I would now perswade you to, and oh that I! (the least and unworthiest of all the Messengers of Christ to you) might indeed prevail with all that are Christless among you, (1.) to answer the long continued calls of God to you, by a through and sound Conversion, that the long suffering of God may be your salvation, and you may not receive all this grace of God in vain. O that the damned might never be set a wondering to see a people of your advantages for Heaven sinking as much below many of themselves in misery, as you now are above them in means, and mercy.