A39663:57
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.
Dear friends, my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is, that you may be saved. Oh that I knew how to engage this whole Town to Jesus Christ, and make fast the marriage knot betwixt him and you, albeit after that I should presently go to the place of silence, and see man no more, with the Inhabitants of the World. Ah sirs! methinks I see the Lord Jesus laying the merciful hand of an holy ⟨image 11⟩violence upon you, methinks he calls to you as the Angel to Lot, saying, arise lest ye be consumed; and while he lingered the men laid hold upon his hand, the Lord being merciful unto him. And they brought him without the City and said, escape for thy life, stay not in all the plain, escape to the Mountain, lest thou be consumed, Gen. 19.15. How often (to allude to this) hath Jesus Christ in like manner laid hold upon you in the Preaching of the Gospel, and will you not fly for refuge to him? Will you rather be consumed, than endeavour an escape? A beast will not be driven into the fire, and will not you be kept out? The merciful Lord Jesus, by his admirable patience and bounty hath convinced you, how loath he is, to leave, or loose you. To this day his arms are stretched forth to gather you, and will you not be gathered? Alas! for my poor neighbours. Must so many of them perish at last? what shall I do for the daughter of my people?
Dear friends, my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is, that you may be saved. Oh that I knew how to engage this whole Town to Jesus Christ, and make fast the marriage knot betwixt him and you, albeit after that I should presently go to the place of silence, and see man no more, with the Inhabitants of the World. Ah sirs! methinks I see the Lord Jesus laying the merciful hand of an holy ⟨image 11⟩violence upon you, methinks he calls to you as the Angel to Lot, saying, arise lest ye be consumed; and while he lingred the men laid hold upon his hand, the Lord being merciful unto him. And they brought him without the City and said, escape for thy life, stay not in all the plain, escape to the Mountain, lest thou be consumed, Gen. 19.15. How often (to allude to this) hath Jesus Christ in like manner laid hold upon you in the Preaching of the Gospel, and will you not fly for refuge to him? Will you rather be consumed, than endeavour an escape? A beast will not be driven into the fire, and will not you be kept out? The merciful Lord Jesus, by his admirable patience and bounty hath convinced you, how loath he is, to leave, or loose you. To this day his arms are stretched forth to gather you, and will you not be gathered? Alas! for my poor neighbours. Must so many of them perish at last? what shall I do for the daughter of my people?