A80611:143
Christ the fountain of lifeChrist the fountaine of life
Christ the fountain of life: or, Sundry choice sermons on part of the fifth chapter of the first Epistle of St. John. Preached by that learned judicious divine, and faithful minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. John Cotton B.D. now preacher at Boston in New-England. Published according to Order.Christ the fountaine of life: or, Sundry choyce sermons on part of the fift chapter of the first Epistle of St. John. Preached by that learned judicious divine, and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. John Cotton B.D. now preacher at Boston in New-England. Published according to Order.
London: printed by Robert Ibbitson, 1651
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.
Thirdly, In Estate, both of humiliation and exaltation. And all this is done by the mighty power of the spirit of Christ.
First, For the Nature of Christ, by the precious promises of God which are made unto us,1 and which the Holy Ghost doth apply to us, We are made partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. There is a likeness and a participation of the divine nature, and we are made partakers of the like grace in Christ Jesus, and that grace for grace: Look what grace any where, you see in Christ, the resemblance of it is stamped upon every child of God, by the spirit of Christ: Hence it comes to pass, that (which is worth your observation) those who have Christ, they do reason from the nature of Christ to justify, the temper of their own spirits, and the course of their own lives, as is the Apostle Pauls own Argument, in 2 Corin. 1.17, 18, 19. Some of the false Apostles took up an Argument against the Apostle Paul, to prove his levity, and inconstancy, and forgetfulness; and how doth he free himself, did I use lightness? no saith he, our words toward you, was not yea, and nay; and thus he reasons from Christs nature, The Son of God who was preached among you, was not yea and nay, but yea and amen: Now he which establisheth us with you, is Christ, &c. So that look as Christ is yea and amen, the faithful and true witness of God, what he speaks he confirms, and fulfils in due season. Now saith he, when Christ was preached among you, it was not an uncertain Christ, carried about with lightness, and unsettledness; but what is once gone out of his lips, It is yea and amen. Therefore make account, that God that hath poured the same spirit upon us, hath established us together with you. To show you that by reason of the participation of the spirit of grace, there is such a spirit in us, as that you may argue all these; the nature of Christ, the nature of the Gospel, and the nature of the frame of grace in the hearts of Gods people, to be all alike; they do mutually show the ⟨p. 61⟩