A80611:156
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.
And it is a strange kind of liberty which the children of God are advanced to by the spirit of the Son; it is a phrase of much importance, A spirit of liberty.
First, liberty from the fear of sin,1 and the fear of Hell, from fear of the Grave, and of all the enemies of ⟨p. 66⟩our Salvation; a freedom from fear of any of them. A Servant if he offend, is afraid of extremity from his Master, but the Son walks with more liberty, Rom. 8.15. We have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father. We look at God as a Father, and we walk before him not in fear, but in liberty; and therefore we are free from the fear of death, to which, some are all their life time subject to bondage, Heb. 2.14, 15. Now this is a spirit of liberty, to have the heart set free from all fears, it is the sum of all security, he hath redeemed us, That we might serve him without fear all the days of our lives, Luk. 1.74, 75.78. We are free from fear of Death, and Hell, and of the World, and we do not fear what flesh can do unto us, Psal. 3.5, 6. his meaning is, That the fears of men should not break his sleep, but he would walk in a child-like confidence before God and man, and he would lye him down quietly, and sleep securely, though ten thousand had compassed him round about; and the like you read, Psal. 56.3. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee. And vers. 11. In God will I put my trust, I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. It is an usual phrase with David, and the usual frame of the spirits of Gods people, and this kind of holy tranquillity of heart, and liberty to walk with evenness and comfort of soul, against all the fears of this and another world; this kind of inward liberty from all fear,