A80611:195
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.
Answ. It is true that you object, for Jer. 4.14. It is a complaint, and an earnest speech; O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from thy wickedness that thou mayest be saved, how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? So that you see a man that would have salvation by Christ, he must be content to subject all his thoughts to Christ, and not leave one vain thought to lodge within him. It is true, Satan may cause them to flutter in his mind,1 but he must give them no entertainment; it is one thing to have a sturdy Beggar that comes to the door, to rush into my house before I be aware, and enforce; and another thing to bid him welcome, and to bid him stay and lodge there all night, and to make provision for him; so it may be there is many a proud rebellious ⟨p. 83⟩thought rushes in, and calls for this and that, and will be served in this and that, and every faculty, and part,2 and member must bestir it self to satisfy such a thought, and all must be as this thought will, and sometimes scars all the house, puts the whole man to agitation to consider what to do, to give it content; yet they who have Christ for their Saviour, they will look to him for salvation from such sturdy thoughts as these be, they will not suffer them to lodge there, but get them out again, and are not at quiet, but the whole man is disturbed till they be dislodged, and cast out again; so they who have the Lord Jesus for their Saviour, they must not give lodging to a vain thought, much less to a malicious, and proud, and desolate thought, or any other wicked thought whatsoever. It is true indeed, there is no Christian man but he will have vain thoughts come in upon him, but you shall observe this difference.
Answ. It is true that you object, for Jer. 4.14. It is a complaint, and an earnest speech; O Ierusalem, wash thy heart from thy wickednesse that thou mayest be saved, how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee? So that you see a man that would have salvation by Christ, he must be content to subject all his thoughts to Christ, and not leave one vaine thought to lodge within him. It is true, Sathan may cause them to flutter in his mind,