Christ the fountain of lifeChrist the fountaine of life

Quest. You will say; But is it not ordinary that the Word of the Law doth humble and cast down the heart and spirit before God, and cut them off from all confidence in the flesh, before they come to lay hold of the promise of grace in Christ?

Quest. You will say; But is it not ordinary that the Word of the Law doth humble and cast downe the heart and spirit before God, and cut them off from all confidence in the flesh, before they come to lay hold of the promise of grace in Christ?

Answ. True, it is so indeed, That ordinarily, some word of the Law, some word of conviction prevails with the heart, and makes him in sense of sin, say to his Christian friends, what shall I do to be saved? this is true, but yet this is not it, that makes him a new man in Gods sight, it may reach to the reformation of his outward man, and to the alteration of sundry of his former courses, which no means else could have reclaimed; but yet this makes him not live a spiritual life, until he be not only humbled by the Law, but in some measure brought on, to look after the promise of grace in Christ, and to long after them, and to say, and desire, oh that I had but my part in this or that promise, what a mercy of God would that be to me, could I but lay hold upon them, but thereupon the soul of a Christian, doth stand poring and plodding, and wistly gazing upon them, till in the end the very sight of a promise, hath ⟨p. 98⟩so seasoned us with a spirit of faith, that we begin not only to long after that promise, but to cleave to it, and in time come to receive it into our hearts, and come to embrace it, to rejoice in it, to acknowledge it, and find our happiness, and life, and comfort to be wrapped up in it.

Answ. True, it is so indeed, That ordinarily, some word of the Law, some word of conviction prevailes with the heart, and makes him in sence of sinne, say to his Christian friends, what shall I doe to be saved? this is true, but yet this is not it, that makes him a new man in Gods sight, it may reach to the reformation of his outward man, and to the alteration of sundry of his former courses, which no meanes else could have reclaimed; but yet this makes him not live a spiritual life, until he be not onely humbled by the Law, but in some measure brought on, to look after the promise of grace in Christ, and to long after them, and to say, and desire, oh that I had but my part in this or that promise, what a mercy of God would that be to me, could I but lay hold upon them, but thereupon the soule of a Christian, doth stand poring and plodding, and wistly gazeing upon them, till in the end the very sight of a promise, hath