A80611:234
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.
The first effect then that flows from the pardon of our sins, is some inward peace of Conscience,1 some inward refreshment and satisfaction yielded to the heart, that it could never attain to before, for sin may be pardoned in the sight of God, and yet that pardon is not manifested and declared to my soul, until God vouchsafe me some measure of peace, and a manifestation of the free pardon of my sins, I can have little rest; it is a notable saying, Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God, through Jesus Christ. A man justified, is one that hath his sins pardoned, for what was it that all our life time before made us afraid of Gods displeasure, and we had much disquietness about our estates; Oh, the sin of our souls that we had committed all our life long, the sin committed many a day ago, that now lay heavy upon our souls, and the want of pardon lay as heavy as our sins; but now if God come ⟨p. 102⟩and say, Thy sins are pardoned, then follows a sweet tranquility of peace in the soul. A matter that Philosophers have talked of, to quiet the mind, to lull men asleep, and with applying remedies, did stupefy for a while, and take off the heavy burden, or the sense of the burden, rather then the burden it self; but so soon as ever God pardons sin, there is shed abroad a spirit of peace in our souls, and sometimes in that unspeakable measure, as that it passeth the understanding of a man to conceive,2 Phil. 4.7. But I do not so conceive, that every Christian as soon as ever his sin is first pardoned, hath such an unconceivable peace in his soul; but he finds a great deal of ease sometimes, as if you had thrown a Millstone from off his body; notable is that expression in Esa. 32.17. The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness, and assurance for ever. He speaks of that righteousness, whereby we stand righteous before God, and the imputation of Christs righteousness to our souls. The work of righteousness shall be peace; from this work and effect you may gather what the causes of it is: blessed are such, it is quietness and assurance for ever. Not that there is an everlasting sense of that peace, for the sense of it is sometimes obscured for want of watchfulness, and want of experience in the ways of godliness;