A80611:299
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.
But when God hath thus by this means let us see, that all our life is in him, and that we are dead hearted further then we have life from him, then God is wont not to fail, but to help us thus far at the least, to look with a wist, and a sad eye upon the forlornness of our estates, and to cry out of our selves, O what dead hearted Creatures, and dull spirited things are we and bemoan our selves as Paul did, Rom. 7.18. I see that in me, that is, in my flesh, 1dwells no good thing. Sometimes I have a mind to do good duties, but I find that I have no strength to perform; Paul comes to Macedonia, and he had an open door, a fair calling to preach, but he had no heart to it, because he found not Titus his brother there. Now when this is the case of a Christian man, that he is strait, and dead hearted, he groans under the burden of it, and he looks at it with sad countenance, and sees he is not well, but is ready to complain of it; now this sense and complaint of deadness, and using the best means to raise himself up out of this deadness, this is an action of Spiritual life.
But when God hath thus by this meanes let us see, that all our life is in him, and that we are dead hearted further then we have life from him, then God is wont not to faile, but to help us thus farre at the least, to looke with a wist, and a sad eye upon the forlornnes of our estates, and to cry out of our selves, O what dead hearted Creatures, and dull spirited things are we and bemoane our selves as Paul did, Rom. 7.18. I see that in me, that is, in my flesh, 1dwels no good thing. Sometimes I have a minde to doe good duties, but I finde that I have no strength to performe; Paul comes to Macedonia, and he had an open doore, a faire calling to preach, but he had no heart to it, because he found not Titus his brother there. Now when this is the case of a Christian man, that he is strait, and dead hearted, he groanes under the burthen of it, and he lookes at it with sad countenance, and sees he is not well, but is ready to complaine of it; now this sence and complaint of deadnesse, and using the best meanes to raise himselfe up out of this deadnesse, this is an action of Spirituall life.