Christ the fountain of lifeChrist the fountaine of life

And even as life will show it self, in the very sad face of the heart, and dejection of spirit that they fall into, and sometimes in the deep sighs and groans of the heart, which in such a case it sometimes will break forth into. So a Christian soul when his heat is most damped, there is a sad face in his spirit, that he discerns all is not well with him, his spirit is benumbed, & his heart in his own thoughts is frozen within him. It is a burden to him, and a matter of sadness to his spirit, and therefore he doth express himself sometimes with many sad and deep sighs and groans, ⟨p. 152⟩about his forlorn and lost estate, and yet sometimes you shall have his heart, even then when his heart is most cold (which is worse then the former) for you shall sometimes have a Christian soul, not only not affected with sadness,¹ when his life is smothered within him, but vanish away in much empty carnal delights, and contentments, and rejoicing in those comforts which have no life at all in them. A Christian man that hath his life so deadened, may come not only to have nothing left, but sadness of heart to behold it, but he may loose his sadness too, and even that vanish away in outward rejoicing, so as no life in his heart, in a manner, is left. Peter when he had denied his Master, his heart was much oppressed within him, he was pricked and wounded with anguish in his soul, but there was some life in that. But what was it with David after his committing of uncleanness nine or ten months together? he pleaseth himself in his pleasures, and delights, and contentments which his royalty put upon him, and made Uriah drunk, and did eat and drink himself liberally with him: and in the end put him to death, and that very slightly, and when he hears of it, makes no matter of it, but the sword devours one, as well as another: and had not his pulse beating in him, no warm breath comes from him, but an empty flourish, and outward joyallity as if he had sung all care away, and all fear of God out of his heart.

And even as life will shew it selfe, in the very sad face of the heart, and dejection of spirit that they fall into, and sometimes in the deepe sighs and groans of the heart, which in such a case it sometimes will breake forth into. So a Christian soule when his heate is most damped, there is a sad face in his spirit, that he discerns all is not well with him, his spirit is benumbed, & his heart in his own thoughts is frozen within him. It is a burden to him, and a matter of sadnesse to his spirit, and therefore hee doth expresse himselfe sometimes with many sad and deep sighs and groanes,