Christ the fountain of lifeChrist the fountaine of life

from this day forward I resolve never to think my own thoughts more, nor to do my own will more, but now will give up my self to seek for life and salvation in Christ; that day is yet never pitched upon till we have found Christ, never since we were borne until now: but now it may be we are convinced, that it is good to become a Christian, and we wish well to such as are Christians; but when it comes to the matter, we are but almost Christians, as was Agrippa; or if we be satisfied, that we must become Christians indeed, then truly it must not be to day, but to morrow; and when we think to set God a day when indeed it shall be, as sometimes at our Marriage, or when we come out of our Apprenticeships, or when we fall sick, when left alone upon the Death-bed, and if God say, Yet, when will it once be? we cannot yet set him a day, only we will say, We will consider of it, and we would be loath to disappoint God; as Creditors will say to their Debtors, We would be loath to set you a day, because we know not whether we shall hold or no, and therefore spare us in that, but we will pay you as soon as we can; but when will it once be? Truly we are not yet persuaded, there is yet something or other to be done; and therefore you shall find this to be true, that we are so far from spiritual life in Christ, that none of us do any good; there is nothing you do whereof you may say, This have I done because God hath set me a work, and in respect of Gods Command, or that God may be sanctified thereby, never yet could we say so; and as we have not done any good, so neither are we able or capable of good. And in truth this is a further want of spiritual action, that if God should make us able to do it, yet we would not be willing to do it, but if he put us to the question, When shall it once be? read that Chapter and the next, and see if ever they set God a time, they will by no means set God a ⟨p. 164⟩time, least they over-much engage themselves; indeed, sometimes it may be you shall see such men lying under some heavy hand of God, and near to death, resolve upon time. See our unwillingness to come off to God when we are in health, we think in sickness to be made clean, but in sickness, what will we say then, some of you can tell what men are then wont to say; What do we then say?

from this day forward I resolve never to think my own thoughts more, nor to doe my owne will more, but now will give up my selfe to seeke for life and salvation in Christ; that day is yet never pitched upon till we have found Christ, never since we were borne untill now: but now it may be we are convinced, that it is good to become a Christian, and we wish well to such as are Christians; but when it comes to the matter, we are but almost Christians, as was Agrippa; or if we be satisfied, that we must become Christians indeed, then truly it must not be to day, but to morrow; and when we thinke to set God a day when indeed it shall be, as sometimes at our Marriage, or when we come out of our Apprentiships, or when we fall sick, when left alone upon the Death-bed, and if God say, Yet, when will it once be? we cannot yet set him a day, only we will say, We will consider of it, and we would be loath to disappoint God; as Creditors will say to their Debtors, We would be loath to set you a day, because we know not whether we shall hold or no, and therefore spare us in that, but we will pay you as soone as we can; but when will it once be? Truly we are not yet perswaded, there is yet something or other to be done; and therefore you shall finde this to be true, that we are so farre from spirituall life in Christ, that none of us doe any good; there is nothing you doe whereof you may say, This have I done because God hath set me a worke, and in respect of Gods Command, or that God may be sanctified thereby, never yet could we say so; and as we have not done any good, so neither are we able or capable of good. And in truth this is a further want of spirituall action, that if God should make us able to doe it, yet we would not be willing to doe it, but if he put us to the question, When shall it once be? read that Chapter and the next, and see if ever they set God a time, they will by no meanes set God a