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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.
And in the fourth place, for cleansing our selves from all superfluous, and noisome lusts that we do not, neither can we be freed from them: O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from thy wickedness, how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Jer. 4.14. Purge out all those sinful lusts, God knows the thoughts of the hearts of men are but vain, 1 Cor. 3.18. and they being vain, God would have us to wash our hearts, how long shall it be that we suffer these lusts to lodge within us? we never cleanse our selves from these: but such woeful ⟨p. 167⟩cleansing it is, that if we go about to purge them out, by the motions of the spirit of grace, that he casts into our hearts; we think its a troublesome work, and doth cross the tranquility, and peace of our estates, we think they are noisome, and therefore, if any good motion be darted into the heart, in the Ministry of the Word, or in the Counsel of Christian friends, we are sick of it, till we have cast out all those good motions again, and what ever good affection God hath been pleased to cast into us, we are not well till we be shut of it: as was the case of Ahab, he comes sadly and mourning from Elijah's sharp reproof, 1 King. 21. two last verses, but he could not be well at ease, till he had cast it all off, with putting Naboth to death, and put it off with calling a Council about going to War, and so damped all the sorrow that was in his heart. Let Cain have any good motion come in his heart, and he will put it off with building of Cities: His sin, and punishment is great, Gen. 4.13. and would he not now seek to God for mercy that his soul might live? no he goes out from the presence of God, and from all good company, and good counsel, and whither goes he then? Into the land of Nod, and there he builds Cities, and calls them by such and such names, and so takes off his thoughts from any good motion, and extinguishes all the motions of grace: And truly so stood the case with Felix, Act. 24.25. when he trembled at Pauls Sermon, he would not endure to hear him any further, but when he had convenient leisure he would hear him again; but he never sent for him. And so you shall ever find this frame in a natural mans heart, those motions which the spirit of God casts into his heart, that might induce him, and lead him on by the hand to better courses, we are not well till we have cast them all off.