A80611:426
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.
Reas. 3 Thirdly, He doth likewise give you certain signs, by observing of which you may know,1 whether you have the Lord Jesus Christ or not. This for one sign; If we say, we have no sin, we make God a liar; and vers. last, If we keep his Commandments, we know that we know him. If God give us a conscionable care to keep his Commandments, we know that we know him. And some other signs, as Chap. 3.3. if God give us hearts to purge and cleanse our selves from all such sins as hang about us, and if God give us hearts to love the brethren, &c. these and many more such signs of grace he gives us in this Epistle.
Reas. 3 Thirdly, He doth likewise give you certaine signes, by observing of which you may know,1 whether you have the Lord Jesus Christ or not. This for one sign; If we say, we have no sin, we make God a lyar; and vers. last, If we keep his Commandements, we know that we know him. If God give us a conscionable care to keep his Commandements, we know that we know him. And some other signes, as Chap. 3.3. if God give us hearts to purge and cleanse our selves from all such sins as hang about us, and if God give us hearts to love the brethren, &c. these and many more such signes of grace he gives us in this Epistle.
- 1Signs of grace.Signes of grace.
Use 1. If God having thus written, and given us these Epistles, then first, it will be a just refutation of that Popish Doctrine, that think it impossible for a man to know that he is in an estate of grace. If John did write these Epistles for this end, that we might know we have eternal life, then sure we may know it, else John fails of his end; and for John to be disappointed were less matter, but the Holy Ghost himself, for John being the Pen-man of the Holy Ghost, the holy end he aims at not being attainable, is to put a defiance upon the Almighty, and therefore the knowledge that we have eternal life may be attained; and whereas they tell us, we may have a conjectural knowledge, but no certain knowledge, but to say we have a knowledge, and yet but conjectural, is as much as to eat up a mans words he had formerly said; for a conjectural knowledge is no knowledge at all.