A80611:450
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.
Now this kind of making use of the Scriptures to examine ⟨p. 201⟩what you hear, it is of special use to help forward the faith of such as do believe, yea, (and which is more) it may bring on men to believe, which it may be never did believe before, mightily stirred before, but believed not, till they go home and searched the Scriptures, seeing that which is spoken to be fully agreeable to the word of God, they have been brought on wonderfully to believe; famous is that of the Bereans, Acts 17.11, 12. they heard the word, and what he spake they received it gladly, they thought he spoke well, but they searched daily to see whether those things which were spoken were so or no, therefore see the blessing of God upon it, vers, 12. many of them believed, they received the word with reverence and did not cavil at it, but heard it patiently, and when they came at home conferred about it; and when upon examination they saw it was according to the Scriptures of the holy Prophets, when they saw, that what Paul preached was suitable to Moses and the Prophets, the blessing of God was great upon them, for the number of them that believed was not a few, to show you that a man that hath heard the word, and hath been stirred with what he heard, if he shall go home and consider and weigh well, and see how one thing bears witness to another,1 so as that the word preached, opens the word written; and the word written, confirms the word preached, then though before he was doubtful, as sometimes a godly mans heart may fail him in applying the word to himself, as Jacobs heart failed and he believed not, yet when he considered it, and saw what tokens of love was sent him, and laid circumstances together, then his spirit revived. So a man hears much, and some thing pertinent to him, yet his heart may fail him, and may have much ado to gather any comfort out of it, but when he considers things more privately and searches the Scriptures, upon examination,2 many a man believes the word, which before he was doubtful of. Repetition and examination of the word, is marvellously blessed by God to this end, to help forward our faith, it is of good use both to begin, and to increase faith; sometimes to work it, where it was heretofore wanting, much ⟨p. 202⟩