A80611:559
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. 1. It is first taken from the love we owe them. Secondly, from the love we owe our selves.
First, The love we owe to our brethren, God requires our love to our brethren, yea towards our enemies Ox or Ass, we should not see one of them fall under their burden or go astray, and hide our face from them, Deut. 22.24. If you should see the beast of your enemy to sink down, you shall not pass by him and let him alone, but you shall raise him up from under his ⟨p. 243⟩burden. Now if God require so much love to our beasts, and that to the beasts of our enemy, how much more doth God require this love to our brethren, that if we see them going out of the way we should call them back again? if we see them to sink under the burden of sin, not there to let them lye, but though we could find in our hearts there to let them lye, yet we ought not so to satisfy our selves, but to look unto our brethren in such a case, and do the best we can to recover them from going astray.
First, The love we owe to our brethren, God requires our love to our brethren, yea towards our enemies Oxe or Asse, we should not see one of them fall under their burden or goe astray, and hide our face from them, Deut. 22.24. If you should see the beast of your enemy to sink down, you shall not passe by him and let him alone, but you shall raise him up from under his ⟨p. 243⟩burthen. Now if God require so much love to our beasts, and that to the beasts of our enemy, how much more doth God require this love to our brethren, that if we see them going out of the way we should call them back againe? if we see them to sinke under the burthen of sinne, not there to let them lye, but though we could finde in our hearts there to let them lye, yet we ought not so to satisfie our selves, but to looke unto our brethren in such a case, and doe the best we can to recover them from going astray.