A80611:570
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.
Again, we should labour to make benefit to our selves by it, look at your brethren in this case, with such an eye as may stir you up the more to pity them; if they be gone out of the way call him back again, if he lye under his burden lift him up, or if his estate and condition be such, as that you can by no means have opportunity to speak to him, or if you should, happily your labour would be in vain; and if you should fail here and cannot reach him, yet whether he will or no you may power out your souls to God in his behalf, and so may you do him good; we ought so to do, and not to fail therein; and that will be of special use to help us this way; to hear of the sins and falls of our brethren is much, but to see them is more; to see such heavy burdens lye upon his soul that he is not able to subsist, in such a case as this, there will be a special compassion kindled in the heart of a living Christian; for living Christians are loving Christians, so far as living so far loving, for the whole life of Christianity is but faith towards God, and love towards our brethren.
Againe, we should labour to make benefit to our selves by it, looke at your brethren in this case, with such an eye as may stirre you up the more to pitty them; if they be gone out of the way call him back againe, if he lye under his burthen lift him up, or if his estate and condition be such, as that you can by no meanes have opportunity to speake to him, or if you should, happily your labour would be in vaine; and if you should faile here and cannot reach him, yet whether he will or no you may power out your soules to God in his behalfe, and so may you doe him good; we ought so to doe, and not to faile therein; and that will be of speciall use to helpe us this way; to heare of the sinnes and falls of our brethren is much, but to see them is more; to see such heavie burthens lye upon his soule that he is not able to subsist, in such a case as this, there will be a speciall compassion kindled in the heart of a living Christian; for living Christians are loving Christians, so farre as living so farre loving, for the whole life of Christianity is but faith towards God, and love towards our brethren.
Object. But say you, you would not have us to shut our eyes upon the failings of our brethren, but to see and observe them; but doth not the Holy Ghost say, Love covereth a multitude of sins? as if we should smother them, neither meddle nor make with them?