Christ a Fountain

    CHRIST A FOUNTAIN

    They have forsaken me, the Fountain of living waters" &c. Jer 2:13.

    In that day there shall be a Fountain opened," &c. Ecclesiastes 13:1.

    AMONG the many things Christ is compared to in the holy scripture, to set forth his transcendent excellency, beauty, usefulness, and perfections, this of a Fountain is none of the least, it being a most profitable metaphor.

    METAPHOR

    I. A Fountain is the spring and head of a river; from thence waters issue and stream forth: it is the rise and beginning of springs and waters, Ge 7:11.

    PARALLEL

    I. From God, as from a Fountain, that great and glorious river of the Spirit flows; "It proceeds out of the throne of God, and the Lamb," Re 22:1. Hence Christ is compared to a Fountain, as well as the Father, Jer 2:13: he is the spring and rise of all spiritual joy and consolation, the Head of all the waters of life: "With thee is the well (or Fountain) of life," Ps 36:9.

    METAPHOR

    II. A Fountain implies abundance of water: "I will open Fountains in the midst of the valley," Isa 41:18, that is, fulness or store of water; it denotes plenty.

    PARALLEL

    II. Christ hath abundance, yea, a fulness of grace and Spirit is in him, he received it not by measure, Joh 1:14,16. "He is given to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all things," Eph 1:22-23. There is abundance, nay, a redundancy of all divine grace, peace, and refreshment, in the Lord Jesus, an ocean or sea of goodness.

    METAPHOR

    III. A Fountain is very tenacious, a place fit, dense, hard, and well-compact, to retain the water, leaving some certain passage, to let its water out in an orderly manner.

    PARALLEL

    III. As the Lord Jesus contains, so he retains the waters of life in himself. He is a spiritual Fountain, every way fit, and well-compact, (in respect of that glorious union of the two natures in one Person,) to retain all heavenly fulness; and has ordered certain passages, as conduit-pipes, viz., ordinances and promises, which through the help of the Spirit let out divine grace and comfort, in a gracious and orderly manner, to all his saints.

    METAPHOR

    IV. A Fountain, when the passage, or vent is open, lets out its water freely.

    PARALLEL

    IV. Christ is a Fountain opened, Ecclesiastes 13:1. He hath made a passage or vent, by assuming man's nature, and dying on the cross, to let out his grace and spiritual blessings to the sons of men. And with what natural freeness doth this Fountain run. He seems restless, always diffusing, imparting, and giving forth from himself, to all thirsty souls: "Whosoever will, let him take of the waters of life freely," Re 22:17.

    METAPHOR

    V, Fountains always empty themselves into low places; they love to glide in the valleys of the earth: "He sends his springs into the valleys," Ps 104:10.

    PARALLEL

    V. Jesus Christ filleth the humble soul with goodness; he delights in the lowly heart. The lofty mountainous spirits, or dry heathy souls, retain not the water of life; they cannot receive the things of the Spirit, 1Co 2:14. "He resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble," Jas 4:6.

    METAPHOR

    VI. Fountains, by letting out their water into valleys, meadows, and low ground, make them very fruitful, when mountains, and high grounds abide barren and unprofitable.

    PARALLEL

    VI. Jesus Christ, by letting forth his Spirit, and heavenly grace, into the humble and lowly heart, maketh it very fruitful in holiness and good works. The churches of Christ, like low meadows, near the Fountain, whose waters continually flow, are always green and flourishing, and know no drought; when the wicked, like hills and dry ground, are barren and unprofitable.

    METAPHOR

    VII. Fountain-water is usually common to all the poor, and he that hath no money may partake of it; none are forbidden to come to a Fountain.

    PARALLEL

    VII. The waters of life, which flow from Jesus Christ, the divine Fountain, are common to all. None are forbidden to come to Christ. The poor, and "He that hath no money," (no worth or righteousness in him) is invited to come to these waters, Isa 54:1.

    METAPHOR

    VIII. Fountains yield pure and unmixed water. Streams are sometimes muddy, they may be defiled; but Fountain-water is clear, fair, and without filth.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. The water in this spiritual Fountain, Christ, is pure, clear as crystal; there is no mud, nor the least mixture of any defilement in it, Re 22:1-2. Men have endeavoured to foul and pollute the doctrine of Christ, and his ordinances, which flowed from him; but truth in itself, in the Fountain, is still the same, and cannot be corrupted.

    METAPHOR

    IX. Many Fountains are deep, men may swim in them; it is hard to find a bottom.

    PARALLEL

    IX. Jesus Christ is a deep Fountain. We read of the "deep things of God;" Christ's riches are said to be "unsearchable;" there are such depths of mercy and goodness in Christ, that none can find a bottom. His love and grace is very wonderful.

    METAPHOR

    X. Fountains are pleasant and delightful to behold; it is a lovely thing to see, and abide by Fountains of water; they beautify and adorn a place, and make it much more pleasant and desirable. Hence Fountains, or pools of water, Solomon reckons up as one of the delights of the sons of men, Ec 2:6.

    PARALLEL

    X. Christ is a delightful and pleasant object. There is no Fountain so lovely to the sensual eye, as Christ is to the eye of faith. He is called "A Fountain of gardens," or the garden-swelling Fountain or Fountain of the gardens, as Mr. Ainsworth reads it, Song 4:15. The Church is a garden, Christ is the Fountain that waters it; and how pleasant is a Fountain in a garden! "At his right hand there are pleasures forevermore," Ps 16:11. "And thou shalt make them drink of the waters of thy pleasure, Ps 36:8-9.

    METAPHOR

    XI. Fountains are places good to wash and bathe in, and have been made use of in former times upon that account.

    PARALLEL

    XI. Christ is the soul's only bath; in this Fountain sinners must wash, if ever they would be clean: it is his blood that "Cleanses us from all sin," 1Jo 1:7. Hence he is said to be "A Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness," Ecclesiastes 13:1,

    METAPHOR

    XII. Fountains do not send out sweet water and bitter, nor fresh and salt; that which is good, and bad proceed not from the same Fountain, Jas 3:11.

    PARALLEL

    XII. There is nothing unsavoury in Christ, nothing bitter nor brackish in him; whatsoever flows from this Fountain is sweet and good; every drop of this water is as sweet as honey.

    METAPHOR

    XIII. Fountains are sufficient to fill many great and small vessels; those that go thither may take what they need, yea, fill their vessels to the brim, and not diminish of its fulness.

    PARALLEL

    XIII. Christ is able and sufficient to fill and satisfy all the hearts and souls of men and women that come unto him. Believers may have here what they really want, and yet diminish not from Christ's fulness.

    METAPHOR

    XIV. A Fountain is constant in its emanations, or continual runnings and flowings forth.

    PARALLEL

    XIV. Jesus Christ, the heavenly Fountain, hath never ceased running from the beginning of the world; his goodness always flows forth, from one generation to another.

    METAPHOR

    XV. Many in former times used to drink out of their Fountains.

    PARALLEL

    XV. "If any man (saith Christ) be thirsty, let him come unto me, and drink," Joh 7:37.

    METAPHOR

    XVI. Fountains have springs in themselves, saith an eminent writer, and can never be emptied. Streams may be dried up, cisterns may be broken, and let the water run out; but the water in a Fountain, abides the same and is lasting.

    PARALLEL

    XVI. The riches and treasures of Christ are inexhaustible. He is always full: he has springs in himself, and can never be emptied, nor dried up. As for quantity, so for quality, this Fountain is ever the same, never loses its lively virtue and efficacy; the waters that flow from hence, have the same operation that ever they had.

    FOUNTAIN

    I. FOUNTAINS are beholden to some other thing (as the sea, springs, and vapours,) for their waters are not from themselves.

    DISPARITY

    I. Jesus Christ is God, and as so considered hath all fulness originally and independently in himself, being Superintendent over all creatures, he that made heaven and earth, the sea, the Fountains of water.

    FOUNTAIN

    II. Fountains only contain earthly and elementary water.

    DISPARITY

    II. Christ is a Fountain that contains spiritual water, of a most divine and sublime nature.

    FOUNTAIN

    III. Other Fountains cannot heal distempers or diseases of the soul; but few have that virtue in them as to heal the body.

    DISPARITY

    III. Jesus Christ is the Fountain that heals all diseases, both of body and soul. It is opened for sin, and uncleanness, of the inward man more especially.

    FOUNTAIN

    IV. Fountains cannot give life, though they may help to preserve and maintain it.

    DISPARITY

    IV. Christ giveth life to men, yea, a threefold life: 1. Natural life. 2. Spiritual life. 3. Eternal life. He raises from the dead, and quickens whom he will; hence called our life, Col 3:3-4.

    FOUNTAIN

    V. He that drinks of the water of other Fountains may thirst again.

    DISPARITY

    V. But he that drinketh of the water that flows from Christ, this living Fountain, shall thirst no more, Joh 4:14. [1]

    [1] What is meant by thirsting no more, is opened elsewhere.

    FOUNTAIN

    VI. Other Fountains may be filled and stopped up, as the well that Abraham's servants digged; or however the streams may be stayed.

    DISPARITY

    VI. Christ cannot fail of his fulness; he can not be stopped up by the skill of men nor devils; nay, none can hinder the glorious streams that flow from him, from watering and refreshing his people.

    INFERENCES.

    I. WE may infer from hence, that sin is of an heinous and defiling nature; it is called here uncleanness, and such uncleanness that is not easily washed off.

    II. Behold the exceeding greatness of God's love, and of the love of Christ, to polluted mankind, in providing such a Fountain to wash their souls, their defiled souls in.

    III. Be sure, that God's people shall never want sufficient means for inward cleansing and purification.

    IV. How inexcusable are those that die in their filthiness under the Gospel. If Naaman, after the prophet directed him to wash in Jordan, had returned without washing, who would have pitied him if he had died a leper? Sinner, who would pity thee, if thou refusest to wash and be clean?

    V. Let polluted and unclean sinners come to this Fountain, and for their further encouragement, observe these following motives and considerations.

    1. There is abundance of filth in thy heart and life, which must be purged and washed away, or thou must perish.

    2. There is no Fountain can wash away thy sin but this; all soul-cleansing is by Christ's blood. All the legal purifications pointed to the spiritual purgation by Christ's blood; the like does baptismal washing; the outward washing of the body, signifies the inward washing by faith in this Fountain, Heb 1:3; Joh 17. Re 15.

    3. This Fountain can wash and heal thee, whatever thy uncleanness and sickness is; it cleanses from the guilt of sin, and from the filth of sin also, Isa 53:4-5; Ro 3:24; 1Co 1:2.

    4 This Fountain is opened; which expression signifies, (1.) The willingness of Christ to accept and embrace poor sinners. (2.) It shows the clearness of Gospel-revelation, above the legal. Non dubito, &c., saith Calvin: I do not doubt but by this word he shows the differences between law and Gospel: Christ was a Fountain for sin under the law; but he was as it were a sealed Fountain, or hid and veiled under many types, shadows, and ceremonial washings; the stone is now removed, that lay upon the mouth of the well. (3.) It shows the readiness and easiness of access, which is afforded to poor shiners to come to Christ.

    5. Consider the multitude of sinners that have been cleansed by Christ.

    6. Consider the multitude of sins in every one sinner washed away.

    7. Consider the happy state of all such as are made clean.

    8. Thou knowest not how soon this Fountain may be shut up as to thee.

    Caution. Take heed of slighting and undervaluing of the Fountain of Christ's blood. What do they less than slight it, who think they can get cleansing from sin by the light within? What do the Papists less, who have other purgations, who go to their mass, and call that a propitiatory sacrifice; who go to the merits of their own works, thinking thereby to expiate sin, and purchase God's favour? What do all such else, that rely upon the mercy of God without having an eye and respect to Christ's blood? What do all those less, that never come, though very guilty and unclean, and often invited to this Fountain? Let the opening of this Fountain move thee to open thy heart.

    Exhortation. To love him who hath washed thee, to be thankful, to believe, to be humble, and deny thyself. Whenever thou seest a Fountain of water, think upon Christ, the spiritual Fountain.

    Consolation. Here is comfort, a Fountain of comfort for poor saints: thou hast a filthy Fountain in thee; here is a sweet one to cleanse thee: thou hast a filthy Fountain; here is a clear and crystal one, to bathe and wash thee. Christ is more able to cleanse, than sin is to defile. Darest thou say, that thy filth is greater than this Fountain can wash away? O soul, Christ can wash the black-a-moor white. Remember, whatever Satan says, this Fountain is open.