A44342:600
The application of redemption by the effectual work of the word, and spirit of Christ, for the bringing home of lost sinners to God ... by that faithful and known servant of Christ, Mr. Thomas Hooker ...
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1656
Title page: Internet Archive scan of the Early English Books microfilm
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.
Consider then, First, Who we be that must […]; And Secondly, For whom.
Consider then, First, Who we be that must 〈…〉; And Secondly, For whom.
First, Let us consider our selves, a company §1of poor, miserable, sinful, and damned Creatures, sinful dust and ashes, dead dogs. Consider of this and think with thy self, Will the Lord of Heaven come down? will Christ dwell in my heart? will he vouchsafe to look in, yea, to call in (as he goes by) upon such a sinful Creature? And let this move thee to prepare for his coming. We are not worthy (as the Centurion said) that the Lord should come under our […]. 1 King. 8. 27. There Solomon saith, Will the Lord indeed dwell on earth? Will he dwell in a house made with hands? As if he should say, Is it possible? Can it be imagined that thou Lord being the great God of heaven, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, shouldest once […] to dwell in a house made with hands, in the Temple which I have builded! And what may we say, Is it so? Can it be? Shall it be that God will come and dwell under our roof? that he will come and dwell under our rotten and sinful hearts, that he will dwell in our […] and sinful souls? Why? he will, he hath said it, he hath […] it, he will perform it; and therefore let us consider our own unworthiness ⟨p. 201⟩to receive Christ, as a motive to stir us up to make preparation for Christ; for the baser the place is that should entertain him, the greater the preparation should be. We ought to wonder that the Lord will vouchsafe to come into our sinful souls, and therefore we had need prepare the more for his coming: The Lord hath promised to come into our souls, if we humble them, and make them fitting to entertain his Majesty; therefore sweep your hearts, and cleanse those rooms, cleanse every sink, and brush down every cobweb, and make room for Christ; for if thy heart be prepared and divorced from all Corruptions, then Christ will come and take possession of it.
First, Let us consider our selves, a company §1of poor, miserable, sinful, and damned Creatures, sinful dust and ashes, dead dogs. Consider of this and think with thy self, Will the Lord of Heaven come down? will Christ dwell in my heart? will he vouchsafe to look in, yea, to call in (as he goes by) upon such a sinful Creature? And let this move thee to prepare for his coming. We are not worthy (as the Centurion said) that the Lord should come under our 〈…〉. 1 King. 8. 27. There Solomon saith, Will the Lord indeed dwell on earth? Will he dwel in a house made with hands? As if he should say, Is it possible? Can it be imagined that thou Lord being the great God of heaven, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, shouldest once 〈…〉 to dwell in a house made with hands, in the Temple which I have builded! And what may we say, Is it so? Can it be? Shall it be that God will come and dwell under our roof? that he will come and dwell under our rotten and sinful hearts, that he will dwell in our 〈…〉 and sinful souls? Why? he will, he hath said it, he hath 〈…〉 it, he wil perform it; and therefore let us consider our own unworthiness ⟨p. 201⟩to receive Christ, as a motive to stir us up to make preparation for Christ; for the baser the place is that should entertain him, the greater the preparation should be. We ought to wonder that the Lord will vouchsafe to come into our sinful souls, and therefore we had need prepare the more for his comming: The Lord hath promised to come into our souls, if we humble them, and make them fitting to entertain his Majesty; therefore sweep your hearts, and clense those rooms, clense every sink, and brush down every cobweb, and make room for Christ; for if thy heart be prepared and divorced from all Corruptions, then Christ will come and take possession of it.
A Second Motive that may stir us up to prepare §2for the Lord Jesus, is, To consider who it is that we are to prepare for: Here we have Three Things.
1 Consider the worthiness of the Person, in regard of whom all preparation may seem too little; you are not to entertain an ordinary person, it is not a man, it is not a King, it is not an earthly Monarch, but it is the King of Kings that will come into your souls to comfort them; yea, his holy and blessed Spirit will remain with you for ever: Therefore do all that possible may be done to prepare for his coming and for the entertainment and welcoming of him, when he comes. In Psal. 24. 7. David calls […] his own soul (for so the words are to be expounded) Lift up your heads O ye gates, and be ye lifted up you everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. As who should say, Be enlarged, Love, Joy. Hope, Desire, and All that is within me, set open, give way, for the Lord is coming; But who is the Lord? It is the Lord of Hosts, the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, vers. 8. And with that he knocks again, Lift up ⟨p. 202⟩your heads O ye gates, and be ye […] ye everlasting doors, for the King of […] shall come […], vers. 9. As if he should say, What! Shall the Lord knock? Shall the King of Glory stand? Open […] and make all preparation: Did David do thus? Why do you do […] then? Christ knocks by Promises, he knocks by Judgements, he knocks by Threats; yea, he speaks this day unto your souls, and labours this day to make way for himself: Make therefore all preparation, let nothing be wanting, that when he comes he may take […] of your souls, and be a God unto you for ever.
1 Consider the worthiness of the Person, in regard of whom all preparation may seem too little; you are not to entertain an ordinary person, it is not a man, it is not a King, it is not an earthly Monarch, but it is the King of Kings that will come into your souls to comfort them; yea, his holy and blessed Spirit will remain with you for ever: Therefore do all that possible may be done to prepare for his comming and for the entertainment and welcoming of him, when he comes. In
2 Consider all that good that Jesus Christ brings with him, and that should move you; for all the good that we need or can desire to make us happy, he will bring with him when he comes to take […] of the Soul: The Lord comes into our Souls not to trouble us and charge us, no, he comes to bring everlasting Salvation and happiness to our Souls; Look what Christ said to […], Luke 19. 5. 8, 9. when he went up into a Sycamore-tree to see him, Make haste and come down Zacheus (saith he) for I must abide with thee in thy house: Zacheus makes no cavilling, nor no tarrying, but made haste and came down and received him joyfully: And mark what Christ said unto him, This day Salvation is come to thy house. So likewise it shall be with you, when Christ comes, everlasting Happiness and Salvation comes with him; and therefore if you do not make preparation for him, you refuse Salvation and Happiness that is offered to your Souls by him. Amos 4. 12. when the Lord had sent many Plagues and Judgments upon Jerusalem, he saith, Thus will I do unto thee Oh Israel, and because I will do thus unto thee, therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel: I will do thus unto thee, that is, I will send Mildews, ⟨p. 203⟩and Pestilence, and War, and Famine amongst you, I will draw you out with Hooks, and your Posterity with Fish-hooks: And what followeth? Prepare to meet thy God Oh Israel. If God come against us to plague us, we must prepare to meet him; Reason then with your own Souls; Should the Lord come in Judgement to punish us, if we ought to prepare to meet him, then what preparation ought we to make for his coming, when he shall not come thus in Judgement to condemn us, but in mercy to save us, in his goodness to enrich us, in his compassion to comfort us? Then now if ever, prepare to meet thy God O Israel: Let every heart persuade it self in this particular, Is Christ so gracious and so merciful, doth he send from Heaven unto us, and say he will come in, Behold (says he) I stand at the door and 1knock, and if any man will hear my voice and open unto me, my Father and I will come in, and sup with him: He will come in himself, and bring all the good things of Grace and Glory with him for the everlasting refreshing of our Souls: Why! Where are your hearts in the mean time? Therefore if ever, now prepare to meet the Lord Jesus bringing Salvation with him.
3 Consider again, How the Lord Jesus entreats you, and beseeches you to receive him, he that might command you, and condemn you for refusing; beseeches you to entertain him, 2 Cor. 5. 20. We as Ambassadors in Christs stead, beseech you that you would be reconciled to God: that is, That you would prepare to meet God willing to be reconciled to you in Christ, and that you would come to his terms.
3 Consider again, How the Lord Jesus entreats you, and beseeches you to receive him, he that might command you, and condemne you for refusing; beseeches you to entertain him, 2 Cor. 5. 20. We as Ambassadors in Christs stead, beseech you that you would be reconciled to God: that is, That you would prepare to meet God willing to be reconciled to you in Christ, and that you would come to his terms.
Consider our Saviour Christ hath taken a great journey from Heaven to Earth to save us miserable wretched sinners; conceive you saw those […] of ⟨p. 204⟩blood trickling down his cheeks, conceive you saw him upon the Cross, with his hands thrust through with Nails, and his side pierced with a Spear, enduring the wrath of God for our sins, and behold now he standeth at the door, and saith with the Church, Lam. 1. 22. Is it nothing to you, have you no regard? O you that pass by, behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, &c. Imagine you heard Christ say, I have suffered these and these things for you, these hands of mine were nailed, this side of mine was pierced, this heart of mine was melted with anguish of Spirit: Imagine you saw Christ standing and knocking at the door of your hearts, as indeed he doth, and say, Hoe all you within there, all you proud hearts, all you covetous and malicious hearts, Have you no regard to a Saviour? a Crucified Saviour? He that died for you and now laboureth to do good to your Souls, Will not this move you to prepare your hearts for him and let him in? Will you suffer the Lord Jesus to stand knocking, and calling and weeping, and saying as he said to Jerusalem, Luke 19. 42. Oh that thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things belonging to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes. Will you suffer Christ to stand thus, knocking at the door of your hearts and not let him in? Take heed of this, Christ knocks this day at your hearts, if you now give him his last Answer, and shut the door against him, it may prove to be the last knocking, you may hap never to see him more.
Consider our Savior Christ hath taken a great journey from Heaven to Earth to save us miserable wretched sinners; conceive you saw those 〈…〉 of ⟨p. 204⟩blood trickling down his cheeks, conceive you saw him upon the Cross, with his hands thrust through with Nayls, and his side pierced with a Spear, enduring the wrath of God for our sins, and behold now he standeth at the door, and saith with the Church,
Hence it is, when our Saviour would have this work done, he prepares a workman fit for it, and furnisheth him with abilities, which might enable him to the discharge thereof; the work is great, and the service difficult, and therefore Elijah is fitted with a Spirit suitable with Power answerable unto that purpose for which he was appointed, an Instrument as we say for the nonce. John the Baptist he also inherits these abilities, and that Minister must be an Elijah, i. e. must have his Spirit and Power in proportion, if ever this great work of preparation followeth his hand with Comfort and Success; As it was in the Material, so also is it in the building of this spiritual temple, 1in which the holy Ghost doth dwell: The Elect of God are like trees of righteousness, the Word is like the Axe, that must be lifted by a skilful and strong arm of a cunning Minister, who like a Spiritual Artificer must hew and square, and take off the knotty untowardness in the Soul before we can come to couch close and settle upon the Lord Christ as the Corner stone: Paul calls the Saints Gods husbandry, 1 Cor. 3. 9. A powerful humbling Ministry is like the Plough, to plough up the fallow ground, the 2thorny sensual hearts of sinful men to receive the immortal seed of the Word of Promise and the Spirit of Christ thereby.
Hence it is, when our Savior would have this work done, he prepares a workman fit for it, and furnisheth him with abilities, which might enable him to the discharge thereof; the work is great, and the service difficult, and therefore Elias is fitted with a Spirit suitable with Power answerable unto that purpose for which he was appointed, an Instrument as we say for the nonce. John the Baptist he also inherits these abilities, and that Minister must be an Elias, i. e. must have his Spirit and Power in proportion, if ever this great work of preparation followeth his hand with Comfort and Success; As it was in the Material, so also is it in the building of this spiritual temple, 1in which the holy Ghost doth dwell: The Elect of God are like trees of righteousness, the Word is like the Ax, that must be lifted by a skilful and strong arm of a cunning Minister, who like a Spiritual Artificer must hew and square, and take off the knotty untowardnrss in the Soul before we can come to couch close and settle upon the Lord Christ as the Corner stone: Paul calls the Saints Gods husbandry,
For the Opening of the Point Two Things are
1 What is meant by a plain and powerful Ministry, such as that of Elijah. 2 How this hath force to effect so great a Work.
1 What is meant by a plain and powerful Ministery, such as that of Elias. 2 How this hath force to effect so great a Work.
The plainness of the Ministry appears,
The plainness of the Ministery appears,
When the Language and Words are such as those of the meanest Capacity have some acquaintance with, and may be able to conceive; when the Preacher1 […] his Speech to the shallow understanding of the Simplest Hearer, so far as in him lies,2 always avoiding the frothy tinkling of quaint and far […] […], which take off, and blunt as […] were the edge of the blessed Truth and Word of God: […] the Apostle rejects the wisdom of Words as that which makes the Cross of Christ; that is, The Doctrine of Christ Crucified, revealed in the Gospel, to lose his proper and powerful effect when it is lo Preached; where let it be observed that it is not only the vanity and emptiness of Words which is here condemned, but even that pompous gaudiness, and elegance of […], which after an unsuspected manner steals away the mind and affection from the truth, and stays it with it self, when it should be a means both to convey both Attention and Affection from it self to the truth. He that puts so much Sugar into the Potion, that he hinders the strength, and the work of it by such a kind of mixture; though he please the Palate of the […], yet thereby […] 3wrongs both the Physic, and his Health. So here4 in Preaching.
When the Language and Words are such as those of the meanest Capacity have some acquaintance with, and may be able to conceive; when the Preacher1 〈…〉 his Speech to the shallow understanding of the Simplest Hearer, so far as in him lies,2 alwayes avoiding the frothy tinkling of quaint and far 〈…〉 〈…〉, which take off, and blunt as 〈…〉 were the edge of the blessed Truth and Word of God: 〈…〉 the Apostle rejects the wisdom of Words as that which makes the Cross of Christ; that is, The Doctrine of Christ Crucisied, revealed in the Gospel, to lose his proper and powerful effect when it is lo Preached; where let it be observed that it is not only the vanity and emptiness of Words which is here condemned, but even that pompous gaudiness, and elegancy of , which after an unsuspected manner steals away the mind and affection from the truth, and stayes it with it self, when it should be a means both to convey both Attention and Affection from it self to the truth. He that puts so much Sugar into the Potion, that he hinders the strength, and the work of it by such a kind of mixture; though he please the Pallat of the , yet thereby
For the excellency of Eloquence, and enticing words of humane Wisdom which in case were commendable to be used by him who is an Orator, or a Declamor in the School, in the […] becomes ever ⟨p. 207⟩Fruitless, and many times hurtful and prejudicial to the saving success of the Gospel: Hence the Apostle makes these as Opposite, 2 Cor. 2. 4. My Speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power: taking this for granted, as it appears in […] of the Speech, the pomp of enticing words […] […] be discovered if we would have the Spirit in the powerful work of it be demonstrated and made to appear, so much sweetness of words as may make way for the […] of the Gospel, may be admitted, and no more. And as all kind of Curiosity and […] is to be avoided, so all obscure and unusual […], dark Sentences and Expressions, strange Languages are much more to be rejected, as opposite even to the end of speaking, much more to plainness of the Preaching of the tuth. Words are appointed by God in his Providence, to be Carriers as it were, by whose help the thoughts of our minds and the savoury apprehensions of truth may be communicated, and conveyed over to the understanding of others, whereas by mystical and dark Sentences he that comes to hear, can by no means profit, because he cannot conceive, and so both Hearer and Speaker must needs miss their end, and lose their labour, since the one doth no good in his Speech, because he so speaks that the other can receive no benefit: He that hath a Pastoral heart must be so affected in dispensing the Doctrine of Grace, as Paul was in writing, Rom. 1. 7. to all that are, To all that be at Rome, so should he labour to reach out mercy and comfort to every soul in the congregation, by every sentence he delivers, as much as in him lies, whereas mystical cloudy discourses which exceed the capacity and understanding of most in the assembly, its not possible they should work powerfully ⟨p. 208⟩upon their Consciences. That which the Mind conceives not, the Heart affects not: Ministers should be, and, if faithful they will be as nurses to the people, they will prepare milk for the meanest and weakest, and meat for all; but never give dry crust or […] in stead of bread to any; for that was not to feed, but to starve the Child.
Hence the Apostle concludes strange Languages in the delivery of the truth, to be a Curse sent of God upon a people, and therefore the Minister that so Communicates the Word, he is the Messenger that brings a Curse to the […], 1 Cor. 14. 21, 22. In the Law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips, will I speak unto this people, wherefore tongues are fore a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: whereas Prophesying should be in that openness and familiarity of Language, that the unbelieving,1 yea, unlearned should be convinced, and have the secrets of his heart made manifest to his own Conscience, that so he may be truly humbled and acknowledge Gods power and presence in the virtue of his own Ordinance blessed by him, 1 Cor. 14. 24. It was the complaint of God, Job 38. 2. That Counsel was darkened by Words without Knowledge. It was not allowed in Jobs Conference and debate of Questions with his friends, it cannot but be much more condemned in publishing the mysteries of Life and Salvation to others: Its the scope of the Calling and Work of the Ministry to give the Knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4. 8. To darken Knowledge therefore, is to cross Gods Honour, our own Callings, the Comforts of the People over whom we are set, and to be concealers of Gods Mind, not Interpreters and Revealers of his Will.
Hence the Apostle concludes strange Languages in the delivery of the truth, to be a Curse sent of God upon a people, and therefore the Minister that so Communicates the Word, he is the Messenger that brings a Curse to the 〈…〉, 1 Cor. 14. 21, 22. In the Law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips, will I speak unto this people, wherefore tongues are fore a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: whereas Prophecying should be in that openness and familiarity of Language, that the unbeleiving,
[…] is only one Plea here Objected, that carries1 any appearance of likelihood with it, gathered out of Eccles. 12. 10. where it is said, The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that that was written, was upright, even words of truth: Was it Solomons Care directed by the Spirit, to study pleasing words to affect his Hearers? Should not his practice be a pattern to all to imitate him in like expressions? Dare any affirm but that he did what he ought? And shall any be so careless or presumptuous as not to endeavour to follow that course recorded with so much Commendation by the Holy Ghost?
〈…〉 is only one Plea here Objected, that carries1 any appearance of likelihood with it, gathered out of Eccles. 12. 10. where it is said, The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that that was written, was upright, even words of truth: Was it Solomons Care directed by the Spirit, to study pleasing words to affect his Hearers? Should not his practice be a pattern to all to imitate him in like expressions? Dare any affirm but that he did what he ought? And shall any be so careless or presumptuous as not to endeavor to follow that course recorded with so much Commendation by the Holy Ghost?
2 Consider all that good that Jesus Christ brings with him, and that should move you; for all the good that we need or can desire to make us happy, he will bring with him when he comes to take 〈…〉 of the Soul: The Lord comes into our Souls not to trouble us and charge us, no, he comes to bring everlasting Salvation and happiness to our Souls; Look what Christ said to 〈…〉, Luke 19. 5. 8, 9. when he went up into a Sycamore-tree to see him, Make haste and come down Zacheus (saith he) for I must abide with thee in thy house: Zacheus makes no cavilling, nor no tarrying, but made haste and came down and received him joyfully: And mark what Christ said unto him, This day Salvation is come to thy house. So likewise it shall be with you, when Christ comes, everlasting Happiness and Salvation comes with him; and therefore if you do not make preparation for him, you refuse Salvation and Happiness that is offered to your Souls by him. Amos 4. 12. when the Lord had sent many Plagues and Judgments upon Jerusalem, he saith, Thus will I do unto thee Oh Israel, and because I will do thus unto thee, therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel: I will do thus unto thee, that is, I will send Mildews, ⟨p. 203⟩and Pestilence, and War, and Famine amongst you, I will draw you out with Hooks, and your Posterity with Fish-hooks: And what followeth? Prepare to meet thy God Oh Israel. If God come against us to plague us, we must prepare to meet him; Reason then with your own Souls; Should the Lord come in Judgement to punish us, if we ought to prepare to meet him, then what preparation ought we to make for his coming, when he shall not come thus in Judgement to condemne us, but in mercy to save us, in his goodness to enrich us, in his compassion to comfort us? Then now if ever, prepare to meet thy God O Israel: Let every heart perswade it self in this particular, Is Christ so gracious and so merciful, doth he send from Heaven unto us, and say he will come in, Behold (saies he) I stand at the door and 1knock, and if any man will hear my voyce and open unto me, my Father and I will come in, and sup with him: He will come in himself, and bring all the good things of Grace and Glory with him for the everlasting refreshing of our Souls: Why! Where are your hearts in the mean time? Therfore if ever, now prepare to meet the Lord Jesus bringing Salvation with him.
For the excellency of Eloquence, and entising words of humane Wisdom which in case were commendable to be used by him who is an Orator, or a Declamor in the School, in the 〈…〉 becomes ever ⟨p. 207⟩Fruitless, and many times hurtful and prejudicial to the saving success of the Gospel: Hence the Apostle makes these as Opposite, 2 Cor. 2. 4. My Speech and my preaching was not with entising words of mans wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power: taking this for granted, as it appears in 〈…〉 of the Speech, the pompe of entising words 〈…〉 〈…〉 be discovered if we would have the Spirit in the powerful work of it be demonstrated and made to appear, so much sweetness of words as may make way for the 〈…〉 of the Gospel, may be admitted, and no more. And as all kind of Curiosity and 〈…〉 is to be avoided, so all obscure and unusual 〈…〉, dark Sentences and Expressions, strange Languages are much more to be rejected, as opposite even to the end of speaking, much more to plainness of the Preaching of the tuth. Words are appointed by God in his Providence, to be Carriers as it were, by whose help the thoughts of our minds and the savory apprehensions of truth may be communicated, and conveyed over to the understanding of others, whereas by mystical and dark Sentences he that comes to hear, can by no means profit, because he cannot conceive, and so both Hearer and Speaker must needs miss their end, and lose their labor, since the one doth no good in his Speech, because he so speaks that the other can receive no benefit: He that hath a Pastoral heart must be so affected in dispensing the Doctrine of Grace, as Paul was in writing, Rom. 1. 7. to all that are, To all that be at Rome, so should he labor to reach out mercy and comfort to every soul in the congregation, by every sentence he delivers, as much as in him lies, whereas mystical cloudy discourses which exceed the capacity and understanding of most in the assembly, its not possible they should work powerfully ⟨p. 208⟩upon their Consciences. That which the Mind conceives not, the Heart affects not: Ministers should be, and, if faithful they wil be as nurses to the people, they will prepare milk for the meanest and weakest, and meat for all; but never give dry crust or 〈…〉 in stead of bread to any; for that was not to feed, but to starve the Child.
