A comment upon Christ's last prayer in the seventeenth of John wherein is opened…
A comment upon Christ's last prayer in the seventeenth of John wherein is opened the union believers have with God and Christ, and the glorious privileges thereof ... / by that faithful and known servant of Christ, Mr. Thomas Hooker ... ; printed from the authors own papers written with his own hand, and attested to be such in an epistle by Thomas Goodwin and Philip Nigh.A comment upon Christ's last prayer in the seventeenth of John wherein is opened the union beleevers have with God and Christ, and the glorious priviledges thereof ... / by that faithful and known servant of Christ, Mr. Thomas Hooker ... ; printed from the authors own papers written with his own hand, and attested to be such in an epistle by Thomas Goodwin and Philip Nye.
Thomas Hooker 1586–1647London: printed by Peter Cole, 1656
[29], 532 [i.e. 432] p. · 148k words · Wing H2643 · ESTC R7774
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.
1. There is the sound of the word, syllable, and sentences whereby they are expressed.
⟨p. 400⟩2. There is Reason, and Argument which is conveyed by those words, Arguments clothed with Language and Speech: a mans Apprehensions walk abroad in a mans Expressions.
3. There is the reality of that Spiritual, and Divine Good and Truth, that lies couched, and contained within that Reason, as a precious Diamond in a curious Cabinet.
1. There is the sound of the word, syllable, and sentences whereby they are expressed.
⟨p. 400⟩2. There is Reason, and Argument which is conveyed by those words, Arguments cloathed with Language and Speech: a mans Apprehensions walk abroad in a mans Expressions.
3. There is the reality of that Spiritual, and Divine Good and Truth, that lies couched, and contained within that Reason, as a precious Diamond in a curious Cabinet.
A carnal man may hear the sound of the words, understand the Grammar Congruity and signification: His Judgment may see the Evidence of the Argument, and force of Reason, which concludes beyond gain-saying, what is there disputed.
A carnal man may hear the sound of the words, understand the Grammer Congruity and signification: His Judgment may see the Evidence of the Argument, and force of Reason, which concludes beyond gain-saying, what is there disputed.
. The Secret of the Lord, is with them that fear him, and he will teach, &c. There be Secrets in Praying, Secrets in Preaching, and there be Secrets in all the Truths, Divine, and Mysterious, that are spoken and preached: and a man may speak of the Truths, and preach of them, and yet never know those Secrets he preacheth. As a man may preach the Word, and allege the Scriptures, and there be Spiritual Mysteries which are therein contained, that happily he never knew, though he published the Word, and Reasons, that did convey them to the hearing of others, when God is pleased to work thereby. There be in the Several Metals, and Herbs, three things which are secretly enclosed in the bowels of the Metals; a Salt, an Oil, and a special Sovereign Water, which Alchemists, that can dissolve, and unbowel the Metals, can bring out: Another man happily hath more Gold, Silver, A timony, take whatever other Metal you will, and yet he shall never see those Secrets, never know them, nor ever have the use of them, though he see the view, & Metals daily: But he that is a skilful Alchemist, he can tell how by his Distillation, to find them, & by his Art, to use them. So here: There be in the Profession of God, and his Truth, special Secrets of this Fatherly: Love, and
⟨p. 401⟩
Faithfulness, which the Saints by believing, as by Spiritual Chemistry, can see, & discern, & have the use, & find the comfort of: Whereas others, who profess as much, and can speak a• freely, and it may be, more freely, never come to find really, or truly to discern what they speak. As Job; I have heard of thee by the Ear, but now mine Eye hath seen. To speak of God by hear-say, but to find God making himself real, and to see him as he is, though not in Perfection, yet in truth, and in some kind of proportion: and therefore in effectual Calling and Conversion, it's said, That the Saints are turned from darkness, to light, and from the power of Satan, unto God. Sin seems another thing than ever: Gods Love and Faithfulness, carry an amazing kind of astonishment, that the sinner wonders where he hath been. Now he can see a God in the World, and the wonders of his God like Love and Mercy: all which were in the dark, and he in the dark before; all came by report and relation:
And yet the reality, and Spiritualness of that Divine Good never apprehended. Psal. 25.14. The Secret of the Lord, is with them that fear him, and he will teach, &c. There be Secrets in Praying, Secrets in Preaching, and there be Secrets in al the Truths, Divine, and Mysterious, that are spoken and preached: and a man may speak of the Truths, and preach of them, and yet never know those Secrets he preacheth. As a man may preach the Word, and alledg the Scriptures, and there be Spiritual Mysteries which are therein contained, that happily he never knew, though he published the Word, and Reasons, that did convey them to the hearing of others, when God is pleased to work thereby. There be in the Several Mettals, and Herbs, three things which are secretly inclosed in the bowels of the Mettals; a Salt, an Oyl, and a special Soveraign Water, which Alchymists, that can dissolve, and unbowel the Mettals, can bring out: Another man happily hath more Gold, Silver, A timony, take whatever other Mettal you wil, and yet he shal never see those Secrets, never know them, nor ever have the use of them, though he see the view, & Mettals dayly: But he that is a skilful Alchymist, he can tel how by his Distillation, to find them, & by his Art, to use them. So here: There be in the Profession of God, and his Truth, special Secrets of this Fatherly: Love, and ⟨p. 401⟩Faithfulness, which the Saints by beleeving, as by Spiritual Chymistry, can see, & discern, & have the use, & find the comfort of: Whereas others, who profess as much, and can speak a• freely, and it may be, more freely, never come to find really, or truly to discern what they speak. As Job; I have heard of thee by the Ear, but now mine Eye hath seen. To speak of God by hear-say, but to find God making himself real, and to see him as he is, though not in Perfection, yet in truth, and in some kind of proportion: and therefore in effectual Calling and Conversion, it's said, That the Saints are turned from darkness, to light, and from the power of Satan, unto God. Sin seems another thing than ever: Gods Love and Faithfulness, carry an amazing kind of astonishment, that the sinner wonders where he hath been. Now he can see a God in the World, and the wonders of his God like Love and Mercy: al which were in the dark, and he in the dark before; al came by report and relation:
now he sees them real, and knows what it is to have Fatherly, pardoning Mercy; and indeed knows, and confesses, he never knew what God meant, or Sin meant.
There is one only Objection that I know, that is a little to be removed, which carries some kind of difficulty at the first appearance. John, 7.27. We know (say the Pharisees, when they would not entertain Christ as the Messiah) this man, whence he is; but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. They had respect to that of Micah, 5.2, 3. Whose goings have been from ever-lasting. To which Speech, Jesus replied, Ye both know me, and from whence I am: and I am not come of my self, but he that sent me, is true (that is, Faithful) whom ye know not. Whereas our Saviour professeth, that they •ever knew him, nor his Father, John 16.3. And again, if they had seen him, they had seen his Father; and yet now both these seem to be contradicted.
There is one only Objection that I know, that is a little to be removed, which carries some kind of difficulty at the first appearance. John, 7.27. We know (say the Pharisees, when they would not entertain Christ as the Messias) this man, whence he is; but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. They had respect to that of Micah, 5.2, 3. Whose goings have been from ever-lasting. To which Speech, Jesus replied, Ye both know me, and from whence I am: and I am not come of my self, but he that sent me, is true (that is, Faithful) whom ye know not. Whereas our Savior professeth, that they •ever knew him, nor his Father, John 16.3. And again, if they had seen him, they had seen his Father; and yet now both these seem to be contradicted.
1. As Man; and so they spake of him: We know whence he is: Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, whose Father and Mother we know? John, 6.42.
2. As the Son of God, by eternal Generation; and as God and Man, by Hypostatical Union, who was appointed by God, and in his time, sent out from the Father, upon the great work of Redemption.
1. As Man; and so they spake of him: We know whence he is: Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, whose Father and Mother we know? John, 6.42.
2. As the Son of God, by eternal Generation; and as God and Man, by Hypostatical Ʋnion, who was appointed by God, and in his time, sent out from the Father, upon the great work of Redemption.
He gran•s, they knew him as a Man: But as sent from the Father, as God-man, upon the great work of Mediation, They neither knew the Father, as sending; nor him, as sent.
There be some of Gods ordinary Courtesies which he extends in common to all Creatures; his Rain falls, his Sun shines upon good and bad. He gives Life, and Breath, and Being to all things, Acts, 17. Al things are at his finding, and the eyes of all things look to him, and he fills every living thing with his Goodness.
There be some of Gods ordinary Courtesies which he extends in common to al Creatures; his Rain fals, his Sun shines upon good and bad. He gives Life, and Breath, and Being to al things, Acts, 17. Al things are at his finding, and the eyes of al things look to him, and he fils every living thing with his Goodness.
There be also peculiar, and choice Favours, which he hath reserved for his Secret Ones, in the secret Conveyances of his Providences, which none know but his Favourites. The deep things of God, as Paul, 1 Cor. 2.10. The Spirit only searcheth these deep things. His everlasting Mercy, and Fatherly Faithfulness in Christ. These are deep things; and as no man knows what is in man, but the Spirit of man: so no man knows the things of God, but the Spirit of God.
There be also peculiar, and choyce Favors, which he hath reserved for his Secret Ones, in the secret Conveyances of his Providences, which none know but his Favorites. The deep things of God, as Paul, 1 Cor. 2.10. The Spirit only searcheth these deep things. His everlasting Mercy, and Fatherly Faithfulness in Christ. These are deep things; and as no man knows what is in man, but the Spirit of man: so no man knows the things of God, but the Spirit of God.
And it's the Answer to that Question, 1 Cor. 2. and last, Who hath known the mind of the Lord? q. d. None can pry into the Ark of his Privy Counsel, which ⟨p. 403⟩hath been from everlasting: and therefore he ads, We have the mind of Christ. He that hath Christs mind, may know Gods mind, for he is Privy to it. Luke 10.21. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto Babes; even so, O Father, because it seemed good in thy sight: no man knows who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. It must be from the Revelation of Christ, that any come to the right knowledge of the Father, John, 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time; but the only begotten Son, who came out of the Bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him, that is, those Bosom Affections of his Fatherly Love.
And it's the Answer to that Question, 1 Cor. 2. and last, Who hath known the mind of the Lord? q. d. None can pry into the Ark of his Privy Counsel, which ⟨p. 403⟩hath been from everlasting: and therefore he ads, We have the mind of Christ. He that hath Christs mind, may know Gods mind, for he is Privy to it. Luke 10.21. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto Babes; even so, O Father, because it seemed good in thy sight: no man knows who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. It must be from the Revelation of Christ, that any come to the right knowledg of the Father, John, 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time; but the only begotten Son, who came out of the Bosom of the Father, he hath revealed him, that is, those Bosom Affections of his Fatherly Love.
2. Our Apprehensions, and Conceivings of God, hold proportion with his Dispensations of himself to us. There must be ever some print of some operation and impression of his Excellencies, or Relation left upon us, before any thing can be discerned: For he dwells in the Light that no Creature can attain unto: and to pry into his Secrets, which he hath reserved in his own Bosom, as indeed we should not (Secret things belong to the Lord, but things revealed, to us) so in truth, we cannot reach them, they are far beyond the scantling of our shallow Conceits.
Now the expressions which God leaves of his Fatherly Love and Faithfulness, are sound no where, but in the hearts of his, whom he calls unto himself: Them he takes into the Bosom of his Love: To them he communicates these Bosom Secrets, the Foot-steps whereof are to be found no where upon Earth, but in the Souls of the Faithful: Therefore they only can see the Print of them, they only come to know them.
Now the expressions which God leaves of his Fatherly Love and Faithfulness, are sound no where, but in the hearts of his, whom he cals unto himself: Them he takes into the Bosom of his Love: To them he communicates these Bosom Secrets, the Foot-steps whereof are to be found no where upon Earth, but in the Souls of the Faithful: Therefore they only can see the Print of them, they only come to know them.
The great Characters of Gods Power, Wisdom, and Bounty, are left instamped, and engraven upon each Creature; and therefore they may be seen of all, and read of all, and so known.
The great Characters of Gods Power, Wisdom, and Bounty, are left instamped, and engraven upon each Creature; and therefore they may be seen of al, and read of al, and so known.
