A44344:213
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.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1656
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.
So the text gives in, undeniable evidence; even before ⟨p. 23⟩many had any being in Nature, and when some were, and others should be brought into the world, and had neither mind to know God nor Heart to seek after Christ, or to pray for themselves. Yet here ye see, our Saviour takes in all those now within the compass of his prayer and care, to provide for them, and to contrive all for their good, when they neither did, nor could care for him, or for themselves: therefore its plain.
So the text gives in, undeniable evidence; even before ⟨p. 23⟩many had any being in Nature, and when some were, and others should be brought into the world, and had neither mind to know God nor Heart to seek after Christ, or to pray for themselves. Yet here ye see, our Savior takes in al those now within the compass of his prayer and care, to provide for them, and to contrive all for their good, when they neither did, nor could care for him, or for themselves: therefore its plain.
Our Saviour cares for such, who shall believe in him, when they are in the depth of their unbelief: and his prayer is then working for their good, when they intend no good unto themselves. Our Saviour, when they were in the heat of that hellish villainy, in blaspheming, and killing the Lord of life, even then he intends life to them, procures and purchaseth life for them. Luk. 23, 34. Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. This prayer it was, that wrought more than Peters preaching, when his spirit was warmed with the Love of Jesus, and the Blood of a dying Saviour ran fresh now, in all the Veins of his Heart, and the power and virtue of it was mighty upon the consciences of Peters Hearers, such, as had before been Crucifiers of the Lord of life. It then took place and prevailed mightily. Isa. 57.18