A44344:624
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.
USE 3.
Hence by way of TRIAL, we way gain undoubted evidence unto our Hearts, that we are indeed Believers, and truly beloved of God and his Son: If once we find ⟨p. 119⟩this blessed Son the Lord Jesus by his spiritual and special presence in our souls, Its a never failing argument which will give in assurance of our good condition, beyond all that the Devils can object, or our fears and discouraged hearts can question. The Apostle puts it beyond the possibility of any cavil. If Christ be given to thee, how shall not God, but give all things Else? that is, hold this ground, and make that good, Thy carnal reason, by all the deluded Devise, whereby it would daunt thy heart, it cannot put a colourable appearance of any possibility, but that all things, that are good, should be given thee. He that hath the Son, hath life. Make that sure, and then all the rest is safe, past all peradventure, nay beyond dispute. For all the jealousies and suspicious that arise in our own hearts, all the darkness and difficulties that appear in all discoveries that are made: all the questions that come upon the most searching inquiries and examinations touching any soundness of any Grace, or any work of Grace, and so of the sincerity of the heart, and the truth and goodness of a mans estate; If any doubt arise, whether sure or no, certain or no, in conclusion it is lastly resolved, settles and centres, as they say, Here: If Issues from our not-union with Christ. This may be done by some other power, proceed from some other principle, than the spirit of the Lord Jesus. This is not a certain fruit of our union to Christ, or the inhabitation of the spirit of Jesus in us. And in Issue, unless it lead necessarily to a Christ, or be derived infallibly from him, and the interest we have in covenant with him. Its no more than that a man may have, who hath no Grace: Its no more, but that which a man may do, that hath no part in a Saviour.
Hence by way of TRYAL, we way gain undoubted evidence unto our Hearts, that we are indeed Beleevers, and truly beloved of God and his Son: If once we find ⟨p. 119⟩