A86531:111
The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…
The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. / Delivered in several sermons: by that reverend divine, Thomas Hooker, late preacher in New-England.The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. / Delivered in severall sermons: by that reverend divine, Thomas Hooker, late preacher in New-England.
London: printed by G.D. for Francis Eglesfield, 1651
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
The second reason is, From Christs love to believers. Believers as they were the chosen of God, so they were the chosen of Christ. The Lord Christ had a special affection to believers upon three grounds. First, Because they were Gods ⟨p. 32⟩chosen, and Christ loving God, could not choose but love them. Secondly, because they were his own chosen, for he hath chosen them as well as God the Father. Thirdly, Because by God the Father they were given to him, as he himself saith, John 17.6. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me. Upon these three grounds Christ loveth believers, now loving of them, Christ could not but pity them in their misery, therefore having it in his power, he setteth himself to bring them out, and so giveth himself a ransom to redeem them from all iniquity; so you have it Eph. 5.25. Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved his Church, and gave himself for it; by the Church is meant the company of believers, his love to them is said to be the cause of his giving himself for them. Thus by these things you have seen the Doctrine cleared and opened, That Christ gave himself for that end, that he might become a ransom, and set free believers from all iniquity, from the transgression of the Law, and from the guilt of that transgression, and from the punishment that belonged to that guilt.
The second reason is, From Christs love to beleevers. Beleevers as they were the chosen of God, so they were the chosen of Christ. The Lord Christ had a speciall affection to beleevers upon three grounds. First, Because they were Gods ⟨p. 32⟩chosen, and Christ loving God, could not chuse but love them. Secondly, because they were his own chosen, for he hath chosen them as well as God the Father. Thirdly, Because by God the Father they were given to him, as hee himself saith, John 17.6. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me. Upon these three grounds Christ loveth beleevers, now loving of them, Christ could not but pitty them in their miserie, therefore having it in his power, he setteth himself to bring them out, and so giveth himself a ransome to redeem them from all iniquitie; so you have it