A86531:384
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.
In a word, first, He that alone hath command over us, and right to require service at our hands, him only we ought to obey: Now Christ alone is our Lord, and we are his servants. Eli joineth these together in his direction to Samuel, 1 Sam. 3 9. Thou shalt say, saith he, Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth. If Christ alone therefore be our Lord, whom else should we hear? unto whom else should we attend, and yield obedience?
In a word, first, He that alone hath command over us, and right to require service at our hands, him onely we ought to obey: Now Christ alone is our Lord, and we are his servants. Eli joyneth these together in his direction to Samuel, 1 Sam. 3 9. Thou shalt say, saith he, Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth. If Christ alone therefore be our Lord, whom else should we hear? unto whom else should we attend, and yeeld obedience?
Secondly, The direction of Christ is the surest and safest: look what counsel the Lord Jesus giveth, we may build upon it. As for others, some are ignorant, and know not how to teach; some negligent and idle, and will not teach; some corrupt in their judgement, and may infect us: But Christ, being Knowledge it self, and Truth it self, neither can, nor will deceive us: Therefore whatsoever the Lord Christ shall make known, we may rest upon it; and whatsoever course we take up upon his directions, we may undoubtedly persuade our selves, that it shall go well with us in the issue. Our Saviour joineth the same reason to his exhortation, Mat. 11.29. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: What then? And ye shall find rest unto your souls: as if he should say, The counsels and directions that men give, they do not, they will not, they cannot give a man ⟨p. 137⟩any rest: but the counsel that I give, and those directions that I reveal unto you out of my word, what ever soul embraceth them, what ever heart entertaineth them, shall find rest and comfort to it self for ever. Let us persuade our selves, that whatsoever the Lord speaks will not sail us; there is none that trusts upon him, that even shall be ashamed: his counsel is seasonable, and will be profitable to us, if it be blessed of God.