A86531:427
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.
Ishmael was circumcised, and yet he was excommunicated out of Abraham's family, the then Church of God, and was a cast-away. Instances are many in the Scriptures to this purpose, but I list not to dwell longer upon the proof of the point; you see it is evident enough, that bare privileges, be they never so high and excellent, are not able to make one indeed a faithful man before the Lord, nor the son of Abraham.
Ishamel was circumcised, and yet he was excommunicated out of Abrahams family, the then Church of God, and was a cast-away. Instances are many in the Scriptures to this purpose, but I list not to dwell longer upon the proofe of the point; you see it is evident enough, that bare priviledges, be they never so high and excellent, are not able to make one indeed a faithfull man before the Lord, nor the sonne of Abraham.
I should have showed the Reasons. Alas! outward matters never work upon the heart. That which makes a man a Saint must work upon the soul. Now the Word and the Sacraments barely considered cannot work upon the spirit, unless the Lord work a new frame inwardly by the infusion of Grace: Gal. 5.6. Circumcision and uncircumcision profiteth nothing, but faith that worketh by love. These outward things are too shallow to reach the inward man, too weak to work so powerfully upon the soul of a Christian man, as to bring the heart to God. But I leave the strengthening of the point by Reasons, and because I would not be prevented, I come to the Uses.
I should have shewed the Reasons. Alas! outward matters never work upon the heart. That which makes a man a Saint must work upon the soul. Now the Word and the Sacraments barely considered cannot work upon the spirit, unlesse the Lord work a new frame inwardly by the infusion of Grace: Gal. 5.6. Circumcision and uncircumcision profiteth nothing, but faith that worketh by love. These outward things are too shallow to reach the inward man, too weak to work so powerfully upon the soule of a Christian man, as to bring the heart to God. But I leave the strengthning of the point by Reasons, and because I would not be prevented, I come to the Uses.