A86531:437
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.
Hence it is, that of almost all the actions that a Christian hath to do, faith is still said to be the worker. If a man pray as he should, it is the prayer of faith, Jam. 5.15. If a man ⟨p. 164⟩obey as he should it is the obedience of faith, Rom. 16.26. If a man war in the Church militant, it is the fight of faith, 1 Tim. 6.12. 2 Tim. 4.7. If a man live as a Christian and holy man, he liveth by faith, Gal. 2.20. Nay shall I say yet more, if he die as he ought, he dieth by faith, Heb. 11.13. These all died in faith. What is that? by the power of faith that directed and ordered them in the course of their death, furnished them with grounds and principles of assurance of the love of God, made them carry themselves patiently in death. I can say no more, but with the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your selves, whether ye be in the faith. Why doth not the Apostle say, Examine whether faith be in you, but whether ye be in the faith? His meaning is, that as a man is said, to be in drink, or to be in love, or to be in passion, that is, under the command of drink, or love, or passion; so the whole man must be under the command of faith: (as you shall see more afterwards) If he pray, faith must indite his prayer; If he obey, faith must work; If he live, it is faith that must quicken him; and if he die, it is faith that must order him in death: And wheresoever faith is, it will do wonders in the soul of that man where it is, it cannot be idle, it will have footsteps, it sets the whole man on work, it moveth feet, and hands, and cies, and all parts of the body. Mark how the Apostle disputeth, 2 Cor 4.13. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken, we also believe, and therefore speak: The faith of the Apostle which he had in his heart, set his tongue a going: If a man have faith within, it will break forth at his mouth. This shall suffice for the proof of the point; I thought to have pressed it further, but if I should, I see the time would prevent me.