N04231:100
The poor doubting Christian drawn to Christ. Wherein the main hindrances, which keep men…
The poor doubting Christian drawn to Christ. Wherein the main hindrances, which keep men from coming to Christ, are discovered. : With special helps to recover God's favour. / By Thomas Hooker. ; With an abstract of the author's life. ; [Four lines from Isaiah]
Boston: printed by Green for D. Henchman, 1743
Title page typeset from the transcription.
THE Poor doubting Christian Drawn to CHRIST. › Chapter 2 › How to see Sin aright.
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.
But they that are such (mark what I say) when Reason is plain against them, and plain Scripture evidenceth the contrary, do not so much attend what the Minister saith, as they stand and invent how they may answer the Minister; and (so) put away their own Mercy. Therefore let the Fear of God fall upon every poor Soul that heareth this; and let him know, that howsoever he hath taken or given leave to himself, or taken up the Wasters, by taking up••eas against the Truth; yet now he is to change the Course, to go aside, and to mourn apart for his Misprision: Also to wonder that the Lord hath not all this while taken away all the Comforts of his Grace, and all the Motions of his Spirit from him. The Prophet David prays the Lord to turn away his Eyes from beholding Vanity, Psal. 119.37. Now if God must do that; that is, turn away our Eyes that they see not; much more must he turn away our Hearts that they attend not on lying Vanities. We must attend God and the Voice of his Spirit; but to listen to carnal Pleas (which we have no Warrant to do) is to sin deeply, and to hurt our own Soul both deeply and dangerously. No Man would deal with a Cheater. Carnal Reason is a Cheater, therefore we should not heed it, unless we would resolve to be cozened. And ⟨p. 43⟩[…] […] ⟨p. 46⟩Sorrow at last, and you may thank your selves for it. Away then with your Tinder-boxes, abase your selves before the Throne of Grace, and be at last wise to Salvation so nigh.
But they that are such (mark what I say) when Reason is plain against them, and plain Scripture evidenceth the contrary, do not so much attend what the Minister saith, as they stand and invent how they may answer the Minister; and (so) put away their own Mercy. Therefore let the Fear of God fall upon every poor Soul that heareth this; and let him know, that howsoever he hath taken or given leave to himself, or taken up the Wasters, by taking up••eas against the Truth; yet now he is to change the Course, to go aside, and to mourn apart for his Misprision: Also to wonder that the Lord hath not all this while taken away all the Comforts of his Grace, and all the Motions of his Spirit from him. The Prophet David prays the Lord to turn away his Eyes from beholding Vanity,