N04231:113
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.
Answ. To this I say: When Christ had wrought many strange Miracles, the People said there were never any such Things done in Israel. And therefore it is plain not to be doubted, that God can do Things that never like were done: Job 9.10. He doth great Things past finding out, and Wonders without Number, saith Job: And therefore judge not either God's Power or Love by thy Scantling.
The best Christians are most suspicious of themselves, and none fuller of Doubts and Fears, than those that have least Cause to fear or doubt that their Estates are broken and bad. Therefore Satan makes it his chief Work to grieve and terrify such. Besides their own distrustful Hearts are always ready to join Issue with his false Reports against them, raising false Surmises against themselves, and putting Mercy from them; as if they were hired by the Devil to take his Part in pleading against their own sure Salvation. Therefore it is worth the Time to hear what David saith, Psal. 42.8. The Lord shall command his Loving-Kindness in the Morning. It is a Phrase taken from Princes and great Men, whose Words are a Law of Command. For so God will send forth, as by a Commandment, his loving Kindness to a truly humble Christian. As if it should be said: Go Love and everlasting Mercy, take thy Commission; and I charge thee go to that poor broken-hearted Sinner, go to that poor, hungry, and thirsty Soul: Go and prosper, and prevail, and stamp my Love upon his Heart, and there let it stand whether he will or no. Thus the Lord charges his loving Kindness to do good to poor Sinners, and by his own Almightiness bears up the Soul, when it is ready to sink under the weighty Burden of its many Transgressions.
Object. But what? Shall I have Mercy? No, no, (saith the poor doubting Heart) Will the Lord Jesus accept me? No, surely. Could I pray so, and so, and had I these and those Parts, and could I perform Duties after this and that Manner, then there were some Hope; but all is contrary, and therefore woe and alas, there is no Mercy for me.