N04231:132
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.
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.
1For the third: Thirdly We should strive, and that mightily, to have our Hearts over-powered with the Evidence that Reason and Conscience make good unto us; that so we may quietly receive, and calmly welcome it; yea, and yield and subject our Hearts to the Truth of it. But here we all stick: And there are three Things in the Soul of a Man; three, I say, that abet all these Quarrels and Oppositions against the Evidences of the Word in that Man. The first, for 1. Reason objects. 2. The second, then Conscience accuseth. And the third, 3. The Will of Man will not submit. And here we find by Experience, that when a Man hath stilled ⟨p. 65⟩Conscience, and silenced all Reasons to the contrary of his Peace; yet such is the Iron of the stubborn Heart, that nothing can bar it; but still it maintains, and will, some Gain-saying and some new Quarrels against the Truth and it self. Besides, it keeps on foot even that that hath been long ago answered, and let down: Nay, that a Man would think had been buried in a deep Grave (as deep as Hell) never to rise again. Now in this Case it is with a poor Sinner, as with a Man that hath a contentious Adversary. Haply the Cause that they two have in Hand, hath been tried in all Courts of Law, and at last comes to the Chancery: And there it is concluded against the cavilling Adversary, as in the other Courts; there all Matters are as well stated and ordered as a Man would wish, and as an honest Man would grant: Yet will not this Man, that is so contentious, be so concluded, or so yield, but will to the Law again with a back Suit, and then, and upon that old Grudge, stake down all he hath, and sell all to his Shirt. His Will he will have, whatever it cost him. Nor will he give over, till the Judge doth come to take notice of him, and so to cast out his Cause with himself, whom therefore he commits to Prison, and saith, Sirrah, these Matters were (all of them) long ago answered, and will you trouble us again, not with new Matters, but with old Quarrels?
- 1Rule 3.