N04231:137
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.
1. First, For a Man to follow his own Conceits and Self-willedness against the Truth, the Force of Reason, and the Witness of the Servants of God, and his own Conscience, cannot but be Pride.
2. Secondly, And for a Man, because he hath not what he would, to be (therefore) off the Hinges so, as throw away all God's Kindness, and to deny the Grace that is given him: And this because he cannot be Conqueror as he desires; is not this Pride? That Measure of Mercy which God hath already showed to thy Soul, is incomprehensible, beyond Man's Reach; and yet because thou canst not have what thou wouldest, thou wilt have nothing at all. Just as if a Man that hath the Law on his Side, and his Estate settled on him, should, because his Evidences are not written in great golden Letters, nor in the largest royal Paper, throw all away. This is your Case: For so you, because you have not so much of Grace, or with such a Sweetness as you would, you deny you have any. But ⟨p. 69⟩have you no Humility, because none to your Mind, or not so much, or not in such a Manner as you require? Oh Pride; and Pride in the highest Degree!
2. Secondly, And for a Man, because he hath not what he would, to be (therefore) off the Hinges so, as throw away all God's Kindness, and to deny the Grace that is given him: And this because he cannot be Conqueror as he desires; is not this Pride? That Measure of Mercy which God hath already shewed to thy Soul, is incomprehensible, beyond Man's Reach; and yet because thou canst not have what thou wouldest, thou wilt have nothing at all. Just as if a Man that hath the Law on his Side, and his Estate settled on him, should, because his Evidences are not written in great golden Letters, nor in the largest royal Paper, throw all away. This is your Case: For so you, because you have not so much of Grace, or with such a Sweetness as you would, you deny you have any. But ⟨p. 69⟩have you no Humility, because none to your Mind, or not so much, or not in such a Manner as you require? Oh Pride; and Pride in the highest Degree!