N04231:169
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.
How to improve the Promises for our Benefit.
Rule 1. For the first of these Rules: Labour daily to present thy Soul a greater Good in the Promise, than thou canst see any where else. It is a Man's Skill, (and it should be his Endeavour) daily to look narrowly to his Heart, and to see what it is that the Heart desires most; and accordingly to present the greatest Good unto it. And what may that be? Even that which hath more of Contentment in it, than any Thing else in the World. And here, we should deal with our Hearts as Men will with a corrupt Justice, when they would have him to be on their Side; there, the only Way is to bribe him; but tho' this be sinful in that Case, yet it is good to bribe (as it were) the corrupt Heart with the Goodness of the Promise; that so the Heart may cleave to it, and long after it. Do Honours, or Riches, or the Applause of Men, or any earthly Pleasures offer thee Content and Satisfaction? Then persuade thy Heart there is a greater Worth in the Promise, than can be had in all them. For here is an exceeding Weight of Glory: And he that hath it shall be made a King, and shall have that Glory that will never fade. Further, Doth thy Heart hanker after earthly Joy and Mirth? Thou shalt find more Joy in the Promise, than in the cracking of these Thorns. ⟨p. 85⟩Doth thy Heart hanker after Riches? Tell thy Heart that there are unsearchable Riches in CHRIST, and that through' him we have a Title to all the Promises of this Life and a better. We know that he that offers most for the Bargain hath it; therefore we should observe the goings-out of our Hearts, and what Offers are made to give them the best Content, and with such to present them. This the Promise doth; and this with a greater Good in GOD, than in all Things in the World beside. Therefore, Oh the Height, and Depth, and Length, and Breadth of the Love of CHRIST, which passeth Knowledge!
Rule 1. For the first of these Rules: Labour daily to present thy Soul a greater Good in the Promise, than thou canst see any where else. It is a Man's Skill, (and it should be his Endeavour) daily to look narrowly to his Heart, and to see what it is that the Heart desires most; and accordingly to present the greatest Good unto it. And what may that be? Even that which hath more of Contentment in it, than any Thing else in the World. And here, we should deal with our Hearts as Men will with a corrupt Justice, when they would have him to be on their Side; there, the only Way is to bribe him; but tho' this be sinful in that Case, yet it is good to bribe (as it were) the corrupt Heart with the Goodness of the Promise; that so the Heart may cleave to it, and long after it. Do Honours, or Riches, or the Applause of Men, or any earthly Pleasures offer thee Content and Satisfaction? Then perswade thy Heart there is a greater Worth in the Promise, than can be had in all them. For here is an exceeding Weight of Glory: And he that hath it shall be made a King, and shall have that Glory that will never fade. Further, Doth thy Heart hanker after earthly Joy and Mirth? Thou shalt find more Joy in the Promise, than in the cracking of these Thorns.