N04231:172
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.
But that GOD should send his dearest SON to love me, and that so incomparably, and so unconceivably as that I could not possibly hate him so much, as he loved and affected me; that I could not so exceed in Unkindness towards him, as he hath exceeded in tender Kindness towards me; What a Love is this? What Unkindness for so great Love? Were it not righteous with GOD, never to speak Comfort more to my Soul, that have so ⟨p. 87⟩lightly esteemed his Promise, and sweet word of Comfort? Had it not been just with him now to take all this (as he well might) for an Advantage against me? Was it not just that I, who have lived in Sin, should have perished in my Sins? And as just that I who have so much loved Corruption, should have reaped the bitter Fruit of it, long ere this? But that the LORD should find an Enemy, and not slay him; nay, that he should give his beloved SON out of his own Bosom to save him, is a Love not to be expressed. O the Height of this Mercy, beyond all Desire or Thought! Oh the Breadth of this Mercy, a Breadth without any Bounds! Oh the Length of this Mercy, a Length beyond all Times! Oh the Depth of this Mercy, a Profundity beyond all Expression!
But that GOD should send his dearest SON to love me, and that so incomparably, and so unconceivably as that I could not possibly hate him so much, as he loved and affected me; that I could not so exceed in Unkindness towards him, as he hath exceeded in tender Kindness towards me; What a Love is this? What Unkindness for so great Love? Were it not righteous with GOD, never to speak Comfort more to my Soul, that have so ⟨p. 87⟩lightly esteemed his Promise, and sweet word of Comfort? Had it not been just with him now to take all this (as he well might) for an Advantage against me? Was it not just that I, who have lived in Sin, should have perished in my Sins? And as just that I who have so much loved Corruption, should have reaped the bitter Fruit of it, long e're this? But that the LORD should find an Enemy, and not slay him; nay, that he should give his beloved SON out of his own Bosom to save him, is a Love not to be expressed. O the Height of this Mercy, beyond all Desire or Tho't! Oh the Breadth of this Mercy, a Breadth without any Bounds! Oh the Length of this Mercy, a Length beyond all Times! Oh the Depth of this Mercy, a Profundity beyond all Expression!