N04231:175
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.
3. The third Rule in this second of Means, is this: Labour to acquaint thy Heart with that Good which the Promise promiseth: And this, before carnal Reason comes and possesses thy Heart. Remember here that the Promise is most sure, and will come when it shall be most seasonable, and best for thee, and when God sees it most fit; for then, we shall most certainly have it. Heb. 4.16. Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may receive Comfort and Mercy in Time of Need. Not when we see it fit, but when God sees it fit and profitable. But this it is which carries away many. Sometimes they are a little affected with the Excellency of the Riches of GOD'S Grace in CHRIST, and seeing what great things the Lord hath done for their Souls, they say, O that I were such a one; and O that I might die the Death of the Righteous! But when it comes so to pass that they have not ⟨p. 90⟩what presently they expect, then they cast away their Hope; and then the good Promise of GOD being out of request, the Devil presently steps in and wonderfully prevails with them: They should say with the Prophet, Heb. 3.17. When the Fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall the Fruit be on the Vine, when the Labour of the Olive shall fail, and yield no Fruit; then will I rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my Salvation: But where no Blossoms are, nor Fruits appear, there all Joy goes to the Ground. We do not consider that Comfort from the Promise, and from the Lord JESUS, is then most seasonable, when we have most need, and (consequently) may receive most good by it: For then may we be sure to have the Promise so to surprise our Hearts, that they shall be possessed and made happy with the All-sufficiency of GOD. But we go not so far. This for the second Rule, under the second Means.
3. The third Rule in this second of Means, is this: Labour to acquaint thy Heart with that Good which the Promise promiseth: And this, before carnal Reason comes and possesses thy Heart. Remember here that the Promise is most sure, and will come when it shall be most seasonable, and best for thee, and when God sees it most fit; for then, we shall most certainly have it. Heb. 4.16