N04231:232
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.
5. The fifth Direction. Lay hold on GOD in CHRIST, and wrestle with him, and never let him go. For yet haply the Lord seems not only to delay his poor Servants, and to withhold his Favour; but he seems to frown and say, He will not hear; and he seems to be angry with the Prayer of his Servants, and with their Importunity; and he seems as if he would not succour and supply: Thus he dealt with Jacob, Gen. 32.26. There the Lord says, Let me go; I care not what becomes of thee, Let me go: But Jacob lays hold upon him, and would not let him go. So the last Work of Faith is this: In a holy Humility labour to contend with GOD, and by a strong Hand overcome the Lord; for the Lord loves to be overcome thus. Be not saucy with the ⟨p. 136⟩Lord: But in the Sense of thine own Baseness, as it were, catch the Lord Jesus, and strive with him; leave not 'till thou hast those Comforts he hath promised, and thou hast begged. This is the Glory and the Victory of the Triumph of Faith, that gives thee the Day too; and the Lord, as 'twere, lays down the Weapons, and yields himself as conquered: As was with Jacob, when GOD saw he could not prevail, he said, Verse 28. Thy Name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, because thou hast prevailed with God. God is ready to give what he hath promised; but he will have us try the Mastery with him. God overcomes himself, and we by Faith in God, overcome or prevail with God: As Jam. 2.13. Mercy triumphs over Justice. Lord, saith my Soul, Why should not I have that Mercy, Supply and Succour? Saith Justice, Thou art a sinful Wretch, and thou hast wronged me: Saith Anger, Thou hast deserved to be plagued; and therefore thou shalt feel the smart of my Displeasure. Now Faith lays hold upon the Riches of the Freeness of God's Mercy in Christ; and in him Justice is satisfied, and Anger appealed for all: And now Mercy is purchased for all, and Mercy triumpheth over Justice; and Faith takes hold upon and overcomes GOD himself, as I may say, with a holy humble Baseness of Heart. You know what the Lord did to the Woman of Canaan, Mat. ⟨p. 137⟩