N04231:49
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.
Answ. This is the last Plea whereby the Devil keeps in, and possesseth the Heart of a poor heartless Sinner. But let me answer thee, and for Answer, I say: This hurts not neither: For here at least thou mayst have Hope of Mercy? And here observe the three Things by Way of Answer; and know that.
1. First; The Word and Means of Grace do work Good, if they make thee more sensible of thy Hardness and Deadness. Tho' haply they work not that Good, and after that Manner that thou desirest; yet if they make thee to see thy Baseness, thy Hardness of Heart, and Dullness of Spirit, in Regard of that Body of Death which hangs upon thee, then the Word and they work in the best Manner; because it is after God's Manner, howsoever not after thine. That Physic works most kindly, that makes the Party sick before it works: So it is with the Word. Before, thou hadst a proud Heart, and didst therefore lift up thy self in thine own Abilities, and didst trust in thine own Strength, and thou thoughtest ⟨p. 13⟩that thy Care, and the Improvement of the Means, would work Wonders: But now the Word works sweetly, when it makes thee apprehensive, that a wounded Soul is the Gift of God, not of Man, nor of the Means; when it makes thee look up to God for it, and to prize it when thou hast it; and to wait upon God with thy daily Prayers, still to continue it so. To feel Deadness, is Life; and to feel Hardness is Softness: Only remember this one Caution; except there be some Lust or Distemper that thy Heart hankers after, (for then the Word will harden thee, because thou hardenest thy self) that one I say excepted, thou art in a good Way.
1. First; The Word and Means of Grace do work Good, if they make thee more sensible of thy Hardness and Deadness. Tho' haply they work not that Good, and after that Manner that thou desirest; yet if they make thee to see thy Baseness, thy Hardness of Heart, and Dulness of Spirit, in Regard of that Body of Death which hangs upon thee, then the Word and they work in the best Manner; because it is after God's Manner, howsoever not after thine. That Physick works most kindly, that makes the Party sick before it works: So it is with the Word. Before, thou hadst a proud Heart, and didst therefore lift up thy self in thine own Abilities, and didst trust in thine own Strength, and thou tho'tst