N04231:77
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.
1. The Lord takes this very ill at our Hands. Thou goest to the deep Dungeon of thy Corruption, and there thou sayest these Sins can never be pardoned: I am still proud, and more stubborn: This Distress God seeth not, ⟨p. 30⟩God succoureth not, his Hand cannot reach, his Mercy cannot save. Now mark what the Prophet saith to such a perplexed Soul, Isaiah 40.27. Why sayest thou thy Way is hid from the Lord? The Lord saith, Why sayest thou so? The young Man shall faint and be weary; but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their Strength. Is any Thing too hard for the Lord? You wrong God exceedingly: You think its Matter of Humility, to count your self so vile. Can God pardon such a Wretches Sin as mine? Mark that Place of the Psalmist; they spake against the Lord, Can the Lord prepare a Table in the Wilderness? They spake not against themselves, but against the LORD. So we speak against God, and charge God himself. It is true, says the Soul, Manasseh was pardoned, Paul was converted, God's Saints have been received to Mercy; But can my Sin be pardoned? Can my Soul be quickened? No, no, my Sins are greater than can be pardoned, saith the despairing Soul. Consider how injurious this is to God, to make the Power of Sin greater to condemn thee, than the Power of God to save thee: To make the Power of Satan stronger to ruinate thee than the Power of God to relieve thee, and succour thee. And what can you say more? And what can you do more against the Lord? Is not this to make God an Underling to Satan, and to Sin? This is just as to say, The Almightiness of ⟨p. 31⟩God is weaker than the Weakness of Sin; the Sufficiency of God is weaker than the Malice of Satan. It is so; poor humble Sinners many Times will make bitter Complaints this Way; and they think they speak against themselves. No, no, they speak against the LORD. They spake against the Lord, when they said, Can the Lord prepare a Table in the Wilderness? So you speak in this desperate Manner: Why truth, Lord, this proud Heart will never be humbled; if any thing would have wrought, it would have been done ere this Day: How many Sermons, how many Mercies, how many Judgments, how many Prayers? And yet this proud Heart, this stubborn Heart will not be reformed. You think you speak against your selves now: No, no, you speak against the Lord.