N04231:85
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.
THE Poor doubting Christian Drawn to CHRIST. › Chapter 2: Helps to come to CHRIST.
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.
I Come now to the Cures of all these Impediments, where, if we had the Wisdom and Care we should have, we might break through' them all to Christ. The Means (especially) are Four, whereby we may be inwardly strengthened against them all, and be at last able to overcome, and put them to foil for ever.
I Come now to the Cures of all these Impediments, where, if we had the Wisdom and Care we should have, we might break thro' them all to Christ. The Means (especially) are Four, whereby we may be inwardly strengthened against them all, and be at last able to overcome, and put them to foil for ever.
I. The first Cure and Help is this;1 We must not look too long, nor pore too much, or unwarrantably upon our own Corruptions within, so far as ⟨p. 36⟩to be feared or disheartened by them from coming to the Riches of God's Grace. For this is a sure and everlasting Truth, that whatsoever Sight of Sin unfits a Man for Mercy, when he may take it, and it is offered, that sight of Sin is ever sinful, tho' it have never so fair an outside of Sorrow and deep Humiliation. Namely, as when we think, and say, (as often we do) Had I a Soul so thoroughly humbled, and bruised, and softened, and so forth, I could do well enough. And thus the Devil keeps us in Sin,2 by poring too long and much upon our Sins; as thinking thereby to get from them. But such a course is a sinful course. Tell not me of Sorrow, and Repentance, and Humiliation; all that Sorrow, and Humiliation, and Repentance, is naught, that keeps a Man from receiving Mercy when there is need, and it is offered. See this in Abraham, he had this Promise, that he should have a Son in his old Age: And Rom. 4.19. He being not weak in Faith, regarded not his old Age or Deadness, nor the Barrenness of Sarah 's Womb, but believed in him who had promised it. There he rests, and there he stays; he saw his Body was dead, yet there was a living Promise; and what tho' Sarah's Womb was barren, yet the Promise was fruitful. He knew his own Deadness and her Barrenness; but he stood not long there. As Abraham therefore, so we may