N04231:99
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 › How to see Sin aright.
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.
But you will say, I speak as I think. Yet that hinders not, but that thou bearest false Witness. As we see, if a Man affirm such an one is a Drunkard, and knows it not, this Man bears false Witness, because tho' the Man be indeed a Drunkard, yet it is more than he knows. So thou sayest thou hast nothing, when thou dost but only fear it, and suspect it, and dost not feel it. I speak this the rather, because of the sinful Distemper that creeps in upon the Hearts of many broken-hearted Christians; and so as that out of a self-willed Road of carnal Reason, and a vile Haunt that they have gotten, their Hearts are persuaded ⟨p. 44⟩that they do well to do so, and that they can never be well except they do so.
But you will say, I speak as I think. Yet that hinders not, but that thou bearest false Witness. As we see, if a Man affirm such an one is a Drunkard, and knows it not, this Man bears false Witness, because tho' the Man be indeed a Drunkard, yet it is more than he knows. So thou say'st thou hast nothing, when thou dost but only fear it, and suspect it, and dost not feel it. I speak this the rather, because of the sinful Distemper that creeps in upon the Hearts of many broken-hearted Christians; and so as that out of a self-will'd Road of carnal Reason, and a vile Haunt that they have gotten, their Hearts are perswaded ⟨p. 44⟩that they do well to do so, and that they can never be well except they do so.
But they that are such (mark what I say) when Reason is plain against them, and plain Scripture evidenceth the contrary, do not so much attend what the Minister saith, as they stand and invent how they may answer the Minister; and (so) put away their own Mercy. Therefore let the Fear of God fall upon every poor Soul that heareth this; and let him know, that howsoever he hath taken or given leave to himself, or taken up the Wasters, by taking up••eas against the Truth; yet now he is to change the Course, to go aside, and to mourn apart for his Misprision: Also to wonder that the Lord hath not all this while taken away all the Comforts of his Grace, and all the Motions of his Spirit from him. The Prophet David prays the Lord to turn away his Eyes from beholding Vanity,