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sense_n soul_n spirit_n word_n 3,137 5 4.4090 4 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A03610 The soules ingrafting into Christ. By T.H. Hooker, Thomas, 1586-1647. 1637 (1637) STC 13733; ESTC S104199 16,216 35

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upon some stirring apprehension if I had that ability if my heart could so breake if I had such assurance then Christ were come You will not beleeve the King is come unlesse hee hug you in his bosome Thus wee judge according to sense not according to the promise of Christ who is blessed for ever It befalls the Soule as Iacob Gen. 45.24 Hee would not beleeve their word but when hee saw their Chariots then he was perswaded of it this is the frame of disconsolate spirits Wee have the word of God to confirme the presence of Christ unlesse you be Charioted with that ability as to triumph over all sinnes your spirits are not revived you beleeve not that Ioseph is yet alive your Saviour is with you When our eyes are held namely when the sting of Conscience sea●es or when the fiercenesse of temptation presses in or else when some worldly inconvenience sits close so that the thoughts of a mans heart are wholly bestowed upon that object the Soule cannot owne Christ though he were close by him A man that hath his heart swayed with sad meditations though hee meet with a man of his acquaintance yet hee would not know him So it was with the disciples looke Luke 24. vers 32. Did not our hearts burne in us as who should say there was testimony enough of a divine presence it was a Christ that spake but wee were not able to see it So when the soule is taken up with two hurries partly with temptation partly with worldly occasions it sees not Christ though the heart burnes towards him this is the ground why when Satan lets flie though wee propound never so many promises alwayes those perplexed Spirits forget what is spoken and their minde is only upon temptation They attend not Christ in the promise because their eyes are held though they be in their privie Chamber and may talke with our Saviour Psalm 13.23 The Lord Jesus out of our just desert doth hide himselfe Esay 8.17 Psalm 31.22 Now Christ hides himselfe in these three cases When the Saints fall into some foule grosse sin or else are at truce with some bosome corruption though but an infirmitie then God doth withdraw his presence for obedience is the tearme of Gods presence 2. Chron. 15.1 Hee is with us while we are with him If then the Saints breake company no marvell though Christ withdraw his society Iohn 19.21 This is the tenure of Christs manifestation provided wee love him but if not hee is gone Psalm 51. Create a new Spirit within mee as who should say all is to begin a new This God doth so shew his indignation against sinne hee will not beare nor bolster it no not in his owne and this God doth not only when they sin fouly but when they are at truce with a distemper though but an Infirmity as for example if a Christian be overtaken ordinarily with a cholerick distemper if a Christian be eager of the world or growes dead in services it is just with God that these men should be destitute of their comforts When the Saints of God grow wanton abusing the sense and sweetnesse of the feeling of his favour thereupon growing carelesse now God seeing a man abusing his goodnesse it is just with him to estrange himselfe from that Soule that hee may labour for his former strength againe Cant. 5.2 Psalm 30.6 The Lord hides himselfe by way of prevention as thus hee will not make some of his to apprehend his favour lest they should pranck up themselves in the privilege and censoriously contemne their fellow brethren but holds out the heart at the staffe end so much mercy as may serve his turne that hee may be a little comforted and yet humbled If the Father see the child grow proud hee keeps him upon dependance that he may have better obedience So God sees wee have unruly hearts and therefore keeps us upon dependance that hee may have more obedience Iohn 16.12 If there were high sailes upon a little Barke they would drowne it in stead of carrying of it So men proportion their sailes according to their Barke This is one maine ground why God takes away the sense of his favour The Sea is the world the Soule sailes about and a little gale carrieth it on but if it should have great sailes they would drowne it not that grace doth this the fault is not in the sailes but in the boat that will not beare c. So the fault is not in grace but in the Soule that cannot beare it This is the reason why many men have smoken out their dayes in sorrow and at their death have great assurance It was the speech of a good man that God will not alwayes give his servants a cup of Sack his meaning was hee would not alwayes comfort them the comforts of Gods Spirit are better than wine now much of this comfort with a proud heart would cause him to trample upon every man Therefore God keeps the cup to the last If while therefore God keeps us under hatches if while hee withdrawes his hand wee doe contend with the Almighty and often say why should I pray and God answers not heare and God accepts not if when wee are kept low and doe thus if then wee had what wee would certainly wee would turne our backs to the Almighty and say as they in Ieremy 2.31 Wee will come no more unto thee Therefore it is good for God to doe thus wee are not able to beare this saile else God would give it Vse 1 If this be so let every Soule take his part and portion All you stout disobedient spirits that will not obey the Gospell of God all hearts not broken and spirits not humbled I have nothing to say to you for the while But you that have any obedience of the worke of the spirit and grace in your Soules you that are now willingly conte●●●d and resolutely perswaded to give way to Ch●●●● and breake open doore to a Saviour if there be any Soule that hides himselfe according to the former doctrine you humble broken hearted sinners goe your wayes with comfort and the God of heaven goe with you nay hee is with you hee will meet with you at home nay hee will meet with you in the mid-way what ever thy sinnes or miseries or wants be here is consolation yea abundant consolation to support the heart if thou beest a poore broken hearted sinner it is enough the Lord Christ will come into your soules and let then what will or can come the Lord Jesus will come and that suddenly But you will say So many are the sinnes that lye upon mee my corruptions like clouds come in upon mee all my oathes and drunkennesse all pride and loosenesse and vanitie and earthly mindednesse all my corruptions come in upon mee and the guilt remaines and they are not pardoned their horror remaines and I cannot get my soule pacified in the assurance of the forgivenesse of
sinnes Now a broken heart hath renounced both these an humble soule saith sinne shall not rule in mee and a selfe denying heart saith I cannot rule my selfe and therefore Lord guide mee with thy grace now the way is ready the soule is divorced from all other matches therefore it is ready for the Lord the humbled soule hath renounced sinne and all authority of it selfe and would have Christ rule over it Now therefore all impediments must be on Christs part that which cannot be Revel 3.20 Our Saviour Christ is so farre from being unwilling to come into the soule that he stands knocking at the doore hee knocks at a proud loose heart at a base drunken heart Forsake these sinnes and entertaine a Saviour renounce these corruptions and entertaine thy owne salvation be not under the power of corruption that will undoe thee but submit to Christ that will redeeme thee Hee knocks and knocks againe Open my Love my Dove my undefiled one the Lord knocks thus at the doore therefore if the doore be open he will surely come in nay he protesteth himselfe I stand at the doore and knock hee hath stood often at the heart of many stubborne sinners and knocked by mercies and judgements and knocked by the word and all blessings hee hath bestowed and saith If any will open I will come in and dwell with him Now then he that promiseth that if the doore be open hee will come in if the doore be open that hee may come there is no unreadinesse in him to come into the soule but in an humbled soule the doore is open away sinne away selfe I trust you not let the Lord come and rule in take possession of the heart of mine the doore is wide open now and the Lord knocked before is glad to take the occasion and comes speedily into the soule prepared and humbled So then if it be the end of the ruling and comming of Christ if the glory of his mercy bee advanced thereby if there be no hindrance neither on our parts or on Christs part then the soule being thus disposed immediately expect our Saviour for hee will come Thus much for the proofe Quest I confesse nothing should be deare and if I know my selfe there is no sinne but I am content it should be loosened from mee my sinne I have abandoned my selfe I have renounced and yet I find no comfort so that this doctrine is not true or my heart not cured Answ Is it thus with thee then Christ is come but thou perceivest it not When Iacob awaked out of his sleepe Surely said hee the Lord is in this place and I perceived it not And so the Lord is in thy soule and thou perceivest him not Quest But can Christ be and not be seene Answ I t is too too often and the hindrances are of two sorts 1. On our part 2. On Christs part Those on our parts are of foure sorts Christ is come into thy soule and thou dost not know him Matt. 14.26 When Christ was nearest to comfort c. they thought it had beene a spirit to terrifie them So thou saiest thy sinnes are ugly to thee thou thinkest this is not Christ but it is Jesus Christ is there and thou seest it not Iohn 20.15.16 The poore soule of the woman longed for Christs society and shee thinking it had beene a gardner enquired of a Saviour for a Saviour So a broken hearted sinner seekes a Saviour if you know how I may obtaine favour with God counsell a poore sinner It is Christ that gives thee the heart to seeke him and that Christ thou seekest by the vertue of a Saviour thou seekest for a Saviour as a man lookes for a candle by the light of his candle Iohn 14.9 Thou attendest not to our Saviour when hee comes hee that comes quietly conveies himselfe and thou seest him not as to his Disciples when they were all shut up in a Chamber then hee appeared in the midst Luk. 24. Why seekest thou the living among the dead So wee rub the sore dayly and thinke can grace come into such a heart Whilst thou art thus looking on corruption thou canst not see Christ Why seekest thou the living among the dead why seekest thou a Saviour to comfort thee among corruptions that would condemne thee It was not the fault in Hagars eyes that shee saw not the fountaine but shee attended not to it so wee sit disconsolate and Christ is in us but wee looke not after him A man that waits for a Noble-man if hee come not at the houre appointed hee goes into a corner and weepes because hee thinks he hath taken distaste and this whilst the Noble-man approaches and is there a great while before hee knowes it so while wee goe drooping under our corruptions the Lord Christ comes not and wee goe to discouragement and in the mean time Christ comes and wee see him not Hee that goes in a dungeon shall never see Sun-shine though it shine never so cleerely so when this Sonne of Righteousnesse shines wee goe into the dungeon of discouragement and so perceive him not though hee shines most cleerely Wee also are not able aright to know when Christ is in us because wee judge him by sense and some extraordinary sweetnesse wee imagine should be in us woe judge upon false grounds every sinner sets up a fancie in his owne Imagination that if Christ comes strange matters will be wrought Now framing this fancie in his conceit he will take no other evidence of Christs comming It was the fault of Gideon Iudges 6.13 he judges Gods presence there upon false grounds for hee was with him as well to helpe him beare the misery as to deliver him from it so it is with an humble sinner burthened with the sight of his abominations when the Ministers say The Lord is with you you broken sinners they reply If the Lord be with us why is all his befalne us what say some distempers so violent corruptions so many and can the Lord be here where are those miracles the Saints heretofore have found Behold what God did for David for Elias for Paul they led captivity captive and were more than Conquerors over their corruptions and yet wee are burthened with our sins I answer the Lord is as well present to helpe thee contend against sinne as to make thee domineere over it The same Apostle that was more than Conqueror at one time was led captive at another Rom. 7.23 And had the flesh lusting against the Spirit Rom. 8.1 Gal. 5.17 This is your conceit you thinke if the King come there will be no Traitours but Traitors will follow the Court you thinke if the King come to your harts hee must needs promote you to some place of honour This is the apprehension of a broken heart Were Christ in mee then I should have such and such sufficiency these are desperate mistakes Iohn 20.25 It is a patterne of a broken Soule that depends