Hooker - BT780 H7 1637

5'4 TheSouler ejl è ailing toChrií}. nous, and hell is gaping for him; and tl:e Lord tels him, there is your portion, thither youwill goe one day,eithcr you mutt be another man, or elfe an accurfed man: When the foule begins to thinkeofthis, that he moil bee altered and chan- ged g the other hindrance of faith is this, that a firmer thinkes heecan change himfelfe : this is another maine'hindrance,and i one ofthegrea- refl hindrances under Heaven. Firfr, the feule thinker it needs no change, what faith the foule ? doeyou tell mee of Hell, and flagger my confci- ence, I thinke my felfe well enough, but thatMi- nifters will not let me alone. But now he feeth he mufr change, and thinkes with himfelfe, either I mull have my foulel_nmbled, andmÿ life refor- med, or elfe goe downe to Hell; and thenhee ihuftles for himfelfe, and fharkes for his owne comfort, andhopes to change himfelfe, and help himfelfeout ofmifery, bee conceives it is in his power, toprocure his fafety, and to fatisfie all the wrongdonc to God, he now becomes a Sa- viour ofhimfelfe. Where is Chrift now? hekeeps the flaffe in his owne handnow, and hee will frill have it in his owne power to procure his owne happinefre: This is that everyman is naturally giver] to, rince he mail alter, he will have it in his owne power toalter himfelfe,and fave himfelfe. This feemes tome to teethe meaningofthe youngmans fpeech, Matthew- r9. when he came to trade for life andhappineffe: What that doe, faithhe,to gaine eternalhlife? Chrift faith, goe thy way,

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