Hooker - BT780 H7 1637

The soulesefei`uallcallinnteChrift. have the fpeciall caufe expreffed, which is the Lord. For when a man bath heard, that is one thing ;but that isnot all,for theprincipali caufe is the Lord. God the Father alone can buckle the heart toreceive thegraceappointed,and themer- :1/ offered to the foule: and without theprincipali caufe, all other meanes, Imeare theMinifters of theGofpell, although it be afavouroflift unto life, yet it may be a favour ofdeath untodeath, unleffe the Spirit ofthe Lordgoeswith it. For when the Gofpell is onely revealed to the underftanding, and that onely conceives ofthe letter thereof,and it foakes nor, and fiinkes not into the heart : this we call an outward calling, that is the phrafe of Divines : when fome light flafh is imparted and communicated unto the foule, and is not Cet on fufficiently, that is an outward calling. But when God theFather dothaccompany the difpenfarion ofthe Gofpell with the powerful' operation of the Spirit, and it puts its hand to the key of the Gofpell, andunlockes a blinde minde, and ahard heart, there the Coale lcarnes throughly andefe- &ually theway of falvation. TheText faith ,there moltnot onely behearing,but learningofthe Fa- ther, elle the foule will not, nor cannot come. Nowbefore I can colle& the feverall paff'ages out ofthe words, there is fome difficultyandobfcuri. ty in thephrafe, thereforegive nie leave, as I am able, to difcover the meaning and fente of the words,and then the collection will be cleere. Firft, for the explicationofthephrafe, and I vial difcourfefour guettionsuntoyou,which will E 3 be 35

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=