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Perhaps the greatest work ever written on the conversion of a sinner to God. Thomas Hooker had a rich, God-given understanding of how the Holy Spirit works in conviction of sin, humbling the sinner, and breaking him of his pride in the conversion process that few before or since have possessed. To Hooker conversion was a process, wrought by Almighty God over a period of time, not something accomplished in a moment by the sinner repeating the words of a prayer.
If a typical pastor in our day were to communicate to us the modern view of conversion, we would hear nothing about the heart being made humble and contrite before the Lord would dwell in it; nothing about the necessity of a true sight of sin before the heart could be broken by it; and nothing about meditation on sin being a special means to break the heart of the sinner. Yet these topics alone comprise nearly half of the contents of The Application of Redemption.
Volume 4 of the Complete Works of Thomas Hooker. Click on "details" (below) for more about this book.
The modern gospel offers a Christ without conviction of sin, the breaking of pride, or the humbling of the heart for sin. The Holy Spirit is not necessary for the conversion of sinners in the 21st century gospel. Contrition and humilation for sin are unknown today. In The Application of Redemption, Thomas Hooker offers us some potent medicine so desperately needed by today's church:
"If sinners love Christ merely for his favors, then nothing can induce them to love him for any thing else. No motives of temporal or spiritual good have the least tendency to alter the nature of their love, but only to increase it. Many preachers of the gospel seem to imagine that the hard selfish hearts of sinners may be melted into true love and contrition, by displaying before them the beauties of holiness, the loveliness of Christ, and the joys of heaven; but though these motives may awaken their selfish love, and gratitude, and penitence, yet they will not excite a spark of holy love, or joy, or godly sorrow. There is nothing in God, nor Christ, nor heaven, that sinners will love more than themselves. They lie beyond the reach of all objective light, or external motives. Paul may plant and Apollos water, without making any saving impressions upon their hearts. Though their love and joy may be raised ever so high by mercenary motives, still their hearts will remain totally selfish and impenitent."
"Contrition loosens a man from his sin, makes him see an absolute necessity to be another man, or else he is a damned man. Humiliation loosens a man from himself, makes him see an utter insufficiency in what he hath or doth, for to procure the least spiritual relief unto his soulsuch as are of necessity required, that the heart may be fitted for the impression of faith, and by it for the entertainment of the Lord Christ."
"You were never broken-hearted here for your abominations, know assuredly that you will burn for them one day; your proud hearts were never abased, and laid in the dust, the Lord will ruin both you and them. Never expect a good look from God, set your heart at rest for that, you may draw the eyes of others after you, make many of your deluded followers and favorites to look upon you, but the Lord will not come near, nor once cast a loving look towards you."
The Application of Redemption has not been published since 1659. It is 447 pages plus two introductions covering 12 pages, the original one by Thomas Goodwin and Phillip Nye, and a modern introduction by Richard Smith and William C. Nichols. It is clothbound with a dustjacket.
