Book: The Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the Bringing-home of Lost Sinners to God

Overview
Thomas Hooker's 1657 treatise, published posthumously, unfolds a richly pastoral Calvinist theology of how redemption becomes real in the lives of sinners. Hooker frames salvation as both a completed accomplishment by Christ and an effectual application by the Word and Spirit, insisting that the promise of redemption must be actively applied to awaken and bring home the lost. The tone is urgent and compassionate, aimed at both troubled souls and the ministers responsible for their care.

Central Argument
Hooker insists that Christ's redemptive work is objective and sufficient, yet it requires the Spirit's inward effective work to become subjectively real. The Word of God serves as the ordinary instrument through which the Spirit awakens conscience, convicts of sin, lightens understanding, and implants faith. Salvation is therefore an interplay of sovereign grace and faithful means: God's unilateral saving purpose is accomplished through preaching, sacraments, prayer, and the Spirit's regenerating power.

Stages of Conversion
Hooker maps conversion into recognizable, pastoral stages that move from conviction to faith and ongoing sanctification. Conviction begins with the law revealing sin and misery, proceeds through repentance and humiliation of heart, and culminates in a living faith that trusts Christ for justification. Once united to Christ, the believer experiences progressive sanctification, moral change, and growing assurance grounded not in feelings but in evidences of grace and the promises of God.

Word and Spirit: Roles and Relationship
The treatise carefully distinguishes the roles of the Word and the Spirit while emphasizing their inseparable cooperation. The Word is the external means, preaching, Scripture-reading, and exposition, that the Spirit uses to enlighten and convert. The Spirit is the efficient cause, sovereignly applying Christ's merits to the soul, producing new life where there was spiritual death. Hooker affirms that ministers must trust the Spirit while faithfully delivering the Word as God's appointed instrument.

Assurance and Pastoral Care
Hooker offers practical counsel for troubled consciences, balancing earnest exhortation with pastoral reassurance. He urges diligence in self-examination, the use of gospel promises for encouragement, and careful attention to the fruits of grace as marks of genuine conversion. Ministers are encouraged to press sinners with the law to reveal sin but also to offer the free promise of the gospel, guiding people toward both repentance and consolation.

Theological Emphases
Doctrinally, Hooker reaffirms core Reformed convictions: justification by faith, the imputation of Christ's righteousness, effectual calling, and the perseverance of the saints. He resists any notion that human effort merits salvation while also refusing to make grace an excuse for moral laxity. The covenantal language and biblical proof-texting reflect his Puritan habit of rooting doctrine in Scripture and applying it to the conscience.

Practical Application for Ministers
Hooker's pastoral sections are intensely practical, offering sermon-craft advice, examples of admonition, and warnings against careless or cruel handling of penitents. He models how to move a congregation from knowledge to experience, encouraging ministers to preach clearly about sin, law, promise, and Christ's sufficiency while relying upon the Spirit for actual conversion. The guidance blends pastoral wisdom with theological precision.

Legacy and Influence
The treatise contributed to the pastoral theology of New England Puritanism by articulating how Calvinist doctrines are to be exercised pastorally. Its careful balance of sovereign grace and ministerial responsibility influenced subsequent generations of Reformed pastors and remains a resource for those seeking a disciplined, compassionate approach to conversion and assurance.