N01395:184
The efficacy of the fear of Hell, to restrain men from sin. Showed in…The efficacy of the fear of Hell, to restrain men from sin. Shewed in…
The efficacy of the fear of Hell, to restrain men from sin. Showed in a sermon before the inferior court in Northampton, Decem. 3d, 1712. : Together with the benefit of the Gospel, to those that are wounded in spirit. Showed in several sermons, from Luke 4th. 18, 19. On the occasion of a more than ordinary pouring out of the spirit of God. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton.The efficacy of the fear of Hell, to restrain men from sin. Shewed in a sermon before the inferiour court in Northampton, Decem. 3d, 1712. : Together with the benefit of the Gospel, to those that are wounded in spirit. Shewed in several sermons, from Luke 4th. 18, 19. On the occasion of a more than ordinary pouring out of the spirit of God. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton.
printed by Thomas Fleet for Samuel Phillips, 1713
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. USE. Of Advice to those whose Eyes are opened, to use this Mercy well. God hath blessed the Gospel for the recovery of your Sight, and thereby has laid a Foundation of Blessedness in you. God has made you more Happy, than many Men that make a greater Figure in the World than you do. In the Day that God opened your Eyes, he opened a Door to you to such Blessedness, as cannot enter into the Heart of Man to Conceive of. He has bestowed many other Enjoyments upon you, but they are not to be compared with this. Let it be your care to use this Mercy well.
Particularly, 1. Don't Darken your Eyes again Indeed you can't put out your own eyes. 1 Joh. 2.27. The Anointing that you have received of him, abideth in you. Yet you may much Darken your own Eyes. There be two ways wherein you may do it: One is by carnal Reasoning. Sometimes Men become Vain in their Imaginations, and so their foolish Hearts are darkened. Sometimes they argue from the greatness of their Sins; as if their Sins were too big or too many for God to Pardon. They limit the Holy One of Israel, as if their Sins did exceed God's Mercies; as if God could not find in his Heart to overcome their Provocations; or as if Christ's Blood were not of Value enough to expiate their Guilt. Sometimes they argue from the Justice of God, as if he must avenge himself upon them; as if their Sufferings would give better Satisfaction to the Law, than the Sufferings of Christ: As if it would be a deluding of the Law to acquit them on the account of the Death of Christ. Sometimes they argue from the greatness of Heavenly Glory, as if it were too much for God to be willing to bestow. Sometimes they argue from the fewness of those ⟨p. 154⟩that are saved, as if there were no likelihood that they should be of that Number; and so they set their uncertain Reasonings against the infallible Word of God. They set Appearances and Conjectures against the sure Word of Prophecy. The other way wherein Men Darken their Eyes, is by Unbelief. God Encourages them to come to Christ, but they don't know that it is God that speaks: The Word doth not come with a divine Authority upon their Heart. They are not sensible that the Words are the Words of a Faithful God. They don't know the certainty of what is spoken. Christ upbraids his Disciples for this,