N01446:115
A guide to Christ. Or, The way of directing souls that are under the…
A guide to Christ. Or, The way of directing souls that are under the work of conversion. Compiled for the help of young ministers: and may be serviceable to private Christians, who are enquiring the way to Zion. / By Solomon Stoddard, A.M. and Pastor of the church in Northampton. ; With an epistle prefixed, by the Reverend Dr. Increase Mather.
Boston: printed by J. Allen for N. Boone, 1714
Directions How to guide Souls through the Work of Conversion.
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.
He may further plead for himself, That it was just so with him, as it has been with Godly men, as he has heard them to express themselves; that all his objections were answered; he was backward before, but he had such a discovery of Christ, that all his objections did vanish away, and he had nothing to say.
But he may be told, that the reason why ⟨p. 29⟩some mens objections are all answered, is not from the greatness of the light that God gave them, but from their ignorance of their own hearts. They did not see so much of their own badness, as thoroughly to feel the power of an objecting spirit; if they had seen how bad they were, their objections would not have been answered. A little matter will answer the objections of an ignorant and conceited man, they have not light enough to make such strong objections as they would do if they knew themselves; and fo• all their objections are easily answered.
But he may be told, that the reason why ⟨p. 29⟩some mens objections are all answered, is not from the greatness of the light that God gave them, but from their ignorance of their own hearts. They did not see so much of their own badness, as thorowly to feel the power of an objecting spirit; if they had seen how bad they were, their objections would not have been answered. A little matter will answer the objections of an ignorant and conceited man, they have not light enough to make such strong objections as they would do if they knew themselves; and fo• all their objections are easily answered.