N01446:119
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.
1. There is a great difference between loving the People of God for their Piety, and honouring them for their Piety. Many Natural men have some Convictions that Godly men are choice men, and happy men; and if they think a man is a sincere man, they honour him, and have a respect for him; so Herod had for John, Mark 6.20. but these men have not a sincere love to them for their Piety; they don't love God nor Godliness, therefore don't love Godly men for their Piety.
1. There is a great difference between loving the People of God for their Plety, and honouring them for their Piety. Many Natural men have some Convictions that Godly men are choice men, and happy men; and if they think a man is a sincere man, they honour him, and have a respect for him; so Herod had for John, Mark 6.20. but these men have not a sincere love to them for their Piety; they don't love God nor Godliness, therefore don't love Godly men for their Piety.
2. There is a great difference between loving Godly men for their Piety, and loving them for their Morality. Godly men are moral men some of them are eminent for Justice, Sobriety and Faithfulness, and these are very lovely things in the eyes of many natural men; they love them upon that account, Dan. 6.3.18. Darius had a great love to Daniel, but it was not upon the account of his Piety, but his Prudence and Morality: Morality is lovely in the eyes of many carnal men. Some love Godly men, because they are related to them; some because they are friendly to them, and some because of their moral qualifications, that have not any love to them upon the account of their Piety. The moral Carriages of the People of God flow from a spirit of Piety; but Morality & Piety are very different things, and some persons that have a love to them upon the account of their Morality, may have no love to them upon the account of their Piet