N01446:15
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
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.
THE Preface.
THE Work of Regeneration being of absolute necessity unto Salvation, it greatly concerns Ministers especially, in all ways possible to promote the same; and in particular, that they guide Souls aright who are under a work of Preparation: some there be that do deny any necessity of the Preparatory work of the Spirit of God, in order to a closing with Christ, this is a very dark Cloud, both as it is an evidence that such men have not the experience of that work in their own Souls; and as it is a sign that such men are utterly unskilful in guiding others that are under this work: if this Opinion should prevail in the Land, it would give a deadly wound to Religion, it would expose men to think themselves Converted when they are not: if men do understand that there is a work of Humiliation before Faith, then if they get some common affections, love, sorrow, delight, yea, and a common faith too, they will say these are not of the right kind; for men must see the plague of their own hearts, their helplessness, ⟨p. 2⟩and that they are like Clay in the hand of the Potter, before they come to Christ, and so will be afraid, and be searching of themselves; but if they do not know any necessity of preparation, they will take the first appearances of Holiness for Holiness; and if they find religious affections in themselves, they will grow confident that God has wrought a good work in them. It would likewise expose them to bolster up others in a false confidence: a man that knows there must be a work of preparation, will be careful how he encourages others that they are in Christ, he will enquire how God has made way for their receiving of Christ; but another that is a stranger to it, will be ready to take all for gold that glisters, and if he se• men religiously disposed, will be speaking peace to them; he will be like the false Prophets, saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace: so men will be hardened, it is a dismal thing to give men sleepy notions; and make them sleep the sleep of death.