N01446:158
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.
2. That the mere loss of their pains is a small matter. It will be a dreadful thing for a man to lose his Soul; but the mere loss of their labour is a small matter. A man may well venture the loss of his labour, in hope of the Salvation of his Soul: A man that is sick, will venture the loss of a little expense for the preservation of his life: Men have no cause to be very scrupulous about the loss of their pains: The loss of their Souls will be far sorer.
2. That the meer loss of their pains is a small matter. It will be a dreadful thing for a man to lose his Soul; but the meer loss of their labour is a small matter. A man may well venture the loss of his labour, in hope of the Salvation of his Soul: A man that is sick, will venture the loss of a little expence for the preservation of his life: Men have no cause to be very scrupulous about the loss of their pains: The loss of their Souls will be far sorer.
3. It is not fit that men should be sure to obtain mercy, till they do believe in Christ. There is security enough, that if they do believe in Christ, they shall be saved: And there is no reason that God should be desired to make a New-Covenant, and secure Salvation to any other Condition: God has descended low enough when he promise Salvation to believing; and it is too ⟨p. 46⟩much for any man to desire that God should promise it to Praying, to Reading, to Reforming, &c. Especially seeing those things are done with a false heart, only for Salvation.
4. If men be thoroughly scared with the danger of Damnation, they will readily improve their possibility, and not stand for assurance of success. Men will be glad of a possibility, and not neglect means, because they have no more encouragement: If a man be cast into the Sea, he will not neglect Swimming, because he is not certain that he can swim to the Shore: If a man be pursued by an Enemy, he will not stand still, because he is not certain that he shall get clear. If men stand convinced of their dreadful danger in neglecting to seek, they will betake themselves to the use of means at a venture, rather than run the hazard of their Souls.