N01446:159
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.
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.
4. If men be thorowly 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 incouragement: 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.