N01446:169
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. Mind him that he may quickly die. The fence of approaching Death is very terrifying, and will stir up men to do their utmost: The face of Death is terrible, and it may be very profitable to work upon them, ⟨p. 49⟩a fence that they may be quickly snatched away; they have the seeds of all Diseases in them; Gods Judgments are as a light that goeth forth. Men are commonly snatched away before they are aware: Many of the Israelites that went out of Egypt, did not live to go into Canaan: Their way is offensive to God, and so he may take them away in his anger.
2. To convince them, that they cannot make their own hearts better. One thing that makes men be at a stand is, that they are waiting in expectation to mend their own hearts; they hope from Sabbath to Sabbath, and from one Duty to another; and though they fail hitherto of their expectation: they find that Afflictions don't do it, nor Ordinances, nor Mercies, nor Examples; yet they are promising themselves that after a while, they shall make them better, and it is fit they should be convinced of the impossibility of that; Their hoping and waiting for that is their snare: They may be showed how it is quite beyond their power: whatever resolutions they take up, whatever pains they take, whatever encouragements, afflictions and terrors they have, yet it is beyond the compass of their power; they cannot understand the excellency of God and Christ, or the •reat evil of Sin: Sin governs them, and they can't subdue it: Self-love may make them seek Salvation, but not love God above themselves. ⟨p. 50⟩Men cannot be scared out of a sinful Estate, though they may out of some sinful practices.
2. To convince them, that they cannot make their own hearts better. One thing that makes men be at a stand is, that they are waiting in expectation to mend their own hearts; they hope from Sabbath to Sabbath, and from one Duty to another; and though they fail hitherto of their expectation: they find that Afflictions don't do it, nor Ordinances, nor Mercies, nor Examples; yet they are promising themselves that after a while, they shall make them better, and it is fit they should be convinced of the impossibility of that; Their hoping and waiting for that is their snare: They may be shewed how it is quite beyond their power: whatever resolutions they take up, whatever pains they take, whatever encouragements, afflictions and terrours they have, yet it is beyond the compass of their power; they cannot understand the excellency of God and Christ, or the reat evil of Sin: Sin governs them, and they can't subdue it: Self-love may make them seek Salvation, but not love God above themselves.