N01446:172
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.
SOMETIMES a man that has been in a very hopeful way quickly to get through the work of Conversion, returns again to his old postures; he had of late great Convictions of the badness of his own heart, the hypocrisy of his duties, the insufficiency of any thing of his own to gain Gods favour, and has such workings of heart as are wont immediately to procure submission ⟨p. 51⟩to God, and a work of Humiliation, and in a little time tacks about, and is remote from Humiliation as he used to be: As the Children of Israel when they were almost ready to enter into Canaan, fetched a Compass, and wandered a long time in the Wilderness. In this Case the Minister may,
SOMETIMES a man that has been in a very hopeful way quickly to get through the work of Conversion, returns again to his old postures; he had of late great Convictions of the badness of his own heart, the hypocrisie of his duties, the insufficiency of any thing of his own to gain Gods favour, and has such workings of heart as are wont immediately to procure submission ⟨p. 51⟩to God, and a work of Humiliation, and in a little time tacks about, and is remote from Humiliation as he used to be: As the Children of Israel when they were almost ready to enter into Canaan, fetcht a Compass, and wandered a long time in the Wilderness. In this Case the Minister may,
1. Warn him that he be not afraid to see the badness of his own heart. For persons that have been praying for it, are yet afraid of it when it comes to. It is such a doleful & uncomfortable Spectacle that they cannot bear to behold it; the sense of it is so cross to their pride, and stirs up such fears of Damnation, that they cannot tell how to away with it, and labour to hide it from themselves, and to get such affections as may comfort them; but they should be told, that there is no cause for them to fear to see their own hearts, for it is dangerous to be ignorant of them, but not dangerous to see them; the sight of the heart is awful, but not hurtful; the heart is bad whether they see it or no, and they must see it before it be better: The Chirurgeon must come to the bottom of the Wound before he heals it.