N01446:220
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. That he will not neglect his duty by any means. He must be sure to attend his duty whatever ill use his heart be ready to make of it; he must not scare himself from his duty, because he is ready to trust in it: Duty must be done, Gods Command must be attended, whatever be the consequence of it. Men may not take upon them to judge when it is best to attend Gods Command, and when it is dangerous, and so give themselves a dispensation from their duty; as men must not do evil that good may come of it; so they may not neglect good, lest evil come of that: Men must do their duty, and run the adventure of their hearts making a bad use thereof.
2. That there is no necessity of mens trusting to what they do. If God do but open their eyes, to see the plague of their own heart, they will not trust to what they do. When men are thoroughly convinced of the abominations that are in their hearts, and see the hypocrisy and formality of their duties, it is impossible that they should trust in them: their confidence in their duties rises from the opinion that they have of them, and when they come to understand the wretchedness of them, their heart will not gather confidence, but fear from them; and therefore it is their duty to study their ⟨p. 70⟩own hearts, and labour to find out the wickedness of them.
2. That there is no necessity of mens trusting to what they do. If God do but open their eyes, to see the plague of their own heart, they will not trust to what they do. When men are thorowly convinced of the abominations that are in their hearts, and see the hypocrisie and formality of their duties, it is impossible that they should trust in them: their confidence in their duties rises from the opinion that they have of them, and when they come to understand the wretchedness of them, their heart will not gather considence, but fear from them; and therefore it is their duty to study their ⟨p. 70⟩own hearts, and labour to find out the wickedness of them.