N01446:246
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. To observe the sinful workings of his own heart. The hearts of men are often working in a way of pride, discontent, worldliness, envy, &c. And by observing these, a man may learn abundance of the badness of his heart, if he do consider with himself how far such a spirit would carry him, if God did not restrain it. As when a man sees the Fire burn the wood on the Hearth, he gathers that it would consume the House too, if not restrained.
2. To examine those shows of goodness that the ⟨p. 78⟩heart makes. The heart makes many shows of goodness, sometimes of sorrow for sin, of love to God, to Godly People, of love to Ordinances, of desires to be Converted, of believing the Word of God, of Humility, of Patience, of Thankfulness: And the way to know the heart, is, to search whether it be not false in these appearances; to examine the ends and motions of those frames and workings of heart, whether the root of them be not self-love, fear of Hell, hope of merit, &c.
2. To examine those shews of goodness that the ⟨p. 78⟩heart makes. The heart makes many shews of goodness, sometimes of sorrow for sin, of love to God, to Godly People, of love to Ordinances, of desires to be Converted, of believing the Word of God, of Humility, of Patience, of Thankfulness: And the way to know the heart, is, to search whether it be not false in these appearances; to examine the ends and motions of those frames and workings of heart, whether the root of them be not self-love, fear of Hell, hope of merit, &c.