N01446:251
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.
2. As to the manner it is done gradually. God don't lead men at once into an understanding of their hearts; as the Chirurgeon by degrees comes to the bottom of the Sore. God could at once make men see the bottom of their own hearts, as when the Jailer was Converted; but in this way men would not have such experience of the deceitful turnings and windings of their own hearts; but he generally shows it them by degrees, and they are a long while before they come to an understanding of them; they see something of their hearts, and then grow into a pretty good opinion of them again, they have many partial discoveries of their heart; sometimes they go forward in discerning their hearts, and th• […] backward again; they get ground, & then […] ⟨p. 80⟩lose it; they seem as if they would presently come to an understanding of them, and then there is a stop put to it for a pretty while; a great deal of time is consumed before they come to have a thorough understanding of themselves. Men are sometimes years under trouble before they do attain unto it.
2. As to the manner it is done gradually. God don't lead men at once into an understanding of their hearts; as the Chyrurgeon by degrees comes to the bottom of the Sore. God could at once make men see the bottom of their own hearts, as when the Jaylor was Converted; but in this way men would not have such experience of the deceitful turnings and windings of their own hearts; but he generally shews it them by degrees, and they are a long while before they come to an understanding of them; they see something of their hearts, and then grow into a pretty good opinion of them again, they have many partial discoveries of their heart; sometimes they go forward in discerning their hearts, and th• 〈…〉 backward again; they get ground, & then 〈…〉 ⟨p. 80⟩lose it; they seem as if they would presently come to an understanding of them, and then there is a stop put to it for a pretty while; a great deal of time is consumed before they come to have a thorow understanding of themselves. Men are sometimes years under trouble before they do attain unto it.