N01446:295
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. Promises may be applied conditionally. He may be told, That if he have been thoroughly broken off from himself, and brought to rely upon Christ, God has accepted of him; that if his heart have been drawn by Gospel Encouragements to rely on Christ, he is out of danger; that if Gods Glory be upon his heart indeed, he is an heir of Glory; he may be told, that only his own Conscience can tell what the workings of his heart have been: That if he be not mistaken, but has indeed made Christ his refuge, all his sins are pardoned.
2. Promises may be applied conditionally. He may be told, That if he have been thorowly broken off from himself, and brought to rely upon Christ, God has accepted of him; that if his heart have been drawn by Gospel Encouragements to rely on Christ, he is out of danger; that if Gods Glory be upon his heart indeed, he is an heir of Glory; he may be told, that only his own Conscience can tell what the workings of his heart have been: That if he be not mistaken, but has indeed made Christ his refuge, all his sins are pardoned.
3. He may be warned that he do not deceive himself. It may be meet to remember him, that the heart is deceitful; that many false hearts do go hoping out of the World, that there be several things that do resemble Faith, and every Grace may be counterfeited: That he had need to beg of God to discover things plainly to him: That it would be a dreadful thing to be mistaken; and so he may be charged that he do not trust in any thing in himself, but betake himself alone to Christ.
III. If it be considerably plain, that he is Converted and Gracious; either from his known eminency in Religion, or from an account that he gives of Communion with God, or discoveries of Christ, and gracious workings of his heart: It may be very meet,