N01446:42
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.
3. He is to be warned against a self-righteous Spirit. Men are exceeding ready to think that their good works and religious frames will abate the fierce anger of God, and incline God to pity them, and have mercy on them; they are proud of their Services, ignorant of the Righteousness of Christ, and of the freedom of Gods mercy; they think God cannot love them, unless they be lovely; and that he cannot but love them if they be lovely, and so they are ready to dote upon their own righteousness, Rom. 10.• They go about to establish their own righ[…] therefore the man is to be warned against […] and light is to be held forth to him, to convince him of the insufficiency thereof.
3. He is to be warned against a self-righteous Spirit. Men are exceeding ready to think that their good works and religious frames will abate the fierce anger of God, and incline God to pity them, and have mercy on them; they are proud of their Services, ignorant of the Righteousness of Christ, and of the freedom of Gods mercy; they think God cannot love them, unless they be lovely; and that he cannot but love them if they be lovely, and so they are ready to dote upon their own righteousness, Rom. 10.• They go about to establish their own righ〈…〉 therefore the man is to be warned against 〈…〉 and light is to be held forth to him, to convince him of the insufficiency thereof.
4. He may be put upon to examine these affections, whether they be not in hypocrisy; and signs may be given to him, whereby he may discern them to be so; but there had need be great care that the signs be sound, and warranted by the Word of God; otherwise he is in dan• to be established in his mistake.