N01625:104
Three sermons lately preached at Boston. I. Showing the virtue of Christs blood to…Three sermons lately preached at Boston. I. Shewing the vertue of Christs blood to…
Three sermons lately preached at Boston. I. Showing the virtue of Christs blood to cleanse from sin. II. That natural men are under the government of self-love. III. That the Gospel is the means of conversion. : To which a fourth is added, to stir up young men and maidens to praise the name of the Lord. / By Solomon Stoddard A.M. Pastor of Northampton.Three sermons lately preached at Boston. I. Shewing the vertue of Christs blood to cleanse from sin. II. That natural men are under the government of self-love. III. That the Gospel is the means of conversion. : To which a fourth is added, to stir up young men and maidens to praise the name of the Lord. / By Solomon Stoddard A.M. Pastor of Northampton.
printed by B. Green for Daniel Henchman, 1717
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
USE, I.
From hence we way learn, That it is a vain thing for Natural Men to pretend that they do things for Gods honour. Sometimes they make such pretences. Isai. 66.5. Your brethren that cast you out for my Names sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified. But if they make themselves believe that their end is Gods glory, they delude themselves: and if they make others believe that they aim at Gods glory, they delude them: for they are governed by a spirit of self love, and are wholly destitute of love to God. Some of them do confess that they have but a little love to God, but indeed they have not one spark of love to God in their hearts. Joh. 5.42 You have not the love of God in you. They talk of aiming at Gods glory, but it is only a pretence.
1. Sometimes they pretend it to excuse themselves. They are accused of that which is faulty, and when they have nothing to say to prove that the thing is lawful, they make an excuse of that, that they had a good end in doing it. They say they did not do the thing out of spirit or ill will, but for Gods glory, & think no body can contradict them therein; and if they do believe them, they will not censure them very hardly, for the honour of God is a glorious end: but the thing is a mere Excuse, they cover their revenge and malice with a pretence of Gods glory. Joh. 9.24. Give glory to God, we know this man is a sinner. Abishai would have Shimei punished, because he had Cursed the Lords anointed, 2 Sam. 21.19. but he would fain have slain Saul, though he also was the Lords anointed,