N01625:126
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, IV.
Of Conviction to Natural Men: God don't take any of your Services kindly at your hands. God is not beholden to the best Men upon Earth for the Services they do; but yet he takes the Services of holy Men kindly. 2 Chron. 6.8 Thou didst well in that it was in thine heart. 2 Chron. 19.3. There are good things found in thee 2 Chron. 34.27. Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thy self before God, I have heard thee. But the Services of Natural Men are not taken friendly by God: God takes notice of what they do, but he knows that they are acted by a Spirit ⟨p. 60⟩of Self-love. He is sensible that there is no kindness to him in them; they think that he is beholden to them, Luke 18.11, 12. but indeed he despises them.
1. When you reform, he has no occasion to say, that you part with your beloved Sins for his sake. Some of them do forsake their bad courses, pull out their right Eyes, and cast them away; they wont do any thing that is unjust; leave off their Intemperance: shun profane Practices: Men take notice of it and are glad to see it; but there is no occasion for God to take notice of it as any love to him. No, God says, the Man is frighted into Reformation: He don't know how to bear the flames of Hell; he would be as bad as the worst, but that he dare not.