N01625:139
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.
Sermon 3: SERMON, III. That the Gospel is the Means 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.
THE Apostle is endeavouring that they may not put an hard construction on his Discourse: This he doth by minding them that they were his Children, and he was their Father, & so had a Fatherly love to them. He allows that they had several instructors, but asserts that he was their Father; for he had planted the Gospel among them. In the words we have,
(1) The work wrought in them: They were begotten. This is that which is called Regeneration: He doth not speak of a Natural but Spiritual begetting; that work whereby they were made New Creatures. New ⟨p. 66⟩Men: this is the same that is intended by Conversion. In Christ they are begotten; they were brought to receive the Faith of Christ; this begetting did not make them Men, but Christians.
(2) The living instrument in this work; that was Paul himself. God was the principal Agent. Regeneration is a divine Work. But Paul was active in order to it: He used proper means to that end, and God blessed his labours among them.