N01625:169
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, II.
Of Reproof, To those that have lived all their days under the Preaching of the Gospel, yet are not Converted. Some Men that are not Converted do imagine that they are Converted, they will not take this reproof to themselves but there be many Men among us that have lived Thirty Years under the Preaching of the Gospel; they have had a great deal of Teaching, yet they are conscious to themselves that they are not yet Converted: their own hearts tell them that they are in that Estate wherein they were born. Some of them lead a rude life, & addict themselves to practices that are contrary to the dictates of their Consciences; and others of them are rejecting Christ, under one pretence or other, they are turning off the Invitations of the Gospel. If the Gospel be the Means of Conversion, it might have been expected that you should ⟨p. 84⟩have been Converted many Years ago; but this is a matter of lamentation, that you are not Converted to this day.
1. This is a great provocation. If God had not used Means with you, you would have had no Sin in comparison. Others that haven't lived so long under Means as you have done, have been Converted. The Means are very proper, and such as have prevailed with other Men; but you have showed a rebellious Spirit, and have withstood all the calls of God. God may complain of you and say, as Prov. 1.24. I have called and they refused, I have stretched out my hand and they have not regarded. You have been under special advantages to be Converted, you have had proper Warnings and Encouragements, but yet you stand out. It may be your Conscience has many times troubled you because of it, but yet you make a shift to hold on your way; you have designed many times to turn to God, but your heart has deceived you; you have promised that you would turn to God, but have dealt falsely with Him. There is no better Means to effect Mens Conversion than the Gospel, & this you have had plainly & powerfully Preached to you, yet all has been in vain. It may be you plead in excuse for your selves, that you have many Temptations, but the great reason of it is the hardness and the stubbornness of your own heart; that is the account that Christ gives of it.