N01749:64
A treatise concerning conversion: showing the nature of saving conversion to God, and the…A treatise concerning conversion: shewing the nature of saving conversion to God, and the…
A treatise concerning conversion: showing the nature of saving conversion to God, and the way wherein it is wrought; together with an exhortation to labour after it. : To which is added, a lecture-sermon had at Boston, July 2. 1719. Wherein the way to know sincerity and hypocrisy is cleared up. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton.A treatise concerning conversion: shewing the nature of saving conversion to God, and the way wherein it is wrought; together with an exhortation to labour after it. : To which is added, a lecture-sermon had at Boston, July 2. 1719. Wherein the way to know sincerity and hypocrisy is cleared up. / By Solomon Stoddard, Pastor of Northampton.
Boston: printed by J.F. i.e for D. Henchman, 1719
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.
They see three things especially that are encouragement to them.
1. The free Grace of God. They were wont to discourage themselves because of their unworthiness; it seemed to them as if the heart of God was turned against them, and ⟨p. 44⟩they laboured in that that they might get something to incline the heart of God towards them, that might appease his anger, and attract his love: But when they have the knowledge of God, they are satisfied in the freeness of his grace; they see that there is enough in his own heart to move him, that there is an infinite ocean of grace there, that his thoughts are not as our thoughts, that there is an height and depth, and length and breadth in the love of God, that it passeth knowledge; that he can pity his greatest enemies, and love those that have nothing to commend them. They say he is God and not man: His mercy don't depend on any excellency in them. His grace is sovereign grace, and he has mercy on whom he will have mercy. Though it be a great thing to be pardoned and saved, yet it is not too much for him to do. There is no need of any thing to move his heart; he can do it because it pleaseth him. They were wont formerly to limit the mercy of God, and to think it would have been sufficient, if they had not been such great sinners, or if they were more broken for their sins; but now they are convinced, that if they were worse than they are, that the mercy of God is sufficient for them; that there is an infiniteness in the grace of God; and after they have reckoned up many things that grace can do, that there is infinitely more than they can think of. No badness doth discourage ⟨p. 45⟩them, no want of goodness doth discourage them. There is no more limiting of the ••ce than of the power of God. There is •ercy enough to set against their unworthiness. Psal. 36.7. How excellent is thy loving dness O God, therefore the children of men t their trust under the shadow of thy wings.