A Guide to Christ, Title page – To the reader
A Guide to Chriſt OR, The way of directing Souls that are under the Work of Converſion. Compiled for the help of Young MINISTERS: And may be Serviceable to Private Chriſtians, who are Enquiring the Way to Zion.
By Solomon Stoddard, A.M. And Paſtor of the Church in …-Hampton.
With an Epiſtle … the Reverend Dr. …
Boſton, Printed by J. Allen, for N. Booke, at the Sign of the Bible in Cornhill. 1714.
TO THE READER
THat Preparation for Chriſt is neceſſary, before the Soul can be United to him by Faith, is an undoubted Truth. He came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance. Men muſt be convinced of their being Sinners, or they will not be in bitterneſs for it: Sin muſt be bitter to them, or they will not forſake it. As long as they love their ſins, it is impoſſible, that they ſhould believe on Chriſt, Joh. 5.44. Nor will they come to Chriſt for Righteouſneſs, and Life, except they have an humbling ſenſe of their own unrighteouſneſs, Ro. 10.3. Theſe are Truths which cannot be denied. But whether there is any praeparatory Work, which is ſaving before Faith, has been controverted among Divines. My Learned Tutor, (whom for honour's ſake I mention) Mr. Norton (once a Famous Teacher in Boſton) in his †Chapt. 8.Orthodox Evangeliſt has Elaborately proved the Negative, with whom the Worthy Author of the Enſuing Diſcourſe does concur. It has been an Error (and a Tyranical one) in ſome Preachers, that they have made their own particular experiences a Standard for all others. When as God is pleaſed to uſe a great variety in bringing his Elect home to Chriſt, altho' Converſion as to the ſubſtance of it, is the ſame in all, that are brought into a State of Salvation. Some have experienced ſuch terrors, and diſtreſs of Conſcience, as others have not been acquainted with, who nevertheleſs are true Believers on Chriſt. To that Queſtion, What meaſure of praeparatory Work is neceſſary to Converſion? Mr Norton *Orthod Evang. p. 160, 161.anſwers judiciouſly, As the greateſt meaſure has no neceſſary connexion with Salvation, ſo the leaſt meaſure puts the Soul into a preparatory capacity, or Miniſterial next diſpoſition to the receiving of Chriſt. There is not the like degree of humiliation in all thoſe, that are Converted, for ſome feel a greater meaſure of trouble, others a leſſer, …not all that are truly Converted, are humbled: Nor can it be determined how long a man muſt be held under fears and terrors, before he is truly Converſed. To affirm, that men muſt be ſo many years or months under a ſpirit of bondage, before they can believe on Chriſt, is contrary to the experience of many Pious Souls, and to th… Scriptures. The preparatory work of the Converts mentioned in the Sacred Writings, was not of long continuance. That ſuper-eminent Divine Dr. Thomas Goodwin *In his Preface before Mr. Hooker of Preparation.obſerves, That a ma… may be held too long under John Baptiſt's Water and that ſome have urged too far, and inſiſted to much on that, as preparatory, which includes the beginning of true Faith. Such Authors as have aſſerted, that men cannot be ſincere Converts, except they have been ſome conſiderable time under great legal terrors, have cauſed groundleſs fears, and perplexity in the minds of many gracious Souls, for the Relief of whom, Reverend Mr. Firmin Publiſhed an Excellent Book, Entituled, The Real Chriſtian. Very often the Children of Godly Parents, who have had a Religious Education, and been kept from all ſcandalous ſins, that wound and waſte the Conſcience, have been favoured with an Eaſy, as well as with an Early Converſion: The ſeed of Grace has ſprung up in their hearts, they know not how, Ma. 4.27. So as that, altho' they can ſay, as the blind man reſtored to his ſight did, One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I ſee, yet the particular time, they cannot account for. It is (ſays Mr. Norton) *Ubi ſupra: p. 162.our duty to bleſs God, that we are Converted, and not groundleſly to afflict our ſelves about the time of our Converſion. And he cites Mr. Pemble, whoſe words are; To tell the month, day, or hear, wherein they were Converted, is in moſt Converts impoſſible; in all, of exceeding difficult obſervation; tho' I deny not, but tha time may be in ſome, of ſenſible mark That Eminent Man of God, Mr. Baxter †Of Infant-Baptiſm, p. 129, & 133.relates, that he was once at a Meeting of many Chriſtians, as eminent for Holineſs, as moſt in the Land, of whom divers were Miniſters of great Fame, and it was deſired, that every one of them would give an account of the time, and manner of his Converſion, and there was but one of them all, that could do it. And, (ſays he,) I aver from my heart, that I neither know the day, nor the year, when I began to be ſincere. Nevertheleſs, for the moſt part, they that have been great Sinners, are not Converted without dreadful Terrors of Conſcience. Our great Hooker (of whom Dr. Goodwin ſays, that if any Man, in this Age, came in the Spirit of John Baptiſt, Hooker was the Man) his Doctrine *Sermons on Acts 2.37.will be found a ſad truth, viz That as for groſs, and ſcandalous Sinners, God uſually exerciſes them with heavy breakings of heart, before they are bro't to Chriſt. Eſpecially it is ſo, if the Lord intends to make uſe of them in great Services for his Name. Saul (afterwards Paul) had a terrible Converſion, altho' he was not long in the pangs of the Newbirth. The like has been noted of Luther. Famous Mr. Rogers *S… Mr Firmin's Real Chriſtian.of Dedham had been very extravagant in his Youth. Mr. Richard Rogers of Weather … who was his Kinſman, helpt to maintain him at the Univerſity, where he Sold his Books, and ſpent the Mony, ſo that his Kinſman and Patron would have utterly caſt him off, had not the entreaties of a near Relation prevailed with him, to try him once again. When he ſaw what a wonderful change Converting Grace had made in his young Kinſman, he would often ſay, I will never deſpair of a man for John Roger's ſake. God deſigned, that this very Ungodly Youth, ſhould be made a great Inſtrument of Glory to his Name, and of good to many of his Elect. He was bruiſed to purpoſe under the hand of the Almighty. Great were the terrors of his Soul for ſome time, when he would get alone under buſhes in the Field, praying, & crying to God for mercy. When he was Converted, 'tis thought he was an Inſtrument of Converting more Souls, than any one Miniſter in England. He was inſpired with an extraordinary zeal; … a way of delivering himſelf in his Sermons, which in any other Man would have been Ridiculous, but in him was very becoming, and awful; which made Biſhop Brownrig ſay to Mr. Ward, John Rogers will do more good with his wild note, than we ſhall do with all our ſet Muſick. But this is God's uſual Method, with ſuch of his Elect, as have fallen into great Sins; he brings them home by great Terrors For the Confirmation of this, I might have inſtanced in Mr. Bolton, whoſe excellent Books have made him famous in the Church of God. Before his Converſion he was very Wicked He loved Stage-Plays, Cards and Dice; was an horrible Swearer, Sabbath-breaker, a Boon Companion, that neither Loved God, nor Good Men; he hated Puritanical Preaching. Hearing the ſame of Mr. Perkins, he went to Cambridge to hear him Preach, and having heard him, ſaid, he was a Barren Empty Fellow, and a paſſing mean Scholar. This Man, after his Converſion, was an Eminent Saint, and a ſucceſsful Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt. But the manner of his Converſion was terrible. His Sins were ſo heavy upon him, that he Roared for anguiſh of heart, would ſometimes riſe out of his Bed in the night for very anguiſh of ſpirit; and to augment his miſery, he was afflicted with grievous temptations, horribilia de Deo, terribilia de ſide. Theſe heart-piercing ſorrows continued for many Months. They iſſued in a ſound Converſion.
There have been ſome, who have maintained, that a man is not ſufficiently prepard for Chriſt, except he be brought to that paſs, as out of reſpect to the Will and Glory of God, to be content to be Damned Eternally. An horrid aſſertion juſtly diſclaimed by the Author of this Diſcourſe, and refuted by the *Chap. 7. p. 151.Orthodox Evangeliſt, yet there are ſome unhappy Paſſages of that nature, in a Book of Humiliation, which goes under Mr Hooker's Name, by which, incredible wrong has been done to that great Author. It may be, it will be to the ſatisfaction of ſome Readers, to ſee what Dr. Goodwin has written concerning Mr. Hooker's Books, about preparation for Chriſt, who, in his Epiſtle prefixed to Mr. Hooker's Sermons on Act. 2.37. has theſe words; There has been publiſhed long ſince many parts, and pieces of this Author, upon this Argument, Sermon-wiſe, preached by him, here in England, yet having been taken by an Unskilful Hand, which upon his receſs into thoſe remoter parts of the World, was bold, without his privity or conſent to Print, and Publiſh them (one of the greateſt injuries that can be done to any Man) it came to paſs his genuine meaning, and this in points of ſo high a nature; and in ſome things differing from the common Opinion, was diverted in thoſe printed Sermons, from the fair, and clear draught of his own Notions, and intentions, becauſe ſo utterly deformed, and miſrepreſented in multitudes of paſſages, and in the Reſt, but imperfectly, and crudely ſet forth. That which the Doctor ſays is a ſufficient Vindication of the Renowned Name of Mr. Hooker, from the Reflections caſt upon him, on the account of ſome crude expreſſions in thoſe Books pretended to be his, which were never Printed with his allowance. Th… like is to be ſaid with reference to ſome paſſages in Mr. Shepards Sincere Convert, which have occaſioned great diſquietment in ſome Godly Minds, and made them afraid to believe on Chriſt, when deeply ſenſible of their miſery without him. Concerning which Book Mr. Shepard in a Letter to Mr. Firmin, Dated December 27. 1647. *See the Real Chriſtian. p. 214. Diſcourſe of Providence. p. 559.Expreſſes himſelf thus; That which is called the Sincere Convert, I have not the Book; I once ſaw it, It was a Cellection of ſuch Notes in a dark Town in England, which one procuring of me, publiſhed them without my Will or Privity; nor do I like to ſee it: He that publiſhed it, confeſſeth it came out altered from what was firſt written.
It is uſual with New Converts to be moleſted with fears leſt they have committed the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt. I am far from being of Dr. Tillotſon's Opinion, who ſuppoſeth, that none in theſe Days are, or can be guilty of that Sin, nor any beſides thoſe, who were Eye-witneſſes of the Miracles wrought by our Saviour Chriſt. I rather Concur with Dr. Collings, whoſe words are, Give me leave to ſpeak my fears. I profeſs they are my thoughts, my ſad thoughts, that we live in an Age as full of perſons, that have ſinned that Sin, that ſhall never be forgiven, as any Age ever was, ſince our Lord was on the Earth. Are there not many in our Days, who having been once enlightened, have not only …nned againſt the light of their Education, but are become malignant haters of thoſe Holy Truths, and Ways of God, in which they were initiated, and malicious perſecutors of all ſuch, as profeſs the true and pure Goſpel? Do not ſuch ſin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the Truth? And have they not done deſpite to the Spirit of Grace? As for ſuch as are troubled with groundleſs fears of their having been guilty of that Sin, The Reverend Author of the Diſcourſe Emitted herewith, has therein offered that, which may eaſe and ſatisfy their diſquieted Conſciences. Mr. Baxter notwithſtanding the Diſpute which had been between him and Mr. Tombs about Paedo-Baptiſm, after that wrote a Commendatory Epiſtle before a Learned Book of Mr. Tombs's againſt the Papiſts.
It is known, that in ſome points (not Fundamentals in Religion) I differ … this beloved Author; Nevertheleſs, (as … there was a difference of Opinion … Jerom and Auſtin) Jerom ſaid for all …, I cannot but love Chriſt in Auſtin; ſo do I ſay concerning my Brother Stoddard. And I pray the Lord to bleſs this, and all his holy Labours for the Converſion, and Salvation of many of God's Elect.
Increaſe Mather. Boſton, November, 15. 1714.