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 Stoddard, Solomon Americana,Literature

First edition. [2],118pp. 1 vols. 12mo. Solomon Stoddard (1643-1729) was a graduate of Harvard College and was its first librarian before being called to preach at Northampton from 1669. He married Esther (née Windsor, ca. 1644-1736), widow of his predecessor Eleazer Mather, and they had thirteen children, including John (1682-1748), who married Prudence Chester in 1699; and Esther, who married Timothy Edwards and was the mother of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). Although he sparred with the Mathers in his early years on the pulpit, his work presented an important bridge between Puritanical thought and the Great Awakening. Indeed Miller refers to him as the "first great revivalist in New England" (p. 316): "[Stoddard's] sermons were outstanding in his day, for the decision with which he swept away the paraphernalia of theology and logic, to arouse men to becoming partakers of the divine nature, and he was the first minister in New England openly to advocate preaching of Hell-fire and brimstone in order to frighten men into conversion" (Miller, p. 317). The fourth sermon in this work (at pp. 93-118), on Psalm 148, is specifically addressed to young persons: "If Religion be upheld in the next Generation, it must be by those that are Young now; the burden will lie upon them after a while. Parents are generally careful to bring up their Children to some Calling, that they may be fitted to do Service to themselves, and others; but they should be careful to bestow religious Education on them." Scarce: ESTC records 9 examples and we locate no other examples on the market in over a century. Evans1930; ESTC W28097; Sabin91965. Miller, Perry. "Solomon Stoddard, 1643-1729." The Harvard Theological Review, vol. 34, no. 4, 1941, pp. 277 320 Original paneled sheep, spine mostly perished. Provenance: ownership signatures "Esther Stoddard her book" and "Prudence Stoddard" on flyleaf. Half morocco folding box