Written by Solomon Stoddard, grandfather of Jonathan Edwards, to instruct ministers how to work with those who were under conviction of sin, and who were seeking God, in order to lead them to Christ rightly.

Stoddard experienced several seasons of genuine revival during his pastorate at Northampton, Massachusetts. He had observed how the Spirit of God worked in the lives of men during these times. He, more than almost any other person of his day, knew the twists and turns of the human heart. He was not fooled by presumptuous hopes and false religious affections.