A66108:78
The peril of the times displayed. Or the danger of mens taking up with…
The peril of the times displayed. Or the danger of mens taking up with a form of godliness, but denying the power of it Being the substance of several sermons preached: by Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston, N.E·
Boston: printed by B. Green, 1700
THE Peril of the Times Displayed. › DOCTRINE. › Proposition 2: PROPOSITION II.
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.
1. Such a people show that they have not a sincere love to God and his ways; this is an evidence that their Profession is not built upon right principles. All true Obedience, is in the Gospel, called Love: and the reason of it is, because love is the root and spring of it, and so it is the more distinguishing note between sincerity and hypocrisy. Now the love which God requireth, is an hearty love, Matth. 22. 37. thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and all thy soul; this therefore is the charge that God lays upon them, in Isa. 29. 13. they have removed their heart far from me. The want of this shows that men have taken up their profession for by and sinister ends; that the Glory of God is not their bottom design in it; for if they did indeed love God with their whole heart, they could not be content in a mere form: if they loved God, they could not rest satisfied in the outside performance of duties, and ⟨p. 51⟩in the Service it self, and boast themselves merely in the duty done. They would take no content in any Ordinance or Performance, in which they did not meet with God, and enjoy Spiritual Communion with him, which is the true end and usefulness of all the duties which we are commanded to attend upon. He who indeed loveth God, will seek in all things to Glorify him, as that which is the very end of his being and operation: now God is not glorified by a mere form, but so far as the power of Godliness is denied, in any thing which the man doth, so far his name is dishonoured; and the more by there being a form, because hereby their profession is contradicted by their practice, and a discovery is made that they were not indeed concerned for his honour, but indeed do reproach him; and this must needs be very dangerous.
1. Such a people shew that they have not a sincere love to God and his ways; this is an evidence that their Profession is not built upon right principles. All true Obedience, is in the Gospel, called Love: and the reason of it is, because love is the root and spring of it, and so it is the more distinguishing note between sincerity and hypocrisy. Now the love which God requireth, is an hearty love, Matth. 22. 37