A66111:571
The truly blessed man, or, The way to be happy here, and forever being…
The truly blessed man, or, The way to be happy here, and forever being the substance of divers sermons preached on Psalm XXXII / by Samuel Willard.
printed by B. Green and J. Allen for Michael Perry, 1650
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.
PROPOSITION III.
That we must be very free and deliberate in the confessing of our sins. The Psalmist tells us of his purpose to do it, I said I will confess: and how did he say this, but in his heart? he did it upon mature consideration it was neither an enforced, nor an inconsiderate action, done in haste, rashly. Here then,
1. It must be free, ingenuous, voluntary. There •ust first be a resolution, and then a practice upon it, and without this it cannot be right or sin•ere. There is no Religious duty done acceptably to God, but what hath the heart in it, the •ill determined about it; there are many forced confessions, that men are driven to in distress, •hen Gods hand is upon them, and Conscience •undereth against them, that maketh them to •omit up their indigested morsels, and make a great •oise, as those that are extremely sick of Sin; but is not kindly, nor will it end well. Pharaoh •id thus when Gods hand was heavy on him; & •e Children of Israel did so in times of distressing judgments: but what came it to? What a remark oth God make on it?