A66111:616
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.
6. There may be such a distress on Conscience for some sins, as will necessitate a Confession to men. God sometimes lays the burden heavy on the man, and though he confess to God, he findeth no ease; it is now proper to make use of some or other, to unburden our minds unto: which may be peculiarly intended in, Jam. 5. 16. Confess your faults one to another. God hath appointed his Children to be helpful each to other; only great caution is to be used here; we should choose such to discover our selves to, as will be faithful, and secret, and are capable of giving us counsel and relief; the proper design of it being for the easing of our Consciences. But our great business is to make our Confessions to God, and this we must never forget, and there is great reason for this; for,
6. There may be such a distress on Conscience for some sins, as will necessitate a Confession to men. God sometimes lays the burden heavy on the man, and though he confess to God, he findeth no ease; it is now proper to make use of some or other, to unburden our minds unto: which may be peculiarly intended in, Jam. 5. 16. Confess your faults one to another. God hath appointed his Children to be helpful each to other; only great caution is to be used here; we should chuse such to discover our selves to, as will be faithful, and secret, and are capable of giving us counsel and relief; the proper design of it being for the easing of our Consciences. But our great business is to make our Confessions to God, and this we must never forget, and there is great reason for this; for,
1. God knows all our sins, and therefore it is vain to go about to hide them from him. They all stand in the light of his Countenance; we may hope to escape from men by hiding; but to think to get any thing by not confessing to God, is a great folly. He doth not need our confession, to give him any information, he knows them, and can set them in order before us, when he pleaseth; if then he looketh for our acknowledgement, and we do not make it, this will turn to our damage, there is a threatening in that,