A66111:809
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.
2. It will serve greatly for the benefit of drooping Souls. When they hear us telling what straits we were in, what fore Temptations we have been buried withal; and how seasonably, and suitably, while we were waiting for him, God came into us, and sealed up his love, and what impressions we find of it upon our spirits: we may by this give a good lift to help them out of trouble: and God hath very frequently blessed such a course as this; and this also will help farther to establish our own Consolation.
2. It will serve greatly for the benefit of drooping Souls. When they hear us telling what straits we were in, what fore Temptations we have been burried withal; and how seasonably, and suitably, while we were waiting for him, God came into us, and sealed up his love, and what impressions we find of it upon our spirits: we may by this give a good lift to help them out of trouble: and God hath very frequently blessed such a course as this; and this also will help farther to establish our own Consolation.
2. Be we advised, that there is a misimprovement of the Examples of Gods people in this regard, which we are to be cautioned against. They are good helps in themselves, and prove so to them that wisely use them, but they may be abused, and then they will turn to harm: beware of this: And there are three ways in which it may be done.
1. When we encourage our selves in Sin by them. The use of them is to encourage us to Repentances this then is an abuse, when we look on the examples of such as sinned grievously, and yet found mercy, and thence infer, that there is no such danger in sinning, we may be bold to transgress, because they were pardoned: what is this but to turn the Grace of God into wantonness, and to Sin that Grace may abound? to adventure to throw our selves over a precipice, because we have an instance of one that fell over, and escaped with his life, forgetting how many have so fallen, and it hath cost them their lives. God will be provoked to leave us to perish, if thus we affront his mercy.