N00129:342
Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy
Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy: delivered in several sermons on solemn occasions: / by Mr. Samuel Willard Pastor of the Church of Christ at Groton. ; [Eight lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Samuel Green, 1673
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. When we enquire more after the Events of Calamity, then the Causes procuring of it: thus those Id••tans, What of the night? i. e. What is like to come upon us? So there is much enquiry, what the issue of these rolling Providences is like to be; what things are like to come to: but there are few say, What have I done? wherein is the Lords anger incensed amp;c.? this shows we are more afraid of sorrow then sin, when we look so much at the Rod, and not at the hand which wieldeth it: This argues a spirit of hypocrisy, for we neglect our work; which is to search and try our hearts, and meddle with Gods work, whose Sovereignty it is to rule and order the affairs of the whole World at his own pleasure.
1. When we enquire more after the Events of Calamity, then the Causes procuring of it: thus those Id••tans, What of the night? i. e. What is like to come upon us? So there is much enquiry, what the issue of these rolling Providences is like to be; what things are like to come to: but there are few say, What have I done? wherein is the Lords anger incensed amp;c.? this shews we are more afraid of sorrow then sin, when we look so much at the Rod, and not at the hand which wieldeth it: This argues a spirit of hypocrisie, for we neglect our work; which is to search and try our hearts, and meddle with Gods work, whose Soveraignty it is to rule and order the affairs of the whole World at his own pleasure.
2. When we enquire more after Natural then Spiritual Causes: we are very inquisitive to know what may be the Natural Cause of these Blastings which have for many years diminished and corrupted the best of our Grain; and hence, many projective endeavours in vain attempted to prevent it, by a seeking to remove that Cause, which we are to this day baffled in, and as far off to seek as ever: but the Causes Spiritual (which are more manifest, and easy to be discovered) are slightly sought after, and so but little endeavour to remove them, hence no wonder that the Effect remains, we enquire in hypocrisy.