N00129:37
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.
Reas. 2. From the Inconsistency of hating sin in the heart, and closing with it in the life and practice: will we always keep company, and hold intimate fellowship, and drive a constant trade and commerce with one, the sight of whom we loath, an unreformed life is a plain denial, and contradicting of all our verbal and professed repentance, Tit: 1: 16: If we live in sin it makes nothing to the credit of the world, much less to the all seeing eye of God to speak and profess against it.
Reas. 2. From the Inconsistency of hating sin in the heart, and closing with it in the life and practice: will we alwayes keep company, and hold intimate fellowship, and drive a constant trade and commerce with one, the sight of whom we loath, an unreformed life is a plain denial, and contradicting of all our verbal and professed repentance, Tit: 1: 16: If we live in sin it makes nothing to the credit of the world, much less to the all seeing eye of God to speak and profess against it.
Reas: 3 From the nature of true repentance, which is a change from what we were to some other thing; a change of affections, a change of profession, and not only so, but also a change of objects, a turning from the creature to God, Jer: 4: 1: now this implies a through reformation, when the creature casts off all other things which it hath pursued, and seek to God alone.
Use 1 This may call us to the Examination, whether ever we truly repented or no of those sins which we have so often confessed to God, viz: where is our reformation? Search throughly one and another of us, remember what we have confessed, and with what shows of sense and sorrow, as if those sins had indeed been a burden to us, and we desired to ⟨p. 6⟩be rid of them, but have they been amended, have we truly relinquished them? if not, assure we our selves God looks at himself as mocked at all this while, and therefore if we be defective in this essential and substantial part of our repentance, never enquire or ask of God wherefore his hand is stretched out still against us, after so many Prayers and supplications have been poured out before him on solemn days: