N00303:414
The child's portion
The child's portion: or The unseen glory of the children of God, asserted, and proved: together with several other sermons occasionally preached, and now published. / By Samuel Willard teacher of a church in Boston, New-England. ; [Five lines from Psalms]
printed by Samuel Green, 1684
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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. The end of his prophecy, viz. if it might be to prevent their ruin, which he therefore delivers in way of Exhortation; Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, &c. I name that Exhortation as a branch of his defence, because he doth therein explicate what he had before delivered in the prophecy it self. Vers. 3. And also insinuates that his errand and business was not to triumph over them, but compassionately to endeavour the prevention of all the evil denounced: It is, q. d. Wherein have I offended? I have only studied your peace and safety; only advised to means of delivery and establishment, and is this a Crime? Must I dye for this? He therefore gives them a safe direction, and backs it with a persuasive encouragement.
2. The end of his prophesie, viz. if it might be to prevent their ruine, which he therefore delivers in way of Exhortation; Therefore now amend your wayes and your doings, &c. I name that Exhortation as a branch of his defence, because he doth therein explicate what he had before delivered in the prophesie it self. Vers. 3. And also insinuates that his errand and business was not to triumph over them, but compassionately to endeavour the prevention of all the evil denounced: It is, q. d. Wherein have I offended? I have only studied your peace and safety; only advised to means of delivery and establishment, and is this a Crime? Must I dye for this? He therefore gives them a safe direction, and backs it with a perswasive encouragement.
The Direction is to Repentance and Reformation, and designs the rectifying both of heart and life, projects and practices. Amend, the word is, make good, noting they had been bad, which called for amendment or reformation. Your way and doings: Calvin reads it, your ways and studies: The word signifies a thing done by study, plotting, design and deliberation: And obey the voice of the Lord your God. ⟨p. 169⟩The word is, Hear, and is the frequent Scripture expression of obedience: By the voice of God as intended the will of God delivered in his Word, intimating that he brought no new Commands to them, but only studied to reduce them to the obedience of God's Law, of which they professed themselves the subjects (if they would studiously consider, and compare themselves by it) they might easily know their present course to be Judged and Condemned.