N00460:195
The mourners cordial against excessive sorrow discovering what grounds of hope Gods people have…
The mourners cordial against excessive sorrow discovering what grounds of hope Gods people have concerning their dead friends / by Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Five lines from II Corinthians]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1691
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.
4. Though such cannot express that boasting confidence which others can, yet they may discover to our charity as much grace as others do. They may under this very cloud and darkness, express their endeared love to the Lo•d Jesus Christ, their earnest longings to see his face and be with him, their humble sense of their own unworthiness of his mercy, Justifying of him in this very dispensation of his unto them; their entire hatred of sin, and their deep self loathing by reason of it: their insatiable desires after Christ, and everlasting communion with him, the earnest breathings of their souls after more holiness, and whatsoever else is the proper fruit of Saving Grace in the Souls of Gods Children: and the observation of these things will give us a better foundation to build our hopes in respect to them upon, than the great confidence which many do express; because it is from such things as these are, that we fetch our arguments to persuade us that that is right and not deceiving.
4. Though such cannot express that boasting confidence which others can, yet they may discover to our charity as much grace as others do. They may under this very cloud and darkness, express their endeared love to the Lo•d Jesus Christ, their earnest longings to see his face and be with him, their humble sense of their own unworthiness of his mercy, Justifying of him in this very dispensation of his unto them; their entire hatred of sin, and their deep self loathing by reason of it: their insatiable desires after Christ, and everlasting communion with him, the earnest breathings of their souls after more holiness, and whatsoever else is the proper fruit of Saving Grace in the Souls of Gods Children: and the observation of these things will give us a better foundation to build our hopes in respect to them upon, than the great confidence which many do express; because it is from such things as these are, that we fetch our arguments to perswade us that that is right and not deceiving.
7. Some that have lived soberly in their Child-hood, have afterwards been drawn into lewd courses, and would not hearken to counsel, neither of their Godly Parents, nor faithful Ministers, till God came to lay them upon a sick and Death-bed, and then they have had terrible awakenings and Convictions, and made solemn confessions both to God and man, taken shame to themselves earnestly begged of God for pardon, and possibly also have testified some hopes that they have conceived hereupon of mercy and acceptance with God, and we have occasion to take notice of several such cases as these are; and concerning our Hopes about such, I would offer these two things.