N00747:100
Spiritual desertions discovered and remedied. Being the substance of divers sermons preached for the…
Spiritual desertions discovered and remedied. Being the substance of divers sermons preached for the help of dark souls, labouring under divine withdrawings. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Four lines from Isaiah]
printed by B. Green for Michael Perry and Benjamin Eliot, 1699
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. Yet the Desertion shall last no longer than till the end of it is attained. God aims at something by it, and accordingly, useth it as a medium in order thereunto; and consequently he will continue it no longer then till he hath done that by it which he designed▪ it for; and this must needs be so, because God is infinitely wise, and will do no thing in vain: how then should he continue to do that which himself calls his strange work, any longer then there is occasion for it.
2. Yet the Desertion shall last no longer than till the end of it is attained. God aims at something by it, and accordingly, useth it as a medium in order thereunto; and consequently he will continue it no longer then till he hath done that by it which he designed▪ it for; and this must needs be so, because God is infinitely wise, and will do no thing in vain: how then should he continue to do that which himself calls his strange w•rk, any longer then there is occasion for it.
3. Hence those Desertions that are for Chastisement, usually end when we ⟨p. 51⟩are brought to Gods foot, and amended by them. If God corrects us for our folly, and we continue to be stout and refractory, or careless and regardless, it is not to be wondered if he proceed with us in this course; he hath therefore said, Hos. 5.15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence, and s••le my face: and David tells us, how long it was with him in this regard, and how he obtained a return, Psal. 33.3, 4, 5.
3. Hence those Desertions that are for Chastisement, usually end when we