N00747:104
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.
1. Some have but few of these desertions, and those also very short: and they are carried the greater part of their life in a clear light: Of such we have the Psalmists remark, Psal. 89.15, 16. they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance; in thy name shall they rejoice all the day.
1. Some have but few of these desertions, and those also very short: and they are carried the greater part of their life in a clear light: Of such we have the Psalmists remark, Psal. 89.15, 16. they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance; in thy name shall they rejoyce all the day.
2. Others have more of these at their setting out, and afterward they enjoy a great serenity. God pleaseth to hold them a considerable time in the dark, before he makes remarkable discoveries of himself to them; though he gives them the grace, yet they want the comfort of it; but afterwards, after humble waiting, he comes in with his wondrous light, and replenisheth them with it; they find the meaning of that, Psal. 112.4. unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness; a cloudy day hath a serene sun-set, and in the evening it is light.
3. Others begin fair, but are afterwards tried with awful withdrawings God at first seals his love up to them, takes them into his chambers, and manifesteth his wonderful love to them: and after that he changeth his providence toward them, and they are carried into