N00747:131
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. This fills them with an apprehension of Gods anger, and is terrible to them; and indeed there is not a more fearful token of Gods displeasure at his Children than when he leaves them to sin, and withdraws his Spirit from them; we read, 2 Sam. 24▪ 1. the anger of God was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, to say, go number Israel and Judah ▪ How shall they be able to pursue their work, and obtain the Crown if thus left? God is angry indeed, when he lets every Grace languish, and corruption to gather strength, and carry them Captive, and they cannot but so resent it.
2. This puts them upon a diligent search after the provocation: they conclude on this, that there is blame in them; God would not have so deserted them, if they had not some way prevaricated: this therefore they must find out, and they are in great anxiety of mind till they can come at it; •hey cry out as he, Job 10.2. show me wherefore thou contendest with me; and they look into every corner of their soul, to find out the Achan. David therefore in this trouble of his, runs up to the cause of it, viz. his carnal confidence, verse 6.
2. This puts them upon a diligent search after the provocation: they conclude on this, that there is blame in them; God would not have so deserted them, if they had not some way prevaricated: this therefore they must find out, and they are in great anxiety of mind till they can come at it; •hey cry out as he, Job 10.2. shew me wherefore thou contendest with me; and they look into every corner of their soul, to find out the Achan. David therefore in this trouble of his, runs up to the cause of it, viz. his carnal confidence, verse 6.