N00747:201
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.
5. Carry it very tenderly toward such as want this light. If you begin to despise such as are under sad withdrawings, and full of their bitter complaints, your father will take it very ill at your hands: they are as dear to him as you are; and he can easily shift his Providences, and set them in your light, and bring you into their darkness; and it will be a righteous thing for him so to do, if you thus insult over them. Pity them, and adore the loving kindness of God to you the more, when you see that all his precious ones are not so favoured: and be ready to ⟨p. 104⟩impart your help to them at all times, as considering that you know not how soon the time may come, when you may stand in need of theirs.
5. Carry it very tenderly toward such as want this light. If you begin to despise such as are under sad withdrawings, and full of their bitter complaints, your father will take it very ill at your hands: they are as dear to him as you are; and he can easily shift his Providences, and set them in your light, and bring you into their darkness; and it will be a righteous thing for him so to do, if you thus insult over them. Pitty them, and adore the loving kindness of God to you the more, when you see that all his precious ones are not so favoured: and be ready to ⟨p. 104⟩impart your help to them at all times, as considering that you know not how soon the time may come, when you may stand in need of theirs.
2. To such as, after much darkness and distress, are gotten into the light. There are those whom God sees meet to keep under a cloud a great while; they seek him, but they cannot find him; they cry after him, but he doth not show himself to them, so as to let them apprehend his love, and discern the smiles of his countenance to their consolation: but after long waiting, & praying, and groaning, and many a longing look; at length he comes and darts in his refreshing light into them, with which he makes them glad, and their souls are abundantly satisfied with it: to such as these let me offer these counsels.