N00747:278
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. The Spirit of God is ready to help you. If you do but ask him, he is ready to come, Luk. 11.13. Your heavenly father shall give the holy Spirit to them that ask him? Why should you sink under the apprehension of your own inability to come or look? is the•e but a groan after him? he hears and understands it.
6 God can wonderfully glorify himself in this way. You say, how can it ⟨p. 144⟩be that he should regard such an one as I, who have been so deceitful & vile, and sinned against his Grace, dissembled with him? know it, he can glorify his Grace, by every of these circumstances that you aggravate your folly by. Suppose therefore, if you will needs have it to be so, that you have been deceived, and dare not lay claim to the promise, yet here is enough in his Name to help you to seek and wait for him.
3. Resolve then to adventure your selves upon God. Run into his Name; you are encouraged so to do, Prov. 18.10. The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. And therefore if you find such resolutions stirring in you, nourish and prosecute them. Thus, by renewing Faith and Repentance, you shall, Grace assisting, recover the light of Gods countenance, and have your mourning turned into dancing; your sackcloth shall be put off, and you shall be girded with gladness.
3. Resolve then to adventure your selves upon God. Run into his Name; you are encouraged so to do,