N00747:79
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. God hereby lets them know their own weakness, to humble them. When God withdraws, the corrupt part stirs: unbelief is ready to discover it self, impatience to break forth in unsuitable expressions, and carriages; the Christian who before thought, what he •ould do, if assailed, now finds himself to be at a loss, and ready to sink; see how David expresseth himself, in Psal. 77▪ begin. as if all were gone; and is made to confess that it was his infirmity, Verse 10.
6. And he lets them herein experience his own fidelity and power. When he gives them a full proof of their own weakness, and helpeth them to cry out to him for help: when with Peter, Matth. 14.30. They find themselves sinking, and call unto him for his aid, now he stretcheth out an hand▪ to them, and upholds them, and thereby wonderfully manifests himself to them. They had never known how faithful and able ⟨p. 40⟩a God he is, had it not been for such an exigency. It was when the Psalmist was Compassed with the sorrows of Death, &c. and he called upon God, Psal. 116.3, 4. that he Celebrates him with that Confession, Verse 4. Gracious is the Lord and righteous, yea our God is merciful.
7. And herein he also helpeth others of his Children. One such experience is of great use to many, when they are in a like case. We are advised,