N00747:87
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.
4. Hence God useth such desertions to make them the more careful and fearful ⟨p. 43⟩for the time to come; these become a close lesson unto them, to let them see what an egregious folly it is for them to abuse their fathers kindness, and familiarity; this becomes a memento to them as long as they live, and they can hardly out grow it, but it giveth them an item, when at any time a temptation offers it self: it was doubtless such an experiment as brought David to that resolve, Psal. 39.1. I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not; and by this means there is more close communion afterward manifested between God and them.
4. Hence God useth such des•rtions to make them the more careful and fearful ⟨p. 43⟩for the time to come; these become a close lesson unto them, to let them see what an egregious folly it is for them to abuse their fathers kindness, and familiarity; this becomes a memento to them as long as they live, and they can hardly out grow it, but it giveth them an item, when at any time a temptation offers it self: it was doubtless such an experiment as brought David to that resolve, Psal. 39.1. I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not; and by this means there is more close communion afterward manifested betweeen God and them.
4. To what degree this desertion may arrive?