Morality not to be relied on for life. Or, A brief discourse, discovering the…

Name: Morality not to be relied on for life. Or, A brief discourse, discovering the…
Author: Samuel Willard

Morality not to be relied on for life. Or, A brief discourse, discovering the one thing wanting, which leaves the legalist short of life eternal. Delivered in a sermon on the lecture in Boston, May, 23d. 1700. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Four lines from Titus]

Samuel Willard 1640–1707printed by B. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1700

[2], 28, [2] p. ; 16 cm. (8vo) · 6.6k words · Evans 962 · Wing W2286

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Morality Not to be Relied on for Life. › QUESTION. What is that one thing the lack whereof will spoil the be…: QUESTION. What is that one thing the lack whereof will spoil the best Morality in men?

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.

[ Earlier:10–22 of 40

:10p. 7

QUESTION. What is that one thing the lack whereof will spoil the best Morality in men?

:11p. 7

Answ. I shall not here spend time in investigating the particular flaw which Christ laid open in this mans Obedience; for it is beyond just dispute▪ that our Saviours design in this trial, was to convince him of the nature of his malady, and lead him to the root from which it proceeded; which by such a proof he laid open: and what that is, we may now make search after: and, to make way to this, and obviate those prejudices, which proud men will wait for an occasion of, that so they may calumniate our present Doctrine, we may pursue it in the following Conclusions.

:12p. 7–8¶1

1. That moral Obedience is due to God from all mankind. The Jews, when the Gospel was published, were ready to charge Evangelical Preaching as if it made void the Law, which the Apostle utterly denies, and asserts the quite contrary, Rom. 3.31. Do we make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea we establish the law. The moral Law was adapted to the nature of man, as he was placed under the special Government of God. When God speaks of the Ceremonial law, he useth such a word as that, Ezek. ⟨p. 8⟩20.25. I gave them statutes that were not good. Not as if they were not good in respect of the use which they were appointed for, for that would have been an impeachment of Gods wisdom: but they were such as in themselves bind an heavy and insupportable burden upon those who were under the obligation of them,

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QUESTION. What is that one thing the lack whereof will spoil the best Morality in men?