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The truly blessed man
The truly blessed man: or, The way to be happy here, and for ever: being the substance of divers sermons preached on, Psalm XXXII. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. N.E. ; [Five lines from Isaiah]
printed by B. Green for Michael Perry, 1700
Sermon › Doctrine 3: God to be sought in a finding time. DOCTRINE. III.
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.
1. How great a price there is in our hands, and shall we not improve it? We shall show our selves notorious fools if we do not, Prov. 17.16. Hereby we have all directions, encouragements, quicknings to this duty; by these God is calling and inviting us to seek after him, […] us the way in which we may find him, which the best improvement of the light of nature would not have discovered. Herein he lets us know that he is not departed from us; thus heavens market is kept open, and everlasting mercies are waiting upon us. Why then do we sit still, and not regard them? Can we promise our selves ever to have a fairer season? This is certainly a day of grace, why then should we sit idle all the day, and do nothing.
1. How great a price there is in our hands, and shall we not improve it? We shall shew our selves notorious fools if we do not, Prov. 17.16. Hereby we have all directions, encouragements, quicknings to this duty; by these God is calling and inviting us to seek after him, 〈…〉 us the way in which we may find him, which the best improvement of the light of nature would not have discovered. Herein he lets us know that he is not departed from us; thus heavens market is kept open, and everlasting mercies are waiting upon us. Why then do we sit still, and not regard them? Can we promise our selves ever to have a fairer season? This is certainly a day of grace, why then should we sit idle all the day, and do nothing.
2. How fearful a thing would it be, if it should be otherwise with us? God can easily order it to be so. The Gospel means and Ministers are his gift: he can put out the Lights in the Candlesticks when he will: and nothing will more readily provoke him to it, than not to walk in the light while we ⟨p. 349⟩enjoy it; he can take away the Shepherds, and suffer grievous Wolves to come in their stead, who shall devour the Flock. How many places are there in the world, where the Truth once flourished gloriously, are now turned aside to lies? and though they bear the name of Christians, yet are fed with husks instead of bread; where ignorance, error, formality, neglect of feeding the Flock, and woeful debaucheries prevail; and the blind lead the blind; this is a sore calamity; and should it be our lot, it would make an amazing change among us; and what would you give then for such an opportunity as you now despise?