N00802:1017
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. You have had a long day of Grace, and must answer for it all. Though you have forgotten, God hath not: Your sins are written with a pen of iron, & the point of a diamond. All the endeavours that have been used with you are upon record; God hath them in his book, & there is a day of reckoning when he will set them in order before you: and how terrible must it be? when you shall be called to a very uncomfortable repetition, and told of every Sabbath you profaned, every Sermon you regarded not, every check of conscience you stifled, every mock you made at the solemn warnings given you, every neglected purpose, forgotten or violated promise; every vain meeting with your accomplices in sin, every cursed drinking bout you had, where you scoffed at Godliness, and hardened one another in sin: the time when, the place where, and every other circumstance: your memories refreshed, and conscience made to do its office. Would you prevent this fearful reckoning? Now seek God.
2. Your season is certainly almost over. It may be so with the youngest Sinner, but it is undoubtedly so with you. Young ones may feed themselves up with fond hopes by reason of youth, health and vigour; but you have every thing putting you in mind, that the Graves are ready for you, where there will be no working. Not only is your best season gone, but your whole season is on the turning point: you are just leaping into eternity; you are ready to shake hands with time, and to have done with it for ever.
3. You are not yet out of hope. You have yet one offer of a treaty left you, before you go to the Dead: and though you have grievously provoked God to forsake you, he is yet gracious and merciful. Christ's Blood hath virtue enough in it to expiate the guilt of all your sins; his spirit wants not for power to break your hard hearts, and give you repentance: and after so many thousand denials, he again accosts you; and know it, that if after this call you perish, it will be a witness against you, and aggravate your Guilt in the Great Day.