N00802:1123
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
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. That they have such an esteem of it, else they would not fly to it. Why do worldly men trust in their wealth, because it is a strong City in their esteem? Prov. 18 11. Man rationally upon the foresight of danger, betakes himself there where he supposeth at least a probability of safety; hope is the spring of endeavour, and that is excited by its object.
2. Hence they promise themselves safety in it, else they would not tarry there: and as long as a man nourisheth his hope with such a persuasion, he can abide in quiet, and confidence: but if once he begins to mistrust his safety, and think himself not secure, he meditates a flight from thence, and to betake himself to some other place.
2. Hence they promise themselves safety in it, else they would not tarry there: and as long as a man nourisheth his hope with such a perswasion, he can abide in quiet, and confidence: but if once he begins to mistrust his safety, and think himself not secure, he meditates a flight from thence, and to betake himself to some other place.
• If therefore it doth not this for him, it is no hiding place to him. For this end it is called a refuge of lies and hiding place of deceit, Isa. 28.17. a refuge, because they fly to it: of lies, because cheated by it. Hence they made that complaint, Lam. 4.17. God therefore is an hiding place to his people.