N00802:1254
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 1: Experienced Christians fittest to teach others. DOCTRINE I.
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.
Experienced Christians fittest to teach others. DOCTRINE I.
THE most experienced Christians are fittest to teach others. To prevent mistake in this matter, Observe,
1. That none can teach us effectually, and savingly, but God. He is said to teach men knowledge, Psal. 94.10. There is beside a natural understanding, which belongs to man, as he is a man, by which he can apprehend the notion of thing• rationally, ⟨p. 415⟩a spiritual illumination enabling him to discern them spiritually: this every natural man hath not, 1 Cor. 2 14. And the so opening his eyes is a Divine work, Eph. 1.17, 18. Till this be done, Doctrinal teaching doth no saving good, whatsoever literal knowledge men gain by it.
2. That God hath no dependence on Instruments in producing this knowledge. The highest service of men is only instrumental, and that no more than morally; and God hath no need of instruments, nor doth he use them of necessity, but for his pleasure; much less doth he need that they be thus or so furnished, he can do it as well with the most unlikely, and gain glory in so doing,