N00802:1265
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.
1. It fills the heart with an ardent desire to glorify God. All the literal Light that men get by study, hath no heat in it; it doth not engage the heart at all in love to God; but when once the Soul hath tasted that God is gracious, hath felt the bitterness of sin, and been distressed by reason of the wrath of God, and known the Grace of God in giving him Repentance and pardon; he is now filled with love to God, and thinks he can never do enough for him, never lay himself low enough, ⟨p. 417⟩nor sufficiently set forth his praises: and he would have all the world to love, admire, and praise this God with him; Psal. 34.3, 4.
1. It fills the heart with an ardent desire to glorifie God. All the literal Light that men get by study, hath no heat in it; it doth not engage the heart at all in love to God; but when once the Soul hath tasted that God is gracious, hath felt the bitterness of sin, and been distrest by reason of the wrath of God, and known the Grace of God in giving him Repentance and pardon; he is now filled with love to God, and thinks he can never do enough for him, never lay himself low enough, ⟨p. 417⟩nor sufficiently set forth his praises: and he would have all the world to love, admire, and praise this God with him; Psal. 34.3, 4.
2. It kindleth a longing desire after the Salvation of Souls. By this men come to know the great worth of Souls, and their woeful danger, and accordingly to have travailing pains for them, till Christ be formed in them, Gal. 4 19. He that hath felt in himself what an evil and bitter thing sin is, and hath known the riches of grace in pardoning, and healing him, cannot but compassionate such as live in sin, and lie under the curse; and this will put them upon all endeavours, and make them to give warning and counsel on all occasions, knowing the worth and hazard of a Soul, if it be possible to save it.