N00802:1358
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: Divine Teachings are to guide us in our way. 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. The matter is of infinite concernment. Every one of us is in some way or other: there are a great many particular ways that men take, but all centre in these two, either the way to life or death: every one is travelling either to heaven or hell: and where he arrives in the end of his way, there he will be lodged for eternity; and of all these ways there is but one, and a narrow one too, that leads to life, Mat. 7.13.
1. The matter is of infinite concernment. Every one of us is in some way or other: there are a great many particular ways that men take, but all center in these two, either the way to life or death: every one is travelling either to heaven or hell: and where he arrives in the end of his way, there he will be lodged for eternity; and of all these ways there is but one, and a narrow one too, that leads to life, Mat. 7.13.
2. As long as you are in your natural state, you are out of the right way. It is only by Conversion that we are brought in at the strait gate, which sets us in the narrow way; if you follow the way of your own heart, you are lost; all your time lost, and you but making work for Repentance.
And for Direction h••e; you must seek to Christ to bring you into the right way; you are fallen, & you cannot g•t up unless he lift you up; you are prejudiced at this way, he can remove that; if you think to get into it without him you deceive your selves, but if you implore his help, he is ready to set you right and lead you safely.