N00802:1485
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: To go no further in Gods Service than forced is an ill sign. 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.
2. That there is some inward principle or motive exciting men to this Service, when they do attend it. All that pretend to Religion do not thus order their Conversation. Many that call themselves Christians, live like Heathen, or worse, and so bring reproach on their Profession. And there is a corrupt principle in the hearts of all men, which ally nates them from Gods Service, and fills them with prejudices against it. Now, in all humane actions, there is something that instigates men to do them: all external actions of men are Imperate actions, and suppose the Elicit acts of the Will, which hath made an Election of them, which denominates them Voluntary; and that supposeth the foregoing judgment of the Understanding, and the consequent ••citation of the Affections. There is some reason ••at prevails with the man in his deliberations, that ⟨p. 482⟩engageth him; for herein men differ from brutes. Brutes are moved by their Affections, but these are moved by mere sense and instinct; but, though man be acted by his Affections, yet these are instigated by reason and election. How often therefore are men called upon to Consider? Psal. 119 59.39 3 Isa 1.3.
2. That there is some inward principle or motive exciting men to this Service, when they do attend it. All that pretend to Religion do not thus order their Conversation. Many that call themselves Christians, live like Heathen, or worse, and so bring reproach on their Profession. And there is a corrupt principle in the hearts of all men, which ali• nates them from Gods Service, and fills them with prejudices against it. Now, in all humane actions, there is something that instigates men to do them: all external actions of men are Imperate actions, and suppose the Elicit acts of the Will, which hath made an Election of them, which denominates them Voluntary; and that supposeth the foregoing judgment of the Understanding, and the consequent ••citation of the Affections. There is some reason ••at prevails with the man in his deliberations, that ⟨p. 482⟩