N00802:1545
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: Untractableness under means, a character of a wicked man. 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. When it is always so. A Godly man is now and then brought into such a condition, but it is not the constant guise of his life; at one time sin is too hard for him, but at another he is too hard for that; at one time he is obstinate, and provoked when reproved, but at another he takes it kindly & well: and the reason is, because where there is no grace, nothing better is to be expected; but where there is, there is a new principle which will be lusting against the flesh; and it is abetted by the Spirit of God, who will preserve and perfect it, and so cannot fail of reviving it again.
1. When it is always so. A Godly man is now and then brought into such a condition, but it is not the constant g•ize of his life; at one time sin is too hard for him, but at another he is too hard for that; at one time he is obstinate, and provoked when reproved, but at another he takes it kindly & well: and the reason is, because where there is no grace, nothing better is to be expected; but where there is, there is a new principle which will be lusting against the flesh; and it is abetted by the Spirit of God, who will preserve and perfect it, and so cannot fail of reviving it again.
2. When it is followed with Impenitency. Though Gods Children may fall far, and get grievous bruises, yea, and stupefy themselves for the present, yet he will recover them again by Repentance, he will make it evil and bitter to them, they shall see, bewail, and turn from these sins with their whole heart; so did David, although it were some while before he so did, 2 Sam. 12. And this is from Gods Covenant faithfulness, who hath said that he will not suffer them utterly to fall: whereas Ungodly men are left under the power of impenitency, to harden their hearts as an Adamant, and refuse to return, Jer. 8.5. And the more they are warned, the more perverse they are.