N00802:1593
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 2: Wicked mens Sorrows, great and innumerable. DOCTRINE II.
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. Hence God is in the day of his patience giving them space for this. So he saith of her, Rev 2.22. I gave her a space to repent. All that enjoy the Dispensation of the Gospel have this privilege. If ever the escape be made, it must be in this life, before Sinners go to the Grave, where when they once come, they are fixed for ever, and their condition is irreversible; but while they live they are within the reach of the grace of the New-Covenant, and the goodness and forbearance of God, are arguments to lead them to Repentance, Rom. 2.3.
2. Hence God is in the day of his patience giving them space for this. So he saith of her, Rev 2.22. I gave her a space to repent. All that enjoy the Dispensation of the Gospel have this priviledge. If ever the escape be made, it must be in this life, before Sinners go to the Grave, where when they once come, they are fixed for ever, and their condition is irreversible; but while they live they are within the reach of the grace of the New-Covenant, and the goodness and forbearance of God, are arguments to lead them to Repentance, Rom. 2.3.
3. Hence if they neglect thus to improve this space, their sorrows will thereby be made the more intense. If they do not use it to make their peace, and get into Christ, but abuse it to gratify their lusts, and strengthen themselves in wickedness, this will add to the provocation, and procure for them the more intolerable miseries: and for that reason the threatenings of the Gospel are the most fearful of any, and the portion of Unbelievers the most amazing, Luk. 12.46. And ⟨p. 519⟩reason good, for if the only remedy be despised, how shall men escape? it is very fit they should smart for their so despising it.