N00802:1645
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: Faith the foundation of true Obedience. 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. A discovery of that in him which is sufficient for this Life. Man acts his deliberation in making choice of his object; and that which comes under debate, is whether it will answer the end of it for which it is chosen; & so far as he apprehends this, so far is he guided to his Election. This makes wicked men to choose the world, because they are deceived by it: and when God draws men to believe in him, he makes himself known to them in his glorious perfections, Psal. 9.10. He therefore gives the reason of his trust, Psal. 62.5, 6, 7.
1. A discovery of that in him which is sufficient for this Life. Man acts his deliberation in making choise of his object; and that which comes under debate, is whether it will answer the end of it for which it is chosen; & so far as he apprehends this, so far is he guided to his Election. This makes wicked men to chuse the world, because they are deceived by it: and when God draws men to believe in him, he makes himself known to them in his glorious perfections, Psal. 9.10. He therefore gives the reason of his trust, Psal. 62.5, 6, 7.
2. A conviction that it is no where else to be bad. Fallen man is diverted to other objects, and hath fastened the hold of his choice on them, and must have his hands knocks off, before he will choose God for his portion: and this is done by letting him see how vain all other things are, that they cannot give him the satisfaction he craves after, and without which he must be empty & miserable: hence the vanity of the Creature is no little part of the design of the Spirit to display in the word of God.
2. A conviction that it is no where else to be bad. Fallen man is diverted to other objects, and hath fastened the hold of his choise on them, and must have his hands knocks off, before he will chuse God for his portion: and this is done by letting him see how vain all other things are, that they cannot give him the satisfaction he craves after, and without which he must be empty & miserable: hence the vanity of the Creature is no little part of the design of the Spirit to display in the word of God.