N00802:1833
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
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.
A. Let me here premise, that Godly men have not all alike present occasion for exercising their joy; nor the same persons at all times. Many reasons might be assigned for this; but I shall only in general observe, that there are dark times with the Children of God, as well as lightsome, times of Gods hiding, as well as of shedding his love abroad in their hearts; humbling as well as cheering Providences pass over them: sometimes their sins break their bones, and put them to pain; sometimes the bridegroom is taken from them: and there is to be a different carriage in such cases. But yet there are those things that belong to every upright one, which never fail, and have abundant matter of joy in them.
A. Let me here premise, that Godly men have not all alike present occasion for exercising their joy; nor the same persons at all times. Many reasons might be assigned for this; but I shall only in general observe, that there are dark times with the Children of God, as well as lightsome, times of Gods hiding, as well as of shedding his love abroad in their hearts; humbling as well as chearing Providences pass over them: sometimes their sins break their bones, and put them to pain; sometimes the bridegroom is taken from them: and there is to be a different carriage in such cases. But yet there are those things that belong to every upright one, which never fail, and have abundant matter of joy in them.
1. There are these things which at present they have in hand; which surpasseth all that the world can mention or think of, 1 Cor. 2.9. The earnests and forecasts of the glory to be revealed in them, have so much sweetness as is sufficient to draw forth their joy: Now their sins are pardoned, and persons justified, Rom. 5.1. Now they are the Adopted Children of God, 1 Joh. 3 2. They have now a Father to care, and provide for, and defend them, a Comforter to lead and conduct them, an Advocate with the Father for them, substantial Promises to live on, a Convoy of Glorious Angels to attend on them; in a word, there is nothing good for them, that