N00802:1990
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.
4. You are never without abundant matter for this. It leaves not a Child of God at any time to say, What should I rejoice for! and yet how often do such words break out? hath not that man reason to rejoice for ever, who was dead, and is now alive; who was a prisoner of Justice, held fast by Guilt to suffer everlasting wrath, and is now set at liberty; who was once an enemy, and is now a Son; of whom when he was perishing, God said, Save him from going to the pit, I have found a ransom; whose interest in heaven is secured, and is himself kept by Gods power to salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. Whom Christ hath loved, and bought, and married to himself, with whom God dwells now, and who shall dwell with him world without end? Such an one art thou, and canst thou but rejoice in the Lord? shall a poor worldling think he hath reason to be merry, because his portion is made fat, and shall you be sad?
4. You are never without abundant matter for this. It leaves not a Child of God at any time to say, What should I rejoyce for! and yet how often do such words break out? hath not that man reason to rejoyce for ever, who was dead, and is now alive; who was a prisoner of Justice, held fast by Guilt to suffer everlasting wrath, and is now set at liberty; who was once an enemy, and is now a Son; of whom when he was perishing, God said, Save him from going to the pit, I have found a ransom; whose interest in heaven is secured, and is himself kept by Gods power to salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. Whom Christ hath loved, and bought, and married to himself, with whom God dwells now, and who shall dwell with him world without end? Such an one art thou, and canst thou but rejoyce in the Lord? shall a poor worldling think he hath reason to be merry, because his portion is made fat, and shall you be sad?
5. This is the only rejoicing that will stand by you, in all the changes that pass over you. God is an everlasting and unchangeable Object, if once ours, he is so for ever: they then who make him their joy, need never cease, in all changes,