N00802:305
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.
2. Learn hence one reason why so many Christians are in the dark about their state of forgiveness. How often do they complain that they are full of fears, and doubts, and hurries in their minds concerning themselves; afraid they are not in Gods favour, that he hath not pardoned them? And whence is this distress and darkness? Far be it that I should Condemn the Generation of the just; I know that God acts a great deal of his Sovereignty here: they are not all Hypocrites that are in such a condition, Isa. 53.10. How ever, it is to be feared that too many give sad occasion for this by their own folly, and provoke God thus to withdraw the light of his Countenance from them, whiles they take too little heed to themselves, and keep not a strict watch over the deceitfulness that remains in their hearts, but suffer themselves to be trapann•d by it into carriages that are deceitful. Was it not thus with the Spouse? Cant. 5. begin. And upon it ⟨p. 122⟩her beloved Withdraws from her. And when Gods Children turn Lawful Liberty into Licentiousness comply with the humours, modes, and customs of a vain world, upon pretence of Civility; when they grow formal and slighty in the performance of Spiritual duties, and admit of carnal pretences to intermit them, &c. They do in these things gratify the Guile of their worser part, and if God upon it withholds the witness of his Love, and darkens the evidence of it, it is a Righteous dispensation; and did they more carefully maintain an awful fear of God in their hearts, it would not so frequently be so, Psal. 25.24.
2. Learn hence one reason why so many Christians are in the dark about their state of forgiveness. How often do they complain that they are full of fears, and doubts, and hurries in their minds concerning them••lves; afraid they are not in Gods favour, that he hath not pardoned them? And whence is this distress and darkness? Far be it that I should Condemn the Generation of the just; I know that God acts a great deal of his Sovereignty here: they are not all Hypocrites that are in such a condition,