N00802:348
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 1: The distress of a Conscience burdened with Sin. DOCTRINE. I.
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. In respect of the apprehension the man hath of the Evil on his mind. Every thing is to the mind of man, as he resents it. If the man be ignorant of the Evil, he is not troubled about it; if he understandeth not the evil in the thing, he maketh a light matter of it, and that is the reason why Fools make a mock of sin, Prov. 14.9. Which they would never do, if they knew the world of mischief there is in it. On the other hand, when men do over value the evil in the thing, it makes lighter troubles the more distressing; which is the reason why worldly crosses more perplex men, then Spiritual Plagues, and the loss of a creature comfort more oppresseth them than the loss of a Soul.
2. It now follows to show the truth of the Doctrine, or evidence that a Conscience thus burdened, is a dismal distress. For which let these three Considerations be laid together.
2. It now follows to shew the truth of the Doctrine, or evidence that a Conscience thus burdened, is a dismal distress. For which let these three Considerations be laid together.
1. From the nature of Guilt. The right consideration of what is in it, will make it appear a distressing thing. We have before considered what it is, and there are three things in it which afford matter of distress to the man.