N00802:354
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. From the nature of Conscience. I shall here only consider it from its Office to bind this Guilt upon the man, and distress him with it, and when God sets it to its work, it will do it to purpose; here,
1. Conscience is a Statute Book. In it are engraven the Laws of God, by which men are to be Judged, and there they are to read. These records are much blurred in natural men, however, mere Heathen have enough to convince, and consequently to condemn them: they are said to be A Law to themselves, Rom. 2.14. Conscience not only tells them this is a Sin, and that a Duty, but also that there is such a recompense due to sin in Justice, it testifieth both to the Law, and the equity of it, Rom. 1. ult. 2 1. And when Conscience hath been enlightened by the Word, it is yet more fitted to discharge this Office.
1. Conscience is a Statute Book. In it are engraven the Laws of God, by which men are to be Judged, and there they are to read. These records are much blurred in natural men, however, meer Heathen have enough to convince, and consequently to condemn them: they are said to be A Law to themselves, Rom. 2.14. Conscience not only tells them this is a Sin, and that a Duty, but also that there is such a recompence due to sin in Justice, it testifyeth both to the Law, and the equity of it, Rom. 1. ult. 2 1. And when Conscience hath been enlightned by the Word, it is yet more fitted to discharge this Office.