N00802:432
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 › The danger and mischief of Sinful silence and evasions. DOCTRINE.
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.
1. By putting it out of their minds. They endeavour to forget it, or not to think of it, and therefore divert their thoughts to some other thing, and fill their hearts and hands with business that shall occupy them. So Cain seeks to Build a City, instead of hearkening to his Conscience, Gen. 4.16. men hope if they can forget it, God will too.
2. By extenuating it. By making a light matter of their sin, they would quiet their minds, and hence find out many excuses to content themselves withal; it was no great matter, and it was a great Temptation▪ &c.
3. By presumption that God doth not see or mind it. And indeed this lies at the bottom of all these tricks and devices; for if men were throughly convinced that God both seeth and discovereth all; it would convince them of their stupendous ⟨p. 163⟩folly in all their subterfuges; but thus men quiet their Consciences, if God sees not nor regards, why then should they be troubled? Psal. 94.4.