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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 distress of Conscience from Gods heavy hand. 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.
The distress of Conscience from Gods heavy hand. DOCTRINE.
The sore distress of Conscience that men are brought into for Sin, is because of Gods hand, lying heavily and continually upon them. That both Godly and wicked are sometimes in such distress, hath already been observed, and how heavily it lieth on them: that which now is before us, is to enquire, How or whence it cometh that they are in such anxiety? It is certain that man himself doth not willingly, or upon choice bring himself into this trouble, though he doth morally procure it for himself; for he doth all he can to keep silence, to hide▪ to maintain quiet and security in ⟨p. 175⟩his mind, and to benum his Conscience into dedolency: yea Conscience it self is through the de•••ement that is in it, prone enough to be rocked ••eep, and lie still; and too often doth so in good men, as David. Satan also useth it as o•• […] his great stratagems to hinder Unregenerate Men from Conversion, by keeping all quiet within▪ and is afraid of the least trouble of mind in one of his own, lest it should issue in the dethroning of him, and subversion of his Kingdom in the Soul; for which end he spares none of his cunning, by himself and his instruments, to prevent or put a stop to all awakenings of Conscience in them; and though he hath a peculiar spite at the peace and tranquility of Gods Children, and for that reason, when Gods hand is heavy upon them, he endeavours to lay on load till he breaks them; yet when he hath by his policy drawn them into any sin, he would keep them senseless as long as he can, hoping so to have greater advantage on them afterwards. Now our Doctrine fully resolves this Enquiry.
THe sore distress of Conscience that men are brought into for Sin, is because of Gods hand, lying heavily and continually upon them. That both Godly and wicked are sometimes in such distress, hath already been observed, and how heavily it lyeth on them: that which now is before us, is to enquire, How or whence it cometh that they are in such anxiety? It is certain that man himself doth not willingly, or upon choise bring himself into this trouble, though he doth morally procure it for himself; for he doth all he can to keep silence, to hide to maintain quiet and security in