N00802:638
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 › Right Confession, its nature and usefulness. DOCTRINE. › Proposition 6: PROPOSITION VI.
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. Instead of Confessing, we hope to make up all by a reformation of our own. There is such pride natural to us, that we had rather do any thing than abase our selves to a right confessing of our sins; and so, upon conviction that we have done amiss, we are apt to think that a little endeavour to amend this, by abstaining from the sin, and practising the contrary duty, will make up all again; and count it more credit to repair our selves in this way, than by an humble going to God for pardon, in a self-abasing acknowledgement of our vileness; this made them make such an enquiry, Mic. 6.6. Here is something of self to be seen, whereas in the other way self is utterly denied, that God alone may be Glorified; and though we have left off such things, and do them no more, yet Gospel Repentance of them hath not been exercised by us, and so the root of the trouble abideth. Or,
2. Instead of Confessing, we hope to make up all by a reformation of our own. There is such pride natural to us, that we had rather do any thing than abase our selves to a right confessing of our sins; and so, upon conviction that we have done amiss, we are apt to think that a little endeavour to amend this, by abstaining from the sin, and practising the contrary duty, will make up all again; and count it more credit to repair our selves in this way, than by an humble going to God for pardon, in a self-abasing acknowledgment of our vileness; this made them make such an enquiry, Mic. 6.6. Here is something of self to be seen, whereas in the other way self is utterly denied, that God alone may be Glorified; and though we have left off such things, and do them no more, yet Gospel Repentance of them hath not been exercised by us, and so the root of the trouble abideth. Or,
3. If we do make some confession, it is not right: It is not such as God expecteth. Either,