N00802:642
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.
1. We do not take the whole blame to our selves. We confess the fact, and it may be our folly too, but withal we seek in part to put it off somewhere else, possibly the bigger part, and reserve the least for our selves: we make fearful cries against the Devil; the Devil tempted me, and was too subtle for me; &c. The Devil indeed is called the Tempter, but remember, it is not his, but our fault if we are tempted, Jam. 1.14. Acts 5.3. Satan's Instruments also shall be brought in for our excuse: I had not done it but for such or such an one, &c. As if they could have forced our consent against our will: yea, God himself shall be reflected on to extenuate our fault; this is not the Confession that is truly penitent.
1. We do not take the whole blame to our selves. We confess the fact, and it may be our folly too, but withal we seek in part to put it off somewhere else, possibly the bigger part, and reserve the least for our selves: we make fearful cries against the Devil; the Devil tempted me, and was too subtile for me; &c. The Devil indeed is called the Tempter, but remember, it is not his, but our fault if we are tempted, Jam. 1.14. Acts 5.3. Satans Instruments also shall be brought in for our excuse: I had not done it but for such or such an one, &c. As if they could have forced our consent against our will: yea, God himself shall be reflected on to extenuate our fault; this is not the Confession that is truly penitent.
2. We are not duly ashamed of our selves for our Sin. And this follows upon the former: for all excuses are but fig-leaves to cover our own nakedness with; they are but pretence, on which we may hold up our heads with the more confidence, whiles our mouths are not stopped, but we have something to plead for our selves, we do not express the due abasement that God looks for of us, till we can come to say as he,