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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 › Gods readiness to forgive on Penitent Confession. 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. It is not the meritorious cause of it. We have already observed that it is a free favour. It is indeed first merited for us, before we can pa••ake in it; for it belongs to Justification: we are first ransomed, and then pardoned; but our confession hath no hand in this. It is through Christ's Blood that we obtain remission, by his stripes we are healed, Isa. 53.5. Confession carrieth no satisfaction in it, but is a legal and full proof of our Guilt; in it we condemn our selves; it saith, as Dan. 9 8 To us belongs Confusion; the Law left no room for a pardon upon acknowledgement; this is purely Evangelical.
1. It is not the meritorious cause of it. We have already observed that it is a free favour. It is indeed first merited for us, before we can pa••ake in it; for it belongs to Justification: we are first •ansomed, and then pardoned; but our confession hath no hand in this. It is through Christ's Blood that we obtain remission, by his stripes we are healed, Isa. 53.5. Confession carrieth no satisfaction in it, but is a legal and full proof of our Guilt; in it we condemn our selves; it saith, as Dan. 9 8 To us belongs Confusion; the Law left no room for a pardon upon acknowledgment; this is purely Evangelical.
2. Nor is it the moving cause of it. Among men indeed, a tender heart is moved by an ingenious confession, and humble submission, and it makes us to relent, and show compassion to a delinquent; but though such affections are ascribed ⟨p. 262⟩