N00802:723
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.
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⟩to God, yet it is after the manner of men, and warily to be understood: Affections are attributed to him in regard of the Effects which flow from his fixed and unalterable will. Confession is an adjunct of true Repentance, and God is the Author of that, as well as of the pardon, Acts 5.31. To be able truly to confess Sin is his gift.
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 shew compassion to a delinquent; but though such affections are ascribed ⟨p. 262⟩to God, yet it is after the manner of men, and warily to be understood: Affections are attributed to him in regard of the Effects which flow from his fixed and unalterable will. Confession is an adjunct of true Repentance, and God is the Author of that, as well as of the pardon, Acts 5.31. To be able truly to confess Sin is his gift.
2. Positively; this Confession belongs to the way in which God is wont to apply forgiveness to Sinners. God designed from Eternity to forgive them, but he hath laid out this Medium through which he will bring them to i•. How God treats with Infants, is beyond our decision, but in regard of such as are of years of understanding, and under the Gospel, there are two things observable.