N00802:844
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 › Doctrine 2: Forgiveness obtained in the way of Prayer. DOCTRINE II.
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.
USE II. Here we have a Rule to judge by, in what order we are towards forgiveness. And certainly it is a thing very desirable to be known; and they who have ever experienced what it is to stand Guilty before God, will be solicitous after satisfaction in this case; and the Rule is, doth the apprehension of our Guilt and misery so affect us, as to drive us to pray to God for his pardoning mercy? if so, we have a good hope of obtaining it of him, for Consider,
USE II. Here we have a Rule to judge by, in what order we are towards forgiveness. And certainly it is a thing very desirable to be known; and they who have ever experienced what it is to stand Guilty before God, will be sollicitous after satisfaction in this case; and the Rule is, doth the apprehension of our Guilt and misery so affect us, as to drive us to pray to God for his pardoning mercy? if so, we have a good hope of obtaining it of him, for Consider,
1. It is of God to spirit us to prayer: It is one character of a natural man, that he seeks not God, Psal. 14.4. A spirit of prayer is his gift; and there is a mighty work wrought in bringing the Sinner on his knees, and make him pour out his Soul to God, in earnest supplication for mercy.
2. When God brings a Sinner thus to pray, it is that he may forgive him. There is ever a gracious design in it. God hath made many gracious promises to such in his Word, which he cannot deny; if it were not his design to bring them within the compass of the promise, he would not work the condition in them; and therefore when he promiseth that they shall pray, he together engageth that he will hear, Jer 29.12. There is no greater sign of forgiveness then a spirit of prayer for it.