N00802:845
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.
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.
3. Hence he observes when we do pray, and is ready to hear us. He waits to be gracious; he hearkens whether men will address him for it, that so he may take the opportunity to exalt his mercy on them; when he had brought Paul to the ground, ⟨p. 299⟩we find how he remarks on it, Acts 9.11. Behold he prayeth; q. d. Let him have been never so bitter a Persecutor heretofore, yet I will have mercy on him, for he prayeth for it.
3. Hence he observes when we do pray, and is ready to hear us. He waits to be gracious; he hearkens whether men will address him for it, that so he may take the oppurtunity to exalt his mercy on them; when he had brought Paul to the ground,