N00802:876
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 3: God to be sought in a finding time. DOCTRINE. III.
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.
4. He hath given us directions how we may find this way, and him in it. All the Gospel Precepts are adapted to this end. As there could have been no way, if he had not opened it, so we could never have known it, if he had not shown it us, Mic. 6.8. And his Spirit is sent to influence and guide us into it, Isa. 30.21. The preceptive part of the Gospel is purposely given for our direction in this affair.
5. Jesus Christ came to seek lost Sinners, and bring them into this way; he himself tells us so, Luk. 19.10. True, he had a further design in coming, viz to make this way, by his Priestly Office; but yet in his Prophetical and Kingly he pursueth this design: for having purchased to himself a Church in the world, he sends forth his Spirit to gather them to himself; he seeks them up in their lost estate, and finds them, and so they find him, Isa. 65.1.
3. For the ground of this, or how it comes to pass, that he is willing to be found, let these things be considered.