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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 › 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.
2. That the means and offers of Grace are only afforded men during the time of this life. Whiles God is to be found, he affords men advantages of seeking him, and these are the Gospel & Ordinances, in which his Spirit is wont to come and strive. As long as he continueth these, and cometh in and with them to the hearts of men, they have a fair opportunity for finding him: but when these are withdrawn and gone, he goeth with them; and it is certain that men enjoy these only in this life. Whether so long, is arbitrary, but longer they shall not. What saith the Psalmist? Psal. 88.11.12. Shall the dead praise thee? &c. by which interrogatories, a vehement negation is insinuated▪ and if Gods faithful Servants would never so fain, they can come at them no more, to speak to them about their Souls concerns.
3. There are awful threatenings denounced against such as neglect this time, and these offers. God is a God of truth in his threatenings as well as his promises: and he hath warned Sinners of what will come of it, if they neglect the present time: he hath denounced that they shall for ever miss of the benefit offered, and for the obtaining of which they once had a price in their hands; if they will not comply with Gods time, they shall fail when they would fain be entertained by him: How solemn a moan doth Christ make over Jerusalem, Luk 19.41, 42. And what mean those fearful expressions? Ezek. 24.13. Isa. 27.11. In which God gives men to understand, that for neglecting their time, they shall be rejected for ever.
3. There are awful threatnings denounced against such as neglect this time, and these offers. God is a God of truth in his threatnings as well as his promises: and he hath warned Sinners of what will come of it, if they neglect the present time: he hath denounced that they shall for ever miss of the benefit offered, and for the obtaining of which they once had a price in their hands; if they will not comply with Gods time, they shall fail when they would fain be entertained by him: How solemn a moan doth Christ make over Jerusalem, Luk 19.41, 42. And what mean those fearful expressions?