N00802:942
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.
USE IV. Let this be to prevent despair in such who fear they have outlived their time. God righteously suffers some to be hurried by this Temptation; and Satan takes advantage by it: they are under awakening terrors; they have had a long day of Grace, many calls, serious counsels, loud cries, potent strivings of the Spirit; but they have withstood, and refused to seek God; and now there is no more hope for them; their day is done, finding time is over with them: To such let me offer these considerations; after I have premised that it is a dangerous thing for any to run the adventure of such a presumption. It is a wonder of grace that ever God should make an offer of grace to such as have despised ten thousand counsels, and warnings, and are now grown ⟨p. 328⟩old in sin: and such had need be very speedy, and deeply humbled for all the affronts given to God. Yet let me say to such.
USE IV. Let this be to prevent despair in such who fear they have outlived their time. God righteously suffers some to be hurried by this Temptation; and Satan takes advantage by it: they are under awakening terrours; they have had a long day of Grace, many calls, serious counsels, loud cries, potent strivings of the Spirit; but they have withstood, and refused to seek God; and now there is no more hope for them; their day is done, finding time is over with them: To such let me offer these considerations; after I have premised that it is a dangerous thing for any to run the adventure of such a presumption. It is a wonder of grace that ever God should make an offer of grace to such as have despised ten thousand counsels, and warnings, and are now grown ⟨p. 328⟩old in sin: and such had need be very speedy, and deeply humbled for all the affronts given to God. Yet let me say to such.
1. You are yet in the place where there is room for repentance and forgiveness. You are not in the pit from which there is no Redemption; if you were there, you were gone for ever; but you are alive still, and within the compass of a treaty; you are there where proclamation is made, that if you seek God with all your heart, you shall find him. God hath no where said that he will not give you the grace to seek him, or that you shall not find him if you so do. Secret things belong to God; but the offer of this Grace is to be made to you; and though it be admirable, yet God hath bidden such a proclamation to be published,