N00802:952
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.
1. The time of Youth is a special season for this. Young persons put off, and think hereafter is soon enough; but it is their great folly, there is no such season for seeking, and making out after Christ as this. For,
1. God earnestly calls upon such to seek him. He doth, as it were, single out such, and the offer is particularly made to them: the Spirit of God speaks emphatically to such; Psal. 34.11. Come ye Children, &c. Wisdom calls them, as it were, by name, Prov. 4.1.5.7.8.32. Eccl. 12.1. which tells us how fain God would have young ones to begin early, and how loth he is that they should spend their first time in vanity.
2. God hath testified how well pleased he is, when such seek him. The entertainment he gives them, is a testimony how acceptable it is to him. What respect did he show to young Abel? Gen. 4.4. How wonderfully did he reveal himself to young Samuel, who was devoted to him from his Infancy? 1 Sam. ⟨p. 332⟩3.1. with verse 19; 21. What an eminent instrument of reformation did he make of Josiah, who began young?