The Truly Blessed Man, Title page – To the reader
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.
Iſa. XII. 1, 2.— I will praiſe thee: though thou waſt angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedſt me.
2. v. Behold, God is my ſalvation: I will truſt, & not be afraid, for the Lord JEHOVAH is my ſtrength, and my ſong, he alſo is become my ſalvation.
BOSTON in N. E. Printed by B. Green, and I. Allen, for Michael Perry. 1700.
TO THE READER.
MANS natural and extinguiſhable cravings are after Happineſs. God at firſt put him in a fair way for the ſecuring and obtaining of it; having, beſides the reſentments of it imprinted in his nature, which ſtill remain, given him a Rule to direct him the way to it, and a concreated power to conform to that Rule, and brought him under ſtrongeſt obligations to that Conformity. But, by his unhappy fall, he hath reduced himſelf to a ſtate of miſery, in which the whole Race of ſinful men is involved, and under which he muſt have abode for ever, had not God, in his rich mercy, opened a new and living way for his recovery. This is revealed in the Goſpel, in which life and immortality are brought to light; but for which undone man muſt have groped in the dark, and it is certain, that thoſe to whom this Revelation is not made, do but graſp after ſhadows inſtead of ſubſtances, and lay out their money for that which is not bread. Their inſatiable deſires puſh them forward in queſt of felecity, and their crazed and deluded understandings, which call good evil, and evil good, point them to Objects that are empty, and courſes that will undo them; the natural man knows not the root of his miſery, nor the depth and ſtrength of it, much leſs the only way of his recovery. The generality of men are immerged in …, & if they can but gratifie their carnal luſts with ſenſible objects, it is enough: whence they ſeek no farther than the things of the World, and if they can obtain by all their induſtry, the Profits, Pleaſures and Honours here below, they can bleſs themſelves. There are ſome indeed, who have improved the light of nature, and the broken fragments of the Law of it, remaining in them, by the exerciſe of Reaſon, to a more plauſible profeſſion and practice; they acknowledge man to be placed in an higher orb than bruits, and to stand in need of ſome better object than thoſe that are meerly ſenſual, to give them ſatisfaction: but therein alſo they have become vain in their imaginations… hence, the fartheſt they have reached, hath been to place mans felicity in moral vertue, of which they have but rude gueſſes, and being ignorant of the ſtate of nature by ſin, have hoped by their own power and goodneſs to oblige God, and procure their own happineſs; not knowing either the ſtate of damnation which they were born in, or the efficacy of Original Sin in them… whence it is truly ſaid of them; miſery & deſtruction in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. It then infinitely concerns men to be undeceived: With what thankfulneſs therefore ought w… to entertain the Sacred Oracles of Gods Word, the deſign whereof is to acquaint us with the New-Covenant in which is ſhewed us the method of ſelf-ruined man… recovery, as it is laid out by God himſelf? and what enemies are they to the Grace of God, and the Souls of men, who go about to pervert this method, ſeeking to bring men back again to a Covenant of Works! It is by the Word of God that we are acquainted that man by his Apoſtaſy hath loſt his Righteouſneſs and Strength, that he is fallen under a ſentence of death, to the execution whereof Gods Juſtice ſtands engaged; that Satisfaction must be made to that Juſtice if ever the Sinner be Saved; that he cannot pay his own ranſom for himſelf; that Jeſus Chriſt became a Surety for Gods Elect, and having atoned the Justice of God to them; is become the author of Eternal Salvation for them; that they muſt be united to him by a living faith if ever they partake in the benefit of it; that they muſt be Juſtified in order to their being Glorified, & that muſt be by the Imputation of his Mediatorial Righteouſneſs to them; that this Juſtification is ever accompanied with Sanctification; that the man who is thus Juſtified and Sanctified is an happy man; that in order to this there is a work of Converſion wrought in men by the Spirit of God, in which they are renewed by his Grace, and brought to confeſs and forſake their ſins, and vain objects of truſt, and to believe in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and that all that are ſo, are heirs of life, and may triumphantly rejoyce in God. How much theſe truths are derided by many, and deſpiſed by more, in this degonerate and perilous time, is obvious to every one that obſerves the ſtate of Religion in places that are called Chriſtian: and never was there more need to Preach and Print in defence of thoſe great Fundamentals of our faith and hope, than at this day. The excellent portion of Gods Holy Word, contained in this Pſalm give us abundant light for our acquaintance with, and establiſhment on theſe Articles, which I endeavoured in my courſe of Preaching, to lay open before the Auditory to which I was ſent, according to the Grace given me, and am now perſwaded to make publick, my care and ſtudy was to accommodate it to the meaneſt hearer, chuſing rather with the Apoſtle, to ſpeak five words intelligibly, than many more in an unknown manner of expreſſion; and I hope theſe truths will reliſh never the worſe to thoſe that love truth for its own ſake, becauſe they are not garniſhed with florid language. May this following Treatiſe be any ways ſerviceable to the Glory of God, and good of Souls, may it commend Chriſt ſo as to render him lovely and acceptable; may it help any in the right way to obtain Pardon and Peace; may it ſhew Sinners their miſery, and drive them from their carnal ſecurity and obſtinacy, to Chriſt their only refuge; and direct Saints in the renewals of their Repentance, and their faithful and cheerful Serving of God; I have mine higheſt ambition anſwered; and that it may thus do, I commend it, and ſuch as ſhall be at the pains to peruſe it, to the mercy of the Great Shepherd and Biſhop of Souls,
Who am Leſs than the leaſt, &c. Samuel Willard.
The Truly Bleſſed Man: Or, the WAY to be Happy here, and for ever.
PSAL. XXXII. 1, 2.
Bleſſed is he whoſe Tranſgreſſion is forgiven, whoſe Sin is covered.
2. v. Bleſſed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile.