A65285:1680
A Body of Practical Divinity
A body of practical divinity consisting of above one hundred seventy six sermons on the lesser catechism composed by the reverend assembly of divines at Westminster : with a supplement of some sermons on several texts of Scripture / by Thomas Watson ...
London: printed for Thomas Parkurst, 1692
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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. The second Visible Sign: He who loves God cannot take Contentment in any thing without him: An Hypocrite who pretends to love God, give him but Corn and Wine, and he can be content without God: But a Soul fired with love to God cannot be without him. Lovers faint away if they have not a sight of the Object loved. A gracious Soul can want Health, but not want God who is the Health of his Countenance, Psal. 43.5. If God should say to a Soul that entirely loves him, Take thy Ease, swim in Pleasure, solace thy self in the Delights of the World, but thou shalt not enjoy my Presence; this would not content the Soul. Nay, if God should say, I will let thee be taken up to Heaven, but I will retire into a withdrawing Room, and thou shalt not see my Face: This would not content the Soul; it is an Hell to want God. The Philosopher saith, There can be no Gold without the Influence of the Sun: There can be no golden Joy in the Soul, without Gods sweet Presence and Influence.
2. The second Visible Sign: He who loves God cannot take Contentment in any thing without him: An Hypocrite who pretends to love God, give him but Corn and Wine, and he can be content without God: But a Soul fired with love to God cannot be without him. Lovers faint away if they have not a sight of the Object loved. A gracious Soul can want Health, but not want God who is the Health of his Countenance, Psal. 43.5. If God should say to a Soul that intirely loves him, Take thy Ease, swim in Pleasure, solace thy self in the Delights of the World, but thou shalt not enjoy my Presence; this would not content the Soul. Nay, if God should say, I will let thee be taken up to Heaven, but I will retire into a withdrawing Room, and thou shalt not see my Face: This would not content the Soul; it is an Hell to want God. The Philosopher saith, There can be no Gold without the Influence of the Sun: There can be no golden Joy in the Soul, without Gods sweet Presence and Influence.
3. The third visible Sign: He who loves God, hates that which would separate between him and God, and that is Sin: Sin makes God hide his Face; it is like an Incendiary which parts chief Friends. Therefore the Keenness of a Christians Hatred is set against Sin,