A65285:1922
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.
4. If we trust in our Civility, we make it a God: Many trust to this, none can charge them with gross Sin. Civility is but Nature refined and cultivated; a Man may be washed and not changed: His Life may be civil, yet there may be some reigning Sin in his Heart: The Pharisee could say, I am no Adulterer, Luke 18.11. but he could not say, I am not proud: To trust to Civility, is to trust to a Spiders Web.
5. If we trust to our Duties to save us, we make them a God, Isa. 64.6. Our Righteousnesses are as filthy rags: They are Fly-blown with Sin: Put Gold in the Fire and there comes out much Dross: Our most golden Duties are mixed with Infirmity: We are apt either to neglect Duty or idolize it. Use Duty, but do not trust to it, for then you make it a God. Trust not to your Praying, and Hearing; these are the means of Salvation, but they are not Saviours. If you make Duties Bladders to trust to, you may sink to Hell with these Bladders.
6. If we trust in our Grace, we make a God of it. Grace is but a Creature; if we trust in it, we make it an Idol. Grace is imperfect, we cannot trust to that to save us which is imperfect, Psal 26.1. I have walked in my Integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord. David did walk in his Integrity, but did not trust in his Integrity. I have trusted in the Lord. If we trust in our Graces, we make a Christ of them. They are good Graces but bad Christs. To love any thing more than God, is to make it a God.