A Body of Practical Divinity

Name: A Body of Practical Divinity
Author: Thomas Watson

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 ...

Thomas Watson d. 1686London: printed for Thomas Parkurst, 1692

[5], iv, 300, 331-544, 801-880, 965-1007, [7] p. · 512k words · Wing W1109 · ESTC R32148

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Of the Commandments.

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.

Listen to this book 52 h 30 min

[ Earlier:1920–1935 of 4,926

:1920p. 277¶5

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.

:1921p. 277¶6

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.

:1922p. 277¶1

1. If we love our Estate more than God, then we make it a God. The young Man in the Gospel loved his Gold better than his Saviour; the World lay nearer his Heart than Christ, Matt. 19.22. Fulgens hoc aurum praestringit oculos, Var. Hence it is the covetous Man is called an Idolater, Eph. 5.5. Why so? Because he loves his Estate more than God, and so he makes it his God: Though he doth not bow down to an Idol, yet he worships the Graven Image in his Coins; he is an Idolater: That which hath most of the Heart, that we make a God.

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Of the Commandments.