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.

Sermon

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Sixthly, Vain Thoughts in Hearing (when allowed and not resisted) make way for hardening the Heart. A Stone in the Heart, is worse than in the Kidneys. Distracted Thoughts in hearing do not Better the Heart, but Harden it. Vain Thoughts take away the holy Awe of God which should be upon the Heart, they make Conscience less Tender, and hinder the Efficacy the Word should have upon the Heart.

Sixthly, Vain Thoughts in Hearing (when allowed and not resisted) make way for hardning the Heart. A Stone in the Heart, is worse than in the Kidneys. Distracted Thoughts in hearing do not Better the Heart, but Harden it. Vain Thoughts take away the holy Awe of God which should be upon the Heart, they make Conscience less Tender, and hinder the Efficacy the Word should have upon the Heart.

:2204p. 342

Seventhly, Vain distracting Thoughts rob us of the Comfort of an Ordinance. A gracious Soul oft meets with God in the Sanctuary, and can say as Cant. 3.4. I found him whom my Soul loveth. He is like Jonathan, who having tasted the Honey on the Rod, his Eyes were enlightened. But Vain Thoughts hinder the Comfort of an Ordinance, as a black Cloud hides the warm comfortable Beams of the Sun from us. Will God speak Peace to us when our Minds are wandering, and our Thoughts are travelling to the Ends of the Earth, Prov. 17.24? If ever you would hear the Word with Attention, do as Abraham, he drove away the Fowls from the Sacrifice, Gen. 15.11. So when we find these Excursions and sinful Wanderings in hearing, labour to drive away the Fowls; get rid of these vain Thoughts; they are Vagrants, and we must not give them Entertainment.

Seventhly, Vain distracting Thoughts rob us of the Comfort of an Ordinance. A gracious Soul oft meets with God in the Sanctuary, and can say as

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