A65285:2593
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. The Fourth Remedy. Pray for an Heavenly Mind. Lord, let the Lodestone of thy Spirit draw my Heart upward. Lord, dig the Earth out of my Heart; teach me how to possess the World, and not love it; how to hold it in my hand, and not let it get into my Heart. So much for the Commandment in General, Thou shalt not cover.
4. The Fourth Remedy. Pray for an Heavenly Mind. Lord, let the Loadstone of thy Spirit draw my Heart upward. Lord, dig the Earth out of my Heart; teach me how to possess the World, and not love it; how to hold it in my hand, and not let it get into my Heart. So much for the Commandment in General, Thou shalt not cover.
(2.) I shall speak of it more Particularly: Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House, thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife, &c. Observe here the Holiness and Perfection of God's Law. It forbids the Motus primo primi, the First Motions and Risings of Sin in the Heart, Thou shalt not covet. The Laws of Men take hold of the Actions, but the Law of God goes further, it forbids not only the Actions, but the Affections. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House. It is not said, Thou shalt not take away his House: But, Thou shalt not covet it. These Lustings and Desires after the Forbidden Fruit are sinful. Rom. 7.7. The Law hath said, Thou shalt not covet. Tho the Tree bears no bad Fruit, it may be faulty at the Root. Tho a Man doth not commit Gross Sin, yet who can say his Heart is pure? There may be a Faultiness at the Root, there may be sinful Covetings and Lustings in the Soul.
Use. Let us be humbled for the Sin of our Nature, the Risings of Evil Thoughts, coveting that which we ought not. Our Nature is a Seed-Plot of Iniquity; it is like Charcoal, that is ever sparkling. The Sparkles of Pride, Envy, Covetousness, arise in the Mind. How should this humble us! If there be not sinful Actings, there are sinful Covetings. Let us pray for mortifying Grace, which may be like the Water of Jealousy, to make the Thigh of Sin to rot. But to come to the Words more nearly, Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House, nor thy Neighbours Wife, &c.