A65285:350
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.
6. Holiness gives us Boldness with God, Job 22.23, 26. Thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Lifting up the Face is an Emblem of Boldness. Nothing makes us so ashamed to go to God as Sin: a wicked Man in Prayer may lift up his Hands, but he cannot lift up his Face. When Adam had lost his Holiness, he lost his Confidence; he hid himself. But the holy Person goes to God as a Child to his Father, his Conscience doth not upbraid him with allowing any Sin, therefore he can go boldly to the Throne of Grace, and have Mercy to help in time of need, Heb. 4.16.
7. Holiness gives Peace: Sin raiseth a Storm in the Conscience, Ubi peccatum ibi procella: Isa. 57.21. There's no peace to the wicked; Righteousness and Peace are put together. Holiness is the Root which bears this sweet Fruit of Peace: Righteousness and peace kiss each other.
8. Holiness leads to Heaven: Holiness is the King of Heaven's High-way, Isa. 35.8. An high-way shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness. At Rome there was the Temple of Virtue and Honour, and they were to go through the Temple of Virtue to the Temple of Honour: So we must go through the Temple of Holiness to the Temple of Heaven. Glory begins in Virtue, 2 Pet. 1.3. Who hath called us to glory and virtue? Happiness is nothing else but the Quintessence of Holiness. Holiness is Glory militant, and Happiness Holiness triumphant.