A65285:377
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.
Resp. 1. That is a true Rule of St. Austin, Judicia Dei possunt esse occulta, non injusta; Gods ways of Judgment are sometimes secret, but never unjust. The Lord never Afflicts his People without a Cause; so that he cannot be unjust. There is some good in the godly, therefore the wicked afflict them; there is some evil in them, therefore God afflicts them. God's own Children have their [Greek or Hebrew], their blemishes, 2 Chron. 28.10. Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord? These Spiritual Diamonds, have they no flaws? Do not we read of the Spots of God's Children, Deut. 32.10. Are not they guilty of much Pride, Censoriousness, Passion, Worldliness? though by their Profession they seem to resemble the Birds of Paradise, to fly above, and feed upon the Dew of Heaven, yet as the Serpent, they lick the dust. And these sins of God's People do more provoke God than others, Deut. 32.19. Because of the provoking of his sons and daughters. The sins of others pierce Christ's side, these wound his heart: therefore is not God just in all the Evils that befall them, Amos 3.2. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth, therefore I will punish you for your Iniquities. I will punish you sooner, surer, sorer then others.
Resp. 1. That is a true Rule of St. Austin, Iudicia Dei possunt esse occulta, non injusta; Gods ways of Judgment are sometimes secret, but never unjust. The Lord never Afflicts his People without a Cause; so that he cannot be unjust. There is some good in the godly, therefore the wicked afflict them; there is some evil in them, therefore God afflicts them. God's own Children have their 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, their blemishes, 2 Chron. 28.10. Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord? These Spiritual Diamonds, have they no flaws? Do not we read of the Spots of God's Children, Deut. 32.10. Are not they guilty of much Pride, Censoriousness, Passion, Worldliness? though by their Profession they seem to resemble the Birds of Paradise, to fly above, and feed upon the Dew of Heaven, yet as the Serpent, they lick the dust. And these sins of God's People do more provoke God than others,