A65285:760
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.
2. Christ teacheth these sacred Mysteries, Inwardly, by the Spirit, John 16.13. The World knows not what it is, 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receives not the things of God, neither can ye know them. He knows not what it is to be Transformed by the renewing of the mind, Rom. 12.2. or what the inward workings of the Spirit means; these are Riddles and Paradoxes to him. He may have more insight into the things of the World then a Believer, but he doth not see the deep things of God. A Swine may see an Acorn under the Tree, but he cannot see a Star: he who is taught of Christ sees the Arcana imperii, the Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Quest. What are the Lessons Christ teacheth?
Answ. 1. He teacheth us to see into our own Hearts. Take the most Mercurial Wits, the greatest Politicians, that understand the Mysteries of State, yet they know not the Mysteries of their own Hearts, they cannot believe there is that Evil in them as is, 2 Kings 8.13. Is thy servant a dog? Grande profundum est homo, Aug. The Heart is a great deep which is not easily fathomed. But Christ, when he teacheth, removes the Veil of Ignorance, and lights a Man into his own Heart. ⟨p. 97⟩And now he sees swarms of vain Thoughts, he blusheth to see how Sin mingles with his Duties, his Stars are mixed with Clouds; he prays, as Austin, that God would deliver him from himself.