A96093:1075
The beatitudes
The beatitudes: or A discourse upon part of Christs famous Sermon on the Mount. Whereunto is added Christs various fullness. The preciousness of the soul. The souls malady and cure. The beauty of grace. The spiritual watch. The heavenly race. The sacred anchor. The trees of righteousness. The perfume of love. The good practitioner. By Thomas Watson, minister of the word at Stephens Walbrook in the city of London.The beatitudes: or A discourse upon part of Christs famous Sermon on the Mount. Wherunto is added Christs various fulnesse. The preciousnesse of the soul. The souls malady and cure. The beauty of grace. The spiritual watch. The heavenly race. The sacred anchor. The trees of righteousnesse. The perfume of love. The good practitioner. By Thomas Watson, minister of the word at Stephens Walbrook in the city of London.
London: printed for Ralph Smith, 1660
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.
3. Which is the wonder of love that God should adopt us for his children when we were enemies. If a man would make another heir of his Land, he would adopt one that is near akin to him, no man would adopt an enemy; but that God should make us children when we were enemies; that he should make us heirs to the Crown, when we were Traitors to the Crown; oh amazing, astonishing love! Behold what manner of love is this! We were not akin to God, we had by sin lost and forfeited our Pedigree; we had done God all the injury and spite we could, defaced his image, violated his Law, trampled upon his mercies, and when we had angered him, he adopted us: What stupendous love was this, such love was never shown to the Angels! when they fell (though they were of a more noble nature, and in probability might have done God more service than we can, yet) God never vouchsafed this privilege of Adoption to them; he did not make them children, but prisoners; they were heirs only to the treasures of wrath*.
3. Which is the wonder of love that God should adopt us for his children when we were enemies. If a man would make another heir of his Land, he would adopt one that is near akin to him, no man would adopt an enemy; but that God should make us children when we were enemies; that he should make us heirs to the Crown, when we were Traytors to the Crown; oh amazing, astonishing love! Behold what manner of love is this! We were not akin to God, we had by sin lost and forfeited our Pedigree; we had done God all the injury and spight we could, defac'd his image, violated his Law, trampled upon his mercies, and when we had angered him, he adopted us: What stupendious love was this, such love was never shewn to the Angels! when they fell (though they were of a more noble nature, and in probability might have done God more service than we can, yet) God never vouchsafed this priviledge of Adoption to them; he did not make them children, but prisoners; they were heirs only to the treasures of wrath*.
- *Rom. 2.5.