A96093:1120
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.
1. Faith. 1. When we can believe against sense and feeling; when we want an experience, yet can trust to a promise; when we have not the kisses of Gods mouth, yet can cleave to the word of his mouth; this is faith indeed; here is the sparkling of the Diamond.
1. Faith. 1. When we can believe against sence and feeling; when we want an experience, yet can trust to a ptomise; when we have not the kisses of Gods mouth, yet can cleave to the word of his mouth; this is faith indeed; here is the sparkling of the Diamond.
2. Love. When God smiles upon us, it is not much to love him; but when he seems to put us away in anger*, now to love him, and be as the Lime, the more water is thrown upon it, the hotter it burns, this is love indeed. ⟨p. 325⟩That love sure is strong as death *which the waters of desertion cannot quench.
Secondly, It is for the exercise of grace: we are all for comfort; if it might be put to our choice, we would be ever upon Mount Tabor, looking into Canaan: we are loth to be in trials, agonies, desertions, as if God could not love us except he had us in his arms. 'Tis hard to lie long in the lap of spiritual joy, and not fall asleep. Too much Sun-shine causeth a drought in our graces; oftentimes when God lets down comfort into the heart, we begin to let down care. As it is with Musicians, before they have money they will play you many a sweet lesson, but as soon as you throw them down money they are gone, you hear no more of them. Before joy and assurance, O the sweet music of prayer and repentance! but when God throws down the comforts of his Spirit, we either leave off duty, or at least slacken the strings of our Viol, and grow remiss in it. Thou art taken with the money, but God is taken with the music; Grace is better than comfort. Rachel is more fair, but Leah is more fruitful. Comfort is fair to look on, but grace hath the fruitful womb; now, the only way to exercise grace, and make it more vigorous and lively, is sometimes to walk in darkness and have no light,