A96093:1253
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.
Answ. 1. When we suffer in a good cause; so it is in the Text, Blessed are they which suffer for righteousness sake; 'tis the cause that makes a Martyr*: When we suffer for the truth, and espouse the quarrel of Religion, this is to suffer for righteousness sake. Acts 28.20. For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.
- *Causa non poena facit Martyrem.
2. When we suffer with a good conscience: A man may have a good cause, and a bad conscience; he may suffer for righteousness sake, yet he himself be unrighteous. Saint Paul, as he had a just cause, so he had a pure conscience. Acts 23.1. I have lived in all good conscience to this day. Paul kept a good conscience to his dying day; a good conscience will make a man suffer with comfort, it hath made the Saints go as cheerfully to the stake, as if they had been going to a Crown; look to it, that there be no flaw in conscience. A ship that is to sail upon the waters, must be preserved from leaking; when Christians are to sail on the waters of persecution, let them take heed there be no leak of guilt in their conscience; he who suffers (though it be in Gods own cause) with a bad conscience, suffers two hells; an hell of persecution, and an hell of damnation.
2. When we suffer with a good conscience: A man may have a good cause, and a bad conscience; he may suffer for righteousness sake, yet he himself be unrighteous. Saint Paul, as he had a just cause, so he had a pure conscience. Acts 23.1. I have lived in all good conscience to this day. Paul kept a good conscience to his dying day; a good conscience will make a man suffer with comfort, it hath made the Saints go as chearfully to the stake, as if they had been going to a Crown; look to it, that there be no flaw in conscience. A ship that is to sail upon the waters, must be preserved from leaking; when Christians are to sail on the waters of persecution, let them take heed there be no leak of guilt in their conscience; he who suffers (though it be in Gods own cause) with a bad conscience, suffers two hells; an hell of persecution, and an hell of damnation.