A96093:128
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.
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit.
Chrysostom and Theophylact are of opinion that this was the first Sermon that ever Christ made, therefore it may challenge our best attention. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit. Our Lord Christ being to raise an high and stately Fabric of blessedness, lays the foundation of it low, in poverty of Spirit; but all poverty is not blessed*. I shall use a four-fold distinction.
Chrysostom and Theophylact are of opinion that this was the first Sermon that ever Christ made, therefore it may challenge our best attention. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit. Our Lord Christ being to raise an high and stately Fabrick of blessedness, lays the foundation of it low, in poverty of Spirit; but all poverty is not blessed*. I shall use a four-fold distinction.
- *Non omnis paupertas beata. B•ugensis.
1. I distinguish between Poor in Estate, and Poor in Spirit; there are the Devils poor, poor and wicked; whose clothes are not more torn than their conscience. ⟨p. 40⟩There are some whose poverty is their sin; who through Improvidence or Excess, have brought themselves to want; these may be poor in Estate, but not poor in Spirit.