A96093:1294
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.
2. Carnal fear. There is a two-fold fear.
1. A filial fear; when a man fears to displease God*; when he fears lest he should not hold out, this is a good fear; Blessed is he that fears alway; if Peter had feared his own heart, and said, Lord Jesus, I fear I shall forsake thee, Lord strengthen me, doubtless Christ would have kept him from falling.
- *Incidam potius in Geheunam quam peccatum. Anselm.
2. There is a cowardly fear; when a man fears danger more than sin; when he is afraid to be good, this fear is an enemy to suffering. God proclaimed that those who were fearful should not go to the Wars; Deuter. 20.8. The fearful are unfit to fight in Christs Wars; a man possessed with fear, doth not consult what is best, but what is safest. If he may save his Estate, he will snare his conscience. Prov. 29.25. In the fear of man there is a snare. Fear made Peter deny Christ; Abraham equivocate; David fain himself mad; fear will put men upon indirect courses, making them study rather compliance, than conscience. Fear makes sin appear little, and suffering great; the fearful man sees double, he looks upon the cross through his perspective twice as big it is; fear argues sordidness of spirit*