A96093:133
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.
4. I distinguish between Poor in an Evangelical sense, and in a Popish sense; the Papists give a wrong gloss upon the Text; by Poor in spirit, they understand ⟨p. 41⟩those who renouncing their Estates, vow a voluntary poverty, living retiredly in their Monasteries*; but Christ never meant these; he doth not pronounce them blessed who make themselves poor, leaving their Estates, and their Callings, but such as are Evangelically poor.
- *Monasteriis, & Caenobii• Pauperes. Bellarm.
Well then, what are we to understand by Poor in spirit? the Greek word for Poor, [Greek or Hebrew], is not only taken in a strict sense for those who live upon Alms*; quibus nihil superest; but in a more large sense, for those who are destitute as well of inward as outward comfort: Poor in spirit then signifies those who are brought to the sense of their sins, and seeing no goodness in themselves, despair in themselves, and sue wholly to the mercy of God in Christ*. Poverty of spirit is a kind of self-annihilation; such an expression I find in Calvin; The poor in spirit (saith he) are they who see nothing in themselves, but fly to mercy for Sanctuary; such an one was the Publican, Luk. 18.13. God be merciful to me a sinner. of this temper was Saint Paul, Phil. 3.9. That I may he found in Christ, not having mine own righteousness; these are the poor which are invited as Guests to Wisdoms Banquet: