A96093:1413
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. In regard of the Saints; it is well for the people of God that they have Laws to bind and check the exorbitancies of their unruly hearts; how far would the Vine spread its luxuriant branches were it not pruned, and tied? the heart would be ready to run wild in sin, if it had not affliction to prune it, and the Laws of Christ to bind it; the precepts of Christ are called [Greek or Hebrew], a yoke, Matth. 11.30. The yoke is useful, it doth keep the Oxen in from straggling and running out; so the precepts of Christ as a yoke, do keep the godly from straggling into sin; whether should we not run, into what damnable opinions and practises, did not Christs Laws lay a check and restraint upon us? Blessed be God for precepts. That is a blessed yoke which yokes our corruptions; we should run to hell were it not for this yoke. The Laws of Christ are a spiritual hedge, which keeps the people of God within the pastures of Ordinances; some that have broken this hedge, and have straggled, are now in the Devils pound. Thus we see what need the Saints have of the Royal Law.
2. In regard of the Saints; it is well for the people of God that they have Laws to binde and check the exorbitancies of their unruly hearts; how far would the Vine spread its luxuriant branches were it not pruned, and tyed? the heart would be ready to run wilde in sin, if it had not affliction to prune it, and the Laws of Christ to binde it; the precepts of Christ are called 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, a yoke, Matth. 11.30. The yoke is useful, it doth keep the Oxen in from stragling and running out; so the precepts of Christ as a yoke, do keep the godly from stragling into sin; whether should we not run, into what damnable opinions and practises, did not Christs Lawes lay a check and restraint upon us? Blessed be God for precepts. That is a blessed yoke which yokes our corruptions; we should run to hell were it not for this yoke. The Lawes of Christ are a spiritual hedge, which keeps the people of God within the pastures of Ordinances; some that have broken this hedge, and have stragled, are now in the Divels pound. Thus we see what need the Saints have of the Royal Law.