A96093:153
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. He that is Poor in spirit, is lowly in heart: Rich men are commonly proud and scornful, but the poor are submissive; the poor in spirit roll themselves in the dust, in the sense of their unworthiness: I abhor my self in dust, Job 42.6. He who is poor in spirit, looks at another's excellencies, and his own infirmities; he denies not only his sins, but his duties; the more grace he hath, the more humble he is, because he now sees himself a greater debtor to God; if he can do any duty, he acknowledgeth ⟨p. 49⟩it is Christs strength more than his own: Phil. 4.13. as the Ship gets to the Haven more by the benefit of the wind, than the sail: So when a Christian makes any swift progress, 'tis more by the wind of Gods Spirit, than the sail of his own endeavour; the poor in spirit, when he acts most like a Saint, he confesseth himself the chief of sinners; he blusheth more at the defect of his graces, than others do at the excess of their sins; he dares not say he hath prayed or wept; he lives, yet not he, but Christ lives in him: Gal. 2.20. He labours, yet not he, but the grace of God, 1 Cor. 15.10.
4. He that is Poor in spirit, is lowly in heart: Rich men are commonly proud and scornful, but the poor are submissive; the poor in spirit rowle themselves in the dust, in the sense of their unworthiness: I abhor my self in dust, Job 42.6. He who is poor in spirit, looks at anothers excellencies, and his own infirmities; he denies not only his sins, but his duties; the more grace he hath, the more humble he is, because he now sees himself a greater debtor to God; if he can do any duty, he acknowledgeth ⟨p. 49⟩it is Christs strength more than his own: Phil. 4.13. as the Ship gets to the Haven more by the benefit of the wind, than the sail: So when a Christian makes any swift progress, 'tis more by the wind of Gods Spirit, than the sail of his own indeavour; the poor in spirit, when he acts most like a Saint, he confesseth himself the chief of sinners; he blusheth more at the defect of his graces, than others do at the excess of their sins; he dares not say he hath prayed or wept; he lives, yet not he, but Christ lives in him: