A96093:155
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.
SECT. 4.
Use 4 Labour for poverty of spirit: Christ begins with this,1 and we must begin here if ever we be saved; poverty of spirit is the foundation stone on which God lays the superstructure of glory. There are four things may persuade Christians to be poor in spirit. 1. This poverty is your riches; you may have the worlds riches, and yet be poor; you cannot have this poverty, but you must be rich; poverty of spirit entitles you to all Christs riches. 2. This poverty is your Nobility*; God looks upon you as persons of honour; ⟨p. 51⟩he that is vile in his own eyes, is precious in Gods eyes*; the way to rise, is to fall; God esteems the Valley highest. 3. Poverty of spirit doth sweetly quiet the soul; when a man is brought off himself to rest on Christ, what a blessed calm is in the heart! I am poor, but my God shall supply all my need, Phil. 4.19. I am unworthy, but Christ is worthy. I am indigent, Christ is infinite. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I, Psal. 61.2. A man is safe upon a Rock; when the soul goes out of it self, and centres upon the Rock Christ, now it is firmly settled upon its Basis; this is the way to comfort; thou wilt be wounded in spirit, till thou comest to be poor in spirit. 4. Poverty of spirit paves a Causey for blessedness. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Are you poor in spirit? you are blessed persons, happy for you that ever you were born! If you ask, Wherein doth this blessedness appear? Read the next words, Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.