A96093:1911
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.
Fence. 1 1. The fear of God. Prov. 23.17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. As in natural fear the spirits recoil to the heart to keep it; so the fear of God preserves the heart; fear puts an holy awe upon the soul, and keeps it from sinful excursions; fear bolts the door of the heart against vanity. Prov. 16.6. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. As a Noble-mans Porter stands at the gate ⟨p. 551⟩to keep out every thing that is unseemly from being brought into the house; so the fear of God stands as an armed man at the gate of the heart, to keep out tentations from entrings; fear lies sentinel, it stands as a Watchman on the Tower, and looks every way to see what danger is approaching; fear will not admit any thing into the soul which is dishonourable to God.
2. Love without fear, makes us presume; and fear Fence. 2 without love, makes us despair; the love of God is the most forcible Argument to prevail with an ingenious spirit. Thus love argues, Hath God given me Christ? hath he jointed me in the promises? hath he settled a Reversion of heaven upon me? and shall I walk unworthy of this love? shall I voluntarily sin against this God? No, I will rather dye than sin; this made Anselm say, Let me rather fall into hell than sin; wouldst thou keep thy heart, environ it with love, death cannot break this fence.
2. Love without fear, makes us presume; and fear Fence. 2 without love, makes us despair; the love of God is the most forcible Argument to prevail with an ingenious spirit. Thus love argues, Hath God given me Christ? hath he joynted me in the promises? hath he setled a Reversion of heaven upon me? and shall I walk unworthy of this love? shall I voluntarily sin against this God? No, I will rather dye than sin; this made Anselm say, Let me rather fall into hell than sin; wouldst thou keep thy heart, environ it with love, death cannot break this fence.