A96093:2073
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
Appendix › The trees of Righteousness blossoming, and bringing forth fruit.
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.
1. He who is not good in his Relations, goes under the just suspicion of an Hypocrite; let a man seem to be a penitent, or Zealot, yet if he bear not fruit proper to his station, he is no tree of righteousness, but some wild degenerate plant. There are some will pray, hear Sermons, discourse well, this is good; but, what means the bleating of the sheep? they are not good in their Relations; this discovers they are foundered and unsound. A good Christian labours to fill his Relations, and to go through all the parts of Religion, as the Sun through all the Signs of the Zodiac. I like not those Christians who though they seem to be travelling to heaven, yet leave the duties of their Relations a as Terra incognita, which they never come near.
1. He who is not good in his Relations, goes under the just suspition of an Hypocrite; let a man seem to be a penitent, or Zelot, yet if he bear not fruit proper to his station, he is no tree of righteousness, but some wild degenerate plant. There are some will pray, hear Sermons, discourse well, this is good; but, what means the bleating of the sheep? they are not good in their Relations; this discovers they are foundered and unsound. A good Christian labours to fill his Relations, and to go through all the parts of Religion, as the Sun through all the Signs of the Zodiack. I like not those Christians who though they seem to be travelling to heaven, yet leave the duties of their Relations a as Terra incognita, which they never come near.
2. The excellency of a Christian is to bring forth proper fruit*; wherein lies the goodness of a member in the body, but to discharge its proper office? The eye is to see, the ear to hear, &c. So the excellency of a Christian ⟨p. 595⟩is to bring forth that fruit which God hath assigned him; what is a thing good for which doth not do its proper work? what is a Clock good for that will not strike? what is a ship good for that will not sail? what is a Rose good for that doth not smell? what is that Professor good for that doth not send forth a sweet perfume in his Relation? the commendation of a thing is when it puts forth its proper virtue.