A96093:2085
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. Mourning for sin is a duty; God loves a contrite heart, Psal. 51.17. how powerful with God is the weeping Rhetoric that a poor sinner useth? but yet there is a time when mourning may not be so seasonable; when God hath given us some eminent, signal deliverance, and this mercy calls aloud to us to rejoice, but we hang our Harps upon the willows, and sit weeping; this sadness is fructus intempestivus, fruit out of season; there was a special time at the feast of Tabernacles, when God called his people to rejoicing; Deutr. 16.15. Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God, and thou shalt surely rejoice.
1. Mourning for sin is a duty; God loves a contrite heart, Psal. 51.17. how powerful with God is the weeping Rhetorique that a poor sinner useth? but yet there is a time when mourning may not be so seasonable; when God hath given us some eminent, signal deliverance, and this mercy calls aloud to us to rejoyce, but we hang our Harps upon the willows, and sit weeping; this sadness is fructus intempestivus, fruit out of season; there was a special time at the feast of Tabernacles, when God called his people to rejoycing; Deutr. 16.15. Seven dayes shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God, and thou shalt surely rejoyce.
Now if the Israelites had sat heavy and disconsolate at that time when God called them to rejoicing, it had been very unseasonable, like mourning at a wedding; when we are called to thanksgiving, and we mingle our drink with tears; is not this to be highly unthankful for mercy? God would have his people humble, but not ungrateful. 'Tis the Devils policy either to keep us from duty, or else to put us upon it when it is least in season.
Now if the Israelites had sat heavy and disconsolate at that time when God called them to rejoycing, it had been very unseasonable, like mourning at a wedding; when we are called to thanksgiving, and we mingle our drink with tears; is not this to be highly unthankful for mercy? God would have his people humble, but not ungrateful. 'Tis the Divels policy either to keep us from duty, or else to put us upon it when it is least in season.