A96093:2223
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.
Indeed, knowledge in the Theory of Religion hath a beauty in it next to the Pearl of grace; this gold is most precious. Knowledge is the enriching of the mind, it is a fair garland to look upon; but as Rachel though beautiful, yet being barren, said, give me children or I dye; so if knowledge doth not bring forth the child of obedience, it will dye and come to nothing: I would by no means disparage knowledge: knowledge is the Pilot to guide us in our obedience; if zeal be not according to knowledge, it is [Greek or Hebrew] will-worship, it is the setting up an altar to an unknown God. Knowledge must usher in obedience; it is as abominable to God to offer up the blind as the lame. Final ignorance damns, Hose. 4.6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The Hebrew word is [Greek or Hebrew] they are cut down, or felled like Trees, so that there is a ⟨p. 635⟩necessity of knowledge: knowledge is the elder sister, but obedience is better than knowledge; here the elder must serve the younger: knowledge may put us into the way of happiness, but it is only practice brings us thither. That knowledge alone cannot make a man happy, I shall prove by three demonstrations.
Indeed, knowledg in the Theory of Religion hath a beauty in it next to the Pearl of grace; this gold is most pretious. Knowledg is the enriching of the minde, it is a faire garland to look upon; but as Rachel though beautiful, yet being barren, said, give me children or I dye; so if knowledg doth not bring forth the child of obedience, it will dye and come to nothing: I would by no means disparage knowledg: knowledg is the Pilot to guide us in our obedience; if zeal be not according to knowledg, it is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 will-worship, it is the setting up an altar to an unknown God. Knowledg must usher in obedience; it is as abominable to God to offer up the blinde as the lame. Final ignorance damnes, Hose. 4.6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledg. The Hebrew word is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 they are cut down, or fell'd like Trees, so that there is a ⟨p. 635⟩