A96093:2228
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.
2. Knowledge adds to a mans torment: Woe unto thee Corazin; it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgement than for thee. It will be better with Indians than Christians living in a contradiction to their knowledge: Luke 12.47. That servant which knew his Lords will, and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. Knowledge without practice serves only as a Torch to light men to hell; the brighter the light, the hotter the fire. If a King cause his Proclamation to be published, the Subject knows it, but obeys not, this doth the more incense the King against him, he will punish it for a contempt; better be ignorant than knowingly disobedient. Now then, if knowledge alone makes a mans case worse, then it is far from making him happy.
Use Use. Get knowledge, but do not rest in it; will you rest in that which will not make you happy? what is it to cry the Temple of the Lord? what is it to lay knowledge up, and not lay it out? in this sense, he who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow, Eccles. 1.18. his knowledge will but serve to condemn him. If knowledge separated from practice would make men happy, the people of England were a happy people, they want not for knowledge; never since the time of the Apostles did the ⟨p. 637⟩light shine clearer; but here is the mischief, most people know only to know; it may be said of the generality of people as Seneca speaks, malint disputare quam vivere, they had rather dispute well than live well; they would have knowledge to be spangle them, rather than sanctify them. Alas, knowledge alone will never make them happy; men may build their nests among the stars, yet make their bed in hell; they may have knowledge to crown them, and God to damn them. O Christian, who gloriest in thy knowledge and haste no more, wherein dost thou excel an Hypocrite? wherein dost thou excel the Devil? he knows all the Articles of the Creed, he could say to Christ it is written — Is it not sad that a man should have no better evidences to show for heaven than the Devil!