A96093:2232
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.
1. Why there must be practice; the reason is, because it is only practice that answers Gods end in giving us his Word both written and preached; Levit. 18.4. Ye shall do my judgments, & keep mine Ordinances to walk therein, Deut. 26.16. This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes & judgments; thou shalt therefore keep & do them. Not only thou shalt know them, but obey them, [Greek or Hebrew] ▪ the Word of God is not only a Rule of knowledge, but a Rule of duty. If you speak to your Children and tell them what is your mind, it is not only that they may know your mind, but do it. God gives us his Word not only as a Picture to look upon, but as a Copy to write after. The Master gives his servant a ⟨p. 639⟩Candle, not to gaze on, but to work by: The light of Scripture is to guide our feet into the way of obedience; and so David calls the Word of God, not a Lamp to his eyes, but a Lantern to his feet, Psal. 119. implying, that the light of the Word is rather to walk by than to see by. God gives us his Word as his Will and Testament which he leaves in charge with us to see it performed. If God would only have had his Laws to be known or talked of, he might have delivered them to Parrots: If he would only have had them kept safe, he might have graven them with an iron pen, and laid in the rock for ever, Job 19.24. But therefore he delivers the Records of heaven to men, that they should be obeyed. The Lord gives us his Precepts as a Physician gives the patient his Receipts to take and apply: for this end are all Gods institutes that we may by practice apply them for the purging out sin, and bringing the soul into a more healthful temper: God gives us his Word, as the Mother gives the Child the breast, not only to look upon, but to draw it; many have gone to hell with the breast in their mouths, because they have not drawn it, and turned the milk of the Word into sacred nourishment.
1. Why there must be practice; the reason is, because it is only practice that answers Gods end in giving us his Word both written and preached;