A96093:2255
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. Obedience gives comfort at death; what a joy was it to St. Paul when he came to die, that he could make that sweet appeal, 2 Tim. 4.7. I have kept the faith! that is, Paul had kept the Doctrine of Faith, and had lived the life of faith. Oh with what comfort may a Christian lay his life down, when he hath laid his life out in the service of God! This was a death-bed Cordial to King Hezekiah, Isa. 38.3. Remember, O Lord, I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth. A man may repent of his fruitless knowledge, but never did any man repent of his obedience when he came to die; never did any Christian who is going to rest with God, repent that he had walked with God.
6. What is the end of all Gods administrations but obedience? what are all Gods Promises but persuasions to obedience? what is the end of all Gods threatenings which stand as the Angel with a flaming sword in their hand, but to drive us to obedience! Deut. 11.28. A curse if ye will not obey. What is the voice of mercy ⟨p. 648⟩but to call us to duty? the Father gives his child money to bribe him to ingenuity. The fire under the Still makes the Roses drop; the fire of Gods mercies is to make the sweet water of obedience distil from us; mercy (as Ambrose saith) is a medicine which God applies to us to cure our barrenness: what are all the examples of Gods justice upon non-proficients, but allarums to awaken us out of the bed of sloth, and put us into a posture of service? Gods rod upon others is a Fescue to point us to obedience; if God hath not his end in respect of duty, we cannot have our end in respect of glory.
6. What is the end of all Gods administrations but obedience? what are all Gods Promises but perswasions to obedience? what is the end of all Gods threatnings which stand as the Angel with a flaming sword in their hand, but to drive us to obedience!