A96093:364
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.
But spiritual comforts are pure, they are not muddied with guilt, nor mixed with fear, they are the pure wine of the Spirit; what the Mourner feels is joy, and nothing but joy.
3. These comforts God gives his Mourners, are sweet. Eccles. 12.7. Truly the light is sweet; so is the light of Gods countenance: How sweet are those comforts which bring the Comforter along with them? John 14.16. Therefore the love of God shed into the heart, is said to be better than wine, Cant. 1.2. Wine pleaseth the palate, but the love of God cheers the conscience; the lips of Christ drop sweet smelling myrrh, Cant. 5.13. The comforts God gives are a Christians Music, they are the golden Pot and the Manna; the Nectar and Ambrosia of a Christian; they are the Saints Festival, their banqueting stuff; so sweet are these Divine comforts, ⟨p. 116⟩that the Church had her [Greek or Hebrew], fainting fits for want of them, Cant. 2.5. stay me with flagons] Metonymia Subjecti pro adjuncto, the flagons are put for the wine; by these flagons are meant the comforts of the Spirit; the Hebrew word [Greek or Hebrew] signifies all variety of delights; to show the abundance of delectability and sweetness in these comforts of the Spirit.) Comfort me with Apples.] Apples are sweet in taste, fragrant in smell; so sweet and delicious are those Apples which grow upon the tree in Paradise.) These comforts from above are so sweet, that they make all other comforts sweet; health, estate, relations; they are like sauce which makes all our earthly possessions and enjoyments come off with a better relish. So sweet are these comforts of the Spirit, that they do much abate and moderate our joy in worldly things; he who hath been drinking spirits of wine, or Alkermes, will not much thirst after water: and that man who hath once tasted how sweet the Lord is,