A96093:379
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. In regard of God: He sees it fit to with-hold comfort, 1. That he may raise the value of grace: We are apt to esteem comfort above grace; therefore God locks up our comforts for a time, that he may enhance the price of grace; when farthings go better than gold, the King will call in farthings, that the price of gold may be the more raised. 2. God would have his people learn to ⟨p. 122⟩serve him for himself, and not for comfort only; it is amor Meretricius, an Harlot love, to love the husbands money and tokens, more than his person; such as serve God only for comfort, do not so much serve God, as serve themselves of him.
1. In regard of God: He sees it fit to with-hold comfort, 1. That he may raise the value of grace: We are apt to esteem comfort above grace; therefore God locks up our comforts for a time, that he may inhance the price of grace; when farthings go better than gold, the King will call in farthings, that the price of gold may be the more raised. 2. God would have his people learn to ⟨p. 122⟩serve him for himself, and not for comfort only; it is amor Meretricius, an Harlot love, to love the husbands money and tokens, more than his person; such as serve God only for comfort, do not so much serve God, as serve themselves of him.
2. That Gods Mourners want comfort, it is most frequently in regard of themselves.
1. Through mistake, which is two-fold. 1. They go not to the right spring for comfort; they go to their tears, when they should go to Christs blood; it is a kind of Idolatry to make our tears the ground of comfort; Mourning is not meritorious; it is the way to joy, not the cause. Jacob got the blessing in the garments of his elder brother; true comfort flows out of Christs sides; our tears are stained, till they are washed in the blood of Christ.