A96093:448
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.
3. The examples of Heathens; though their meekness could not properly be called grace, because it grew not upon the right stock of faith, yet it was beautiful in its kind. Pericles when one did revile him, and followed him home to his gate at night, railing upon him, he answered not a word, but commanded one of his servants to light a Torch, and bring the Railer home to his own house. Frederick Duke of Saxony, when he was angry, would shut up himself in his Closet, and let none come near him till he had mastered his passion. Plutarch reports of the Pythagoreans, if they had chanced to fall out in the day, they would embrace and be friends ere Sun-set. Cicero in one of his Orations reports of Pompey the great, he was a man of a meek disposition, he admitted all to come to him so freely, and heard the complaints of them that were wronged, so mildly, that he excelled all the Princes before him; he was of that sweet temper, that it was hard to say whether his enemies did more fear his valour, or his subjects love his meekness. Julius Caesar not only forgave ⟨p. 145⟩Brutus and Cassius his enemies, but advanced them; he thought himself most honoured by acts of clemency and meekness. Did the spring-head of nature rise so high, and shall not grace rise higher? shall we debase faith below reason? let us write after these fair Copies.
3. The examples of Heathens; though their meekness could not properly be called grace, because it grew not upon the right stock of faith, yet it was beautiful in its kind. Pericles when one did revile him, and followed him home to his gate at night, rayling upon him, he answered not a word, but commanded one of his servants to light a Torch, and bring the Raylor home to his own house. Frederick Duke of Saxony, when he was angry, would shut up himself in his Closet, and let none come near him till he had mastered his passion. Plutarch reports of the Pythagoreans, if they had chanced to fall out in the day, they would embrace and be friends ere Sun-set. Cicero in one of his Orations reports of Pompey the great, he was a man of a meek disposition, he admitted all to come to him so freely, and heard the complaints of them that were wronged, so mildly, that he excelled all the Princes before him; he was of that sweet temper, that it was hard to say whether his enemies did more fear his valour, or his subjects love his meekness. Julius Caesar not only forgave ⟨p. 145⟩