A96093:72
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.
SECT. 1.
1. Wherein blessedness doth not consist: It doth not lie in the acquisition of worldly things; happiness cannot by any Art of Chemistry be extracted here: Christ doth not say, Blessed are the Rich, or blessed are the Noble; yet too many Idolize these things: Man by the fall hath not only lost his Crown, but his Head-piece. How ready is he to terminate his happiness in extrinsecals? which makes me call to mind that definition which some of the Heathen Philosophers gave of blessedness*; that it was to have a sufficiency of subsistence, and to thrive well in the World: And are there not many who go for Christians, that seem to be of this Philosophical opinion? if they have but worldly accommodations, they are ready to sing a requiem to their souls, and say with that brutish fool in the Gospel, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thy ease, Luk. 12.19. Quid turpius quam bonum rationalis animi ex irrationalibus nectere*? Alas, the Tree of blessedness doth not grow in an earthly Paradise. Hath not God cursed the ground for sin? Gen. 3.17. yet many are digging for felicity here, as if they would fetch a blessing out of a curse; a man may as well think to extract oil out of a flint, or fire out of water, as blessedness out of these terrestrial things.
1. WHerein blessedness doth not consist: It doth not lie in the acquisition of worldly things; happiness cannot by any Art of Chymistry be extracted here: Christ doth not say, Blessed are the Rich, or blessed are the Noble; yet too many Idolize these things: Man by the fall hath not only lost his Crown, but his Head-piece. How ready is he to terminate his happiness in extrinsecals? which makes me call to mind that definition which some of the Heathen Philosophers gave of blessedness