A96093:809
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. Outward reverence: Purity of heart will express it self by the reverend gesture of the body, the lifting up of the eye and hand, the uncovering the head, the bending the knee. Constantine the Emperor did bear great reverence to the Word. When God gave the Law, the Mount was on fire, and trembled, Exod. 19.18. The reason was, that the people might prostrate themselves more reverently before the Lord. The Ark wherein the Law was put, was carried upon bars, that the Levites might not touch it: Exod. 25.11, 14. To show what reverence God would have about holy things. Sitting in prayer (unless in case of weakness) and having the Hat half on in prayer, is a very undecent, irreverent practice; let such as are guilty reform it. We must not only offer up our souls, but our bodies, Rom. 12.1. The Lord takes notice what posture and gesture we use in his worship: ⟨p. 246⟩If a man were to deliver a Petition to the King, would he deliver it with his Hat half on? The careless irreverence of some would make us think they did not much regard whether God heard them or no. We are run from one extreme to another; from superstition to unmannerliness. Let Christians think of the dreadful Majesty of God who is present: Gen. 28.17. How dreadful is this place? this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. The blessed Angels cover their faces, crying, Holy, holy, Isa. 6.1. An holy heart will have an holy gesture.
3. Outward reverence: Purity of heart will express it self by the reverend gesture of the body, the lifting up of the eye and hand, the uncovering the head, the bending the knee. Constantine the Emperour did bear great reverence to the Word. When God gave the Law, the Mount was on fire, and trembled, Exod. 19.18. The reason was, that the people might prostrate themselves more reverently before the Lord. The Ark wherein the Law was put, was carried upon bars, that the Levites might not touch it: