A96093:907
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.
Quest. Is all peace to be sought? how far is peace lawful?
Answ. Peace with men must have this double limitation.
1. The peace a godly man seeks, is not to have a league of amity with sinners; though we are to be at peace with their persons, yet we are to have war with their sins; we are to have peace with their persons as they are made in Gods image; but to have war with their sins as they have made themselves in the Devils image: David was for peace, Psal. 120.7. but he would not sit upon the Ale-bench with sinners, Psal. 26.4, 5. Grace teacheth good nature; we are to be civil to the worst, but not twist into a cord of friendship; that were to be Brethren in iniquity. Eph. 5.11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Jehoshaphat (though a good man) was blamed for this, 2 Chron. 19.2. Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? The fault ⟨p. 274⟩fault was not that he entertained civil peace with Ahab; but that he had a league of friendship, and was assistant to Ahab, when he went contrary to God; therefore there was wrath upon Jehoshaphat from the Lord, Ver. 2. We must not so far have peace with others, as to endanger our selves: If a man hath the plague, we will be helpful to him, and send him our best Receipts, but we are careful not to have too much of his company, or suck in his infectious breath: So we may be peaceable towards all, nay helpful; pray for them, counsel them, relieve them; but let us take heed of too much familiarity, lest we suck in their infection: In short, we must so make peace with men, that we do not break our peace with conscience: