A96093:958
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.
2. It may afflict us to see the garment of the Churches peace rent, because divisions bring an opprobrium and scandal upon Religion; these make the ways of God evil spoken, as if Religion were the fomenter of strife and sedition. Julian in his invectives against the Christians, said, they lived together as Tigers, rending, and devouring one another; and shall we make good Julians words? 'Tis unseemly to see Christs Doves fighting; to see his lily become a bramble. Alexander Severus seeing two Christians contending, commanded them that they should not take the name of Christians any longer upon them; for (saith he) you dishonour your Master Christ. Let men either lay down their contentions, or lay off the coat of their profession.
2. It may afflict us to see the garment of the Churches peace rent, because divisions bring an opprobrium and scandal upon Religion; these make the ways of God evil spoken, as if Religion were the fomenter of strife and sedition. Julian in his invectives against the Christians, said, they lived together as Tygers, rending, and devouring one another; and shall we make good Julians words? 'Tis unseemly to see Christs Doves fighting; to see his lilly become a bramble. Alexander Severus seeing two Christians contending, commanded them that they should not take the name of Christians any longer upon them; for (saith he) you dishonour your Master Christ. Let men either lay down their contentions, or lay off the coat of their profession.
3. Divisions obstruct the progress of piety; the Gospel seldom thrives where the apple of strife grows; the building of Gods spiritual Temple is hindered by the confusion of tongues. Division eats as a worm, and destroys the peaceable fruits of righteousness*. In the Church of Corinth, when they began to divide into Parties, one was for Paul, and another for Apollo, there were but few for Christ; confident I am, Englands divisions have made many turn Atheists.
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