A96093:98
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.
The serious meditation of this will be a forcible Argument to make the sinner break off his sins by Repentance, and sweat hard till he find the golden Mine of blessedness; I say, it would be the break-neck of sin; how would a ⟨p. 28⟩man offer violence to himself by Mortification, and to heaven by supplication, that at last he may arrive at a state of blessedness. What, is there a Crown of blessedness to be set upon my head? a Crown hung with the Jewels of honour, delight, magnificence; a Crown reached out by God himself; and shall I by sin hazard this? can the pleasure of sin countervail the loss of blessedness? what more powerful Motive to Repentance than this. Sin will deceive me of the blessing! If a man knew certainly that a King would settle all his Crown-Revenues on him after such a Term of years, would he offend that Regal Majesty, and cause him to reverse and alter his Will? There is a blessedness promised to all that live godly. 1 John 2.25. This is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. We are not excluded, but may come in for a child's part; now shall we by living in sin provoke God, and forfeit this blessedness? O what madness is this! Well may the Apostle call them foolish and hurtful lusts, 1 Tim. 6.9. because every lust doth what in it lies to cut off the entail of mercy, and block up the way to happiness; every sin may be compared to the flaming Sword, which keeps the heavenly Paradise that the sinner cannot enter.
The serious meditation of this will be a forcible Argument to make the sinner break off his sins by Repentance, and sweat hard till he find the golden Mine of blessedness; I say, it would be the break-neck of sin; how would a ⟨p. 28⟩man offer violence to himself by Mortification, and to heaven by supplication, that at last he may arrive at a state of blessedness. What, is there a Crown of blessedness to be set upon my head? a Crown hung with the Jewels of honour, delight, magnificence; a Crown reached out by God himself; and shall I by sin hazard this? can the pleasure of sin countervail the loss of blessedness? what more powerful Motive to Repentance than this. Sin will deceive me of the blessing! If a man knew certainly that a King would settle all his Crown-Revenues on him after such a Term of years, would he offend that Regal Majesty, and cause him to reverse and alter his Will? There is a blessedness promised to all that live godly.