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A96093 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. Watson, Thomas, d. 1686. 1660 (1660) Wing W1107; Thomason E1031_1; ESTC R15025 429,795 677

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God Wilt thou repine and be sad when thou art blessed Esau wept because he wanted the blessing Gen. 27.38 Bless me even me also O my Father and Esau lift up his voice and wept But shall a child of God be immoderately cast down when he hath the blessing Adam sin'd in the midst of Paradise how evil is it to be blessed and yet murmure Branch 4 Branch 4. What an encouragement is this to godliness we are all ambitious of a blessing then let us espouse Religion Psal 112.1 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. But you will say this way is everywhere spoken against 't is no matter seeing this is the way to get a blessing Suppose a Rich man should adopt another for his heir and others should reproach him he cares not as long as he is heir to the Estate So what though others may reproach thee for thy Religion as long as it entails a blessing upon thee the same day thou becomest godly thou becomest blessed CHAP. IV. MATTH 5. ● Blessed are the Poor in Spirit HAving spoken of the general notion of blessedness I come next to consider the Subjects of this blessedness and these our Saviour hath decyphered to be the Poor in Spirit the mourners c. But before I touch upon these I shall a little Preface or Paraphrase upon this Sermon of the Beatitudes 1. Observe the Divinity in this Sermon which goes beyond all Philosophy The Philosophers use to say contrarium contrarium expellit one contrary expels another but here one contrary begets another poverty useth to expel riches but here poverty begets riches for how rich are they that have a Kingdom mourning useth to expel joy but behold here mourning begets joy They shall be comforted Water useth to quench the flame but the water of tears kindles the flame of joy Persecution useth to expel happiness but here it makes happy Blessed are they that are persecuted These are the sacred Paradoxes in our Saviours Sermon * Evangelicam Philosophiam à Parado●is inchoavit Dominus ●nd Cl●● 2. Observe how Christs Doctrine and the opinion of carnal men differ They think beati divites blessed are the rich The world would count him blessed who could have Midas wish that all he touch'd might be turn'd into gold But Christ saith Beati pauperes blessed are the poor in spirit The world thinks Blessed are they on the Pinacle but Christ pronounceth them blessed who are in the Valley Christs reckonings and the worlds do not agree 3. Observe the nature of true Religion Poverty leads the Van and Persecution brings up the Reare Christianus quasi Crucianus Every true Saint saith Luther is heire to the Crosse Some there are who would be thought religious displaying Christs Colours by a glorious profession but to be poor in spirit and persecuted durus hic sermo they cannot take down this bitter pill they would weare Christs Jewels but wave his Crosse these are strangers to Religion 4. Observe the certain connexion between grace and its reward they who are poor in spirit shall have the kingdom of God They are as sure to go to heaven as if they were in heaven already Our Saviour would encourage men to Religion by sweetning Commands with Promises he ties duty and reward together As in the body the veines carry the blood and the arteries the spirits so one part of these Verses carries Duty and the other part carries reward As that Scholar of Apelles painted Helena richly drawn in costly and glorious apparel hung all over with orient pearl and precious stones So our Lord Christ having set down several qualifications of a Christian poor in spirit pure in heart c. draws these heavenly vertues in their fair colours of blessednesse and sets the magnificent crown of reward upon them that by this oriency he might the more set forth their unparallel'd beauty and entice holy love 5. Observe hence the concatenation of the graces poor in spirit meek merciful c. where there is one grace there is all As they say of the Cardinal vertues virtutes sunt inter se connexae the vertues are chained together so we may say of the graces of the Spirit they are link'd and chain'd together he that hath poverty of Spirit is a mourner he that is a mourner is meek he that is meek is merciful c. The Spirit of God plants in the heart an habit of all the graces the new creature hath all the parts and lineaments as in the body there is a composition of all the Elements and a mixture of all the humours The graces of the Spirit are like a Row of pearl which hang together upon the string of Religion and serve to adorn Christs Bride This I note to shew you a difference between an hypocrite and a true child of God The hypocrite flatters himself with a pretence of grace but in the mean time he hath not an habit of all the graces he hath not poverty of spirit nor purity of heart whereas a child of God hath all the graces in his heart at least radically though not gradually These things being premised I come in particular to those heavenly dispositions of soul to which Christ hath affixed blessedness And the first is POVERTY of SPIRIT Blessed are the Poor in Spirit Chrysostom and Theophylact are of opinion that this was the first Sermon that ever Christ made therefore it may challenge our best attention Blessed are the Poor in Spirit Our Lord Christ being to raise an high and stately Fabrick of blessedness lays the foundation of it low in poverty of Spirit but all poverty is not blessed * Non omnis paupertas beata B●ugensis I shall use a four-fold distinction 1. I distinguish between Poor in Estate and Poor in Spirit there are the Divels poor poor and wicked whose cloaths are not more torn than their conscience There are some whose poverty is their sin who through Improvidence or Excess have brought themselves to want these may be poor in Estate but not poor in Spirit 2. I distinguish between spiritually Poor and Poor in spirit he who is without grace is spiritually poor but he is not poor in Spirit he knows not his own beggery Rev. 3.17 Thou knowest not that thou art Poor He is in the worst sense poor who hath no sense of his poverty 3. I distinguish between Poor-spirited and Poor in spirit They are said to be poor-spirited who have mean base spirits who act below themselves 1. As they are men such are those Misers which having great Estates yet can hardly afford themselves bread who live sneakingly and are ready to wish their own throats cut because they are forced to spend something in satisfying Natures demands This Solomon calls an evil under the Sun Eccles 6.2 There is an evil which I have seen under the Sun a man to whom God hath given Riches so that he wants nothing for his soul of all that he desireth yet
heaven 4. Persecution to Gods children works for good the godly may be compared to that Plant which Greg. Naz. speaks of It lives by dying and grows by cutting * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. The zeal and love of the Saints is blown up by sufferings their joy flourisheth Tertullian saith the Primitive Christians rejoyced more in their persecutions than in their deliverance 5. Death works for good to the children of God it is like the whirle-wind to the Prophet Eliah which blew off his mantle but carried him up to heaven so death to a childe of God is like a boysterous whirle-wind which blows off the mantle of his flesh for the body is but the mantle the soul is wrapped in but it carries up the soul to God this is the glorious priviledge of the sons of God every thing that falls out shall do them good the children of God when they come to heaven as Chrysostom speaks shall bless God for all cross Providences Privi ∣ ledge 12 12. And lastly If we are children we shall never finally perish John 5.24 John 10.28 Those who are adopted are out of the power of damnation Rom. 8.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Will a father condemn his own son God will never disinherit any of his children fathers may disinherit for some fault Reuben for incest lost the Prerogative of his birth-right Gen. 49.4 What is the reason Parents disinherit their children surely this because they can make them no better they cannot make them fit for the inheritance but when we are bad our heavenly Father knows how to make us better he can make us fit to inherit Col. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet for the inheritance Therefore it being in his power to make us better and to work in us an idoneity and meetness for the inheritance certainly he will never finally disinherit Because this is so sweet a priviledge and the life of a Christians comfort lies in it therefore I shall clear it by Arguments that the children of God cannot finally perish the entail of hell and damnation is cut off not but that the best of Gods children have that guilt which deserves hell but Christ is the friend at Court which hath beg'd their pardon therefore the vis damnatoria the damning power of sin is taken away which I prove thus 1. The children of God cannot finally perish because Arg. 1 Gods justice is satisfied for their sins the blood of Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price paid not only meritoriously but efficaciously for all them that believe this being the blood of God justice is fully satisfied and meddles not to condemn those for whom this blood was shed and to whom it is applied Jesus Christ was a Sponsor he stood bound for every childe of God as a Surety he said to justice Have patience with them and I will pay thee all so that the believer cannot be liable to wrath God will not require the debt twice both of the Surety and the Debtor Rom. 3.24 25 26. God is not only merciful in pardoning his children but righteous 1 John 1.9 He is just to forgive it is an act of Gods equity and justice to spare the sinner when he hath been satisfied in the Surety 2. A damnatory sentence cannot pass upon the children Arg. 2 of God because they are so Gods children as withal they are Christs Spouse Cant. 4.11 There is a marriage-union between Christ and the Saints every child of God is a part of Christ he is Christ Mystical Now shall a member of Christ perish A child of God cannot perish but Christ must perish Jesus Christ who is the husband is the Judge and will he condemn his own Spouse Arg. 3 3. Every child of God is transformed into the likeness of Christ he hath the same spirit the same judgement the same will he is a lively picture of Christ as Christ bears the Saints names upon his breast so they bear his image upon their hearts Gal. 4.19 Will Christ suffer his own image to be destroyed Theodosius counted them Traytors who defaced his image Christ will not let his image in believers be defaced and rent he will not endure to see his own picture take fire the Sea hath not only stinking carrion but jewels thrown into it but none of Gods jewels shall ever be thrown into the dead Sea of hell Arg. 4 4. If Gods children could be capable of final perishing then pardon of sin were no priviledge the Scripture saith Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven Psal 32.1 But what blessedness were there in having sin forgiven if afterwards a final and damnatory sentence should pass upon the heirs of promise What were a man the better for the Kings pardon if he were condemned after he were pardoned Arg. 5 5. If the children of God should be finally disinherited then the Scripture could not be fulfilled which tells us of glorious rewards Psal 58.11 Doubtless there is a reward for the righteous God sweetens his commands with promises he ties duty and reward together As in the body the veins carry the blood and the arteries carry the spirits so one part of the Word carries duty in it and another part of the Word carries reward now if the adopted of God should eternally miscarry what reward were there for the righteous and Moses did indiscreetly in looking to the recompence of reward Hebr. 11.26 And so by consequence there would be a door opened to despair By all which it appears that the children of God cannot be disinherited or reprobated if they should lose happiness Christ should lose his purchase and should dye in vain Thus we have seen the glorious priviledges of the children of God What an encouragement is here to Religion how may this tempt men to turn godly Can the world viey with a childe of God Can the world give such priviledges as these as Saul said 1 Sam. 22.7 Will the son of Jesse give every one of you Field and Vineyards and make you all Captains of thousands Can the world do that for you as God doth for his children Can it give you pardon of sin or eternal life Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the Vintage of Abjezer● Is not godliness gain What is there in sin that men should love it the work of sin is drudgery and the wages death They who see more in sin than in the priviledges of Adoption let them go on and have their ears boared to the Divels service CHAP. XX. Containing several Vses drawn from the Proposition Use 1 Reproof Use 1 HERE is a bill of Inditement against those who declare to the world they are not the children of God all profane persons these have damnation written upon their fore-head 1. Scoffers at Religion it were blasphemy to call these the children of God Will a true childe jeer at his fathers picture 2.