PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Select Works of Thomas Watson — Body of Divinity and Sermons
Thomas Watson, d. 1686 · 632,849 words · 737 reading sections
THOMAS WATSON.
r PRINCETON, N. J. .T^he^tephen Collins Douatioii. BX 9184 .A5 W3 1855 Watson, Thomas, d. 1686. The select works of the Rev Thomas Watson, comprising LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY LIBRARY Of PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Vv-r // /uv/M^j //^a^^r// (finata^i")/ ^/ ■ /■ 4r, „i^,f, /i^in >, /i >t ti/…
623 wordsSECTION 2BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE.
Of the early liistory, birthplace, or parentage of Mr. Watson little seems to have been known by contemporary writers. He received his education in Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was noted for being a hard student, and received the degree of Master of Arts. In the time of the civil wars, A. D. 1646, he became re…
732 wordsSECTION 3CATECHISING.
uttered piv re nafa, as God enabled me, from the abundance of my heart and affections." Upon this, the good bishop went away, wondering that any man could pray in so excellent a manner extempore. Mr. Watson published a variety of books upon practical subjects, and of a useful nature. But his principal work was his Body…
751 wordsSECTION 4A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE
DocT. I. That it is the duty of Christi- ans to be settled in the doctrine of faith. It is the apostle's prayer, 1 Pet. v. 10. *' The God of all grace, stablish, strength- en, settle you." That they might not be meteors in the air, but fixed stars. The apostle Jude speaks of ' wandering stars,' V. 13. They are called w…
872 wordsSECTION 5TO CATECHISING.
6tli. ^\liat great need is there to be set- tled; because there are so many things to unsettle us, and make us fall away from the truth. Seducers are abroad, whose work is to draw away people from the prinr'iples of religion : i John ii. 26., " These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you." Se-…
872 wordsSECTION 6MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
2. Knowledge of the grounds of religion much enricheth ilie mind; it is a lamp to our feet ; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key that opens the chief mysteries of reli- gion ; it gives us a whole system and body of divinity exactly …
791 wordsSECTION 7MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
I. I begin with the first, the glorifving of God, 1 Pet. iv. 11., " That God in all things may be glorified."" The glory of God is a silver thread which must run tln-ousrh all our actions; I Cor. x. 31., " Whether thci-efore ye eat or (b'ink, or Avhatsoever ye do, <h) all to tlie glory of God." Every thing works to som…
822 wordsSECTION 8MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
2. Glorifying of God consists in adora- tion, or worship : Ps. xxix. 2., " Give un to the Lord the glory due unto his name ; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." There is a twofold worship : 1st. A civil reverence we give to persons of honour: Gen. xxiii. 7., " Abraham stood up and bow- ed himself to the childr…
949 wordsSECTION 9MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
A. 2. Because God hath made all things for his own glory : Prov. ^y\. 4., " The Lord hath made all things for himself," — that is, ' for his glory.' As a king hath excise out of commodities, God \vill have his glory out of every thing ; he will have glory out of the wicked, the glory of his justice ; they will not give…
924 wordsSECTION 10MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
1. AVlien we prefer God's glory above all other things ; aboAC credit, estate, rela- tions ; when the glory of God coming in competition with them, we prefer his glory before them. If relations lie in our way to heaven, m'c must either leap over them, or tread upon them ; a child must unchild himself, and forget he is …
946 wordsSECTION 11MANS CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
must not bo like the fi<i^-tree in tlie p^ospel, which had nothing but knaves, but like the poinc-citron, tliat is continually either mel- lowing or blossoming ; it is never without fruit. It is not profession, but fruit glori- fies God ; God expects to have his glory from us this way, 1 Cor. ix. 7., " Who planteth a v…
861 wordsSECTION 12MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
A, When we live to his service, and lay out ourselves wholly for God. The Lord hath sent us into the world, as a merchant sends his factor heyond the seas to trade for him ; then we live to God, Avhcn we trade for his interest, and propagate his gos- pel. God hath given every man a talent. Now, when he doth not hide it…
849 wordsSECTION 13MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD
tongues praise, then the orjs^ans in God's gpiritual temple are going. How satl is it, that God hath no more of liis glory from us this way ! Many are full of murniurings and discontents, but seldom do they bring glory to God, by giving him tlie praise due to his name. We read of the saints having harps in their hands,…
852 wordsSECTION 14MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
he liad made an oration, and the people gave a ^liont, saying, " It is the voice of a god, and not of a man ;" he took tliis glory to himself, the text saith, " And immedi- ately the angel of the Lord smote him, be- cause he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms," Acts xii. 23. Then we glorify God, when we …
851 wordsSECTION 15MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
ed with your talents, and wliat glory you have brought to him. Now, how sad will it be with them who hide their talents in a napkin, that bring God no glory at all ? V. 30. " Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness." It is not enougli for you to say, that you have not dishonoured God, — you have not lived …
844 wordsSECTION 16MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
rei)rove in others. Plutarch's servant uj> braided him, " It is not as my master Phi- tarch saith ; lie hath written a book against wrath, anger, et ipse mihi irascitur, — yet he falls into a passion of anger with me :" So this minister preacheth against drunk- enness,— yet he will be drunk ; he preach- eth against swe…
848 wordsSECTION 17MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
Use 1. Is the enjoyinj^ of God in this life so sweet? IIow prodigiously wicked are they that prefer the enjoying of their lusts, before the enjoying of God ! 1 John ii. 16., " The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life," is the Trinity they worship. Lust is an inordinate desire or impulse, provoking …
911 wordsSECTION 18MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
1. lie is an universal good, — honum in quo omnia bona, " a good, in which are all goods." The excellencies of the crea- ture are limited. A man may haA'e health, not beauty; learning, not parentage; riches, not wisdom ; but in God are eminently con- tained all excellencies. He is a good, com- mensurate fully to the so…
771 wordsSECTION 19OF THE SCRIPTURES.
carnal pleasures in heaven. Tlie Turks, liis sweetness, — not only inspection hut pos- in their Alcoran, speak of a paradise of jilea- sure, where tliey have riches in ahundance, and red wine served in j^olden chalices. Here is an heaven, consisting of pleasures for the body ; the epicures of this age would like such a…
913 wordsSECTION 20OF THE SCKIPTURES.
comforts of thy life. Let this revive thee, that shortly thou shalt enjoy God, and then shalt have more than tliou canst ask or think ; thou shalt have angels' joy, — glory without intermission or expiration. We shall never enjoy ourselves fully till we en- joy God eternally. te V^-^.'W*. V* »^ V'^^*'^^^ OF THE SCRIP…
798 wordsSECTION 21OF THE SCRIPTURES.
3. The scripture appears to be the word of God, by the matter contained in it. — 1. By its profundity. The mystery of scrip- ture is so abstruse and profound, that no man or angel could have known it had it not been divinely revealed. That eternity should be born ; that He who tlmnders in the heavens should cry in the …
783 wordsSECTION 22OF THE SCRIPTURES.
6. The mighty power and efficacy the word hath had upon the souls and con- sciences of men. — 1. It hatli changed their hearts. Some by reading of scripture liave been turned into other men, they haA-e been made holy and gracious. By reading other books the heart may be warmed, but by reading this book it is transforme…
839 wordsSECTION 23OF THE SCRIPTURES.
A. The scripture is a full and perfect canon containing in it all things necessary to salvation: 2 Tim. iii. 15., " From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto sal- vation." It shows the credenda^ — what we are to believe ; and agenda^ — what we are to practise. It gives us a…
918 wordsSECTION 24OF THE SCRIPTURES.
Use 2d. Is all scripture of divine inspi- ration? Is it a book made by God him- self? Then this reproves : 1. The Papists, who take away part of scripture, and so clip the king of heaven's coin; they ex- punge the second commandment out of their catechisms, because it makes against im- ages ; it is usual with them, if …
633 wordsSECTION 25OF THE SCRIPTURES.
scripture: (1.) Who do mud and poison this pure crystal fountain with their cor- rupt glosses ; wlio wrest scripture, 2 Pet. iii. 16. The Greek word is, they set it upon the rack ; they give wrong interpretations of it, not comparing scripture with scrip- ture: as the Antinomians pervert that scrip- ture. Num. xxiii. 2…
853 wordsSECTION 26OF THE SCRIPTURES.
of life, — the oracle of wisdom, — the rule of manners, — the heavenly seed of which the new creature is formed, James i. 18. " The Iwo Testaments (saith Austin) are the two breasts which every Christian must suck, that he may get spiritual nourishment." The leaves of the tree of life were for heal- ing, Rev. xxii. 2. …
836 wordsSECTION 27THAT THERE IS A GOD.
Hence ariseth all the profaneiicss of men, they do not believe the scripture, Is. liii. 1., *' who hatli believed our re])ort?" Did you believe tlie glorious rewards the scripture speaks of, would you not give diligence to make your election sure ? Did you believe the infernal torments the scriptures speaks of, would n…
845 wordsSECTION 28THAT THERE IS A GOD.
surer way of knowing God's mind than by revelation, 2 Pet. i. 18. This voice which came from heaven we heard ; we have also a more sure word of prophecy. The devil is God's ape, and he can transform himself into an angel of light ; he can deceive with false revelations : as I have heard of one wlio had, as he thought, …
751 wordsSECTION 29THAT THERE IS A GOD.
it with ^n\d? Only Ood, Job xxviii. 4. ^V^lo Imt God could make the sweet music \n the heavens, — cause the angels to join in concert and sound forth the praises of their Maker, Job xxxA-iii. 7., " \\'hen the morn- ing stars sang together, and all the sons of God sliouted for joy ?" If a man should go into a far countr…
850 wordsSECTION 30THAT THERE IS A GOD
tions, — live so]>orly and rifjliteously, — ob- serves tlie p-oldcn maxim, doin<T to otliers as he would liavc them to do to liim — then conscienee aj)j)roves, and saitli, " Well done !" Conscience, like a bee, gives honey. — 2. Natural conscience in the wicked doth accuse. Wlien men go against the light of conscience,…
801 wordsSECTION 31GOD IS A SPIRIT.
saying, that all things fell out by chance. He that saith there is no God, is the wick- edest creature that is; he is worse than a thief, who doth but take away our goods from us, but the atheist would take away our God from us, John xx. 13., " They have taken away my Lord." So we may say of atheists, they would take a…
852 wordsSECTION 32GOD IS A SPIRIT.
the only true God ; sucli a God as he hath levealod himself in his word, " A lover of righteousness, and hater of wickedness." Ps. xlv. 7. The real helief of a Deity gives life to all religious worship; the more we believe tlie truth and infiniteness of God, tlie more holy and angelical we are in our lives. Whether we …
963 wordsSECTION 33GOD IS A SPIRIT.
Servetus and Osiander thought, that the soul being infused did convey into man the very spirit and substance of God ; an ab- surd opinion, for the essence of God is in- communicable. A. Therefore, when it is said, the soul is a spirit, it is meant God hath made it intelligent, and hath stamped upon it his likeness, no…
936 wordsSECTION 34GOD IS A SPIRIT.
Q. But how then shall tee conceive of God, being a spirit, if we may make no image or resemblance of him ? , A. We must conceive of him spiritually: viz. (1.) In his attributes, — liis holiness; justice, goodness, which are the beams by which his divine nature shines forth. (2.) We must conceive of him as he is in Chr…
912 wordsSECTION 35GOD IS INFINITE.
little prayer, if it be with the heart and spi- rit, may have much virtue and efficacv in it. Tlie ])ublican made but a short prayer, " God be merciful to me a sinner," Luke xviii. 13., but it was full of life and spirit; it came from the heart, therefore it was ac- cepted. Use 5. Of Exhortation. Pray to God, that as …
933 wordsSECTION 36GOD IS INFINITE.
Obj. Bid if God be infinite in all places^ then he is in places impure, and mingles with that impurity ? A. lliough God be in all places, — in the heart of a sinner by his inspection, — and in hell by his justice, — yet he doth not min- gle wiih tliat impurity, or receive the least tincture of evil. Divina natura non …
715 wordsSECTION 3715.,
finitely sweet, as well as infinitely full ; if a conduit be filled with wine here is a sweet fulness, but still it is finite ; but God is a sweet fulness, and it is also infinite. He is infinitely full of beauty,— of love; his riches are called ' unsearchal)le,' Eph. iii. 8., be- cause they are infinite. Stretch your …
947 wordsSECTION 38»^«-%.«^^%^
Use 2. If God be infinite in his glorious essence, learn to admire Avhere you cannot fathom. The angels wear a vail ; they cover their faces, as adoring this infinite majesty, Isa. vi. 3. Elias wrapped himself in a mantle Avhen God's glory passed by. Admire where you cannot fathom. Job. xi. 7., " Canst thou by searchin…
901 wordsSECTION 39OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
2. God's knowledge is pure. It is not contaminated with the object. Divina na- tura non est immista rebus aut sordtbus inqui- nata, Auo. Though God knows sin, yet it is to hate and punish it. No evil can mix or incorporate with his knowledge, no more than the sun can be defiled with the vapours which arise from the ear…
754 wordsSECTION 40OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
Use 1st. Is God infinite in knowledge, 1 John i. 5. " He is light, and in him is no darkness;" then how unlike are they to God, who are darkness, and in whom is no light, — who are destitute of knowledge, such as the Indians who never heard of God ? And are there not many among us who ai"e no better than baptized heath…
687 wordsSECTION 41OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
thing dishonourable. The consideration of God's omnisciency would, 1. Be preventive of much sin. The eye of man will restrtiin from sin; and will not God's eyes much more ? Est. vii. 8., " Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me ?" Will we sin when our judge looks on ? Would men speak so vainly, if t…
823 wordsSECTION 42OF THE ETERNITY OF GOD.
3. It is comfort in respect of personal in- juries. It is the saint's lot to suffer; the head being crowned with thorns, the feet must not tread upon roses. If saints find a real purgatory, it is in this life; but this is their comfort, God sees what wrong is done to them ; the apple of his eye is touch- ed, and is not…
877 wordsSECTION 43OF THE ETERNITY OF GOD.
Use \st. Here is thunder and lightning to the wicked. God is eternal, therefore the torments of the wicked are eternal. God lives for ever; and as long as God lives he will be punishing the damned. This, methinks, should be as the handwrit- ing upon the wall, Dan. v. 6., it should make their joints to be loosed, &c. '1…
694 wordsSECTION 44OF THE ETERNITY OF GOD
not find it." The fire of hell is such as multitudes of tears will not quench it, — length of time will not finish it, — the vial of God's wrath will be always dropping upon a sinner. As long as God is eternal, he lives for ever to be avenged upon tlie wicked. O Eternity ! Eternti y ! who can fathom it ? Mariners haA'e…
822 wordsSECTION 45GOD'S UNCHANGEABLENESS.
ly run upon eternity. We all wish ior the jn-esent, sometiiing that may delight the senses. If we could have lived, as Augus- tine saith, a cunahuli mnndi, — from the in- fancy of the world to the world's old age, — what were this? What is time measured with eternity ? As the earth is but Ji smajj point to the heaven, …
905 wordsSECTION 46GOD'S UNCIIANGEABLENESS.
I. Unchangeable in his nature : 1. There is no eclipse of his brightness. 2. No pe- riod put to his being. 1. No eclipse of his brightness : his es- sence shines with a fixed lustre, James i. 17., " W'llh whom is no variableness, nei- ther shadow of turning ;" Ps. cii. 27., " Thou art the same." All created things are…
866 wordsSECTION 47GOD'S UNCHANGEABLENESS.
Use 2d. See the vanity of the creature;; there are changes in every thing but in God; Ps. Ixii. 9., " Men of low degree are vanity, and men of higli degree are a lie." We look for more from the creature than God hath put into it. The world brings changes; the creHture hath two evils in it, — it j)romiseth more than we …
941 wordsSECTION 48GOD'S UNCHANGEABLENESS.
Ans. Repentance is attributed to God figuratively and impro])erly : Num. xxiii. 19., He is not " a man tliat he should re- pent." There may be a change in God's work, but not in his will ; God may will a change, but not change his will ; " God may change his sentence, but not his de- cree." As su])pose a king shall cau…
830 wordsSECTION 49OF THC WISDOM OF GOD.
Use 3d. To conclude : a word to the wick- ed, who march furiously against God and his people — Let them know, God's decree is unchangeable; God will not alter it, nor can they break it ; and while they resist God's will, they fulfil it. There is a two- fold will of God, voluntas pracepti et decretiy — the will of God's…
924 wordsSECTION 50OF THE WISDOM OF GOD.
2. The second work wherein God's wis- dom shines forth, is the work of redemp- tion: 1. Here was the master- piece of di- vine wisdom, to contrive a way to happi- ness, between the sin of man, and the jus- tice of God. We may cry out with the apostle, Rom. xi. 33., " O the depth of the riches both of the wivsdom and kn…
814 wordsSECTION 51OF THE WISDOM OF GOD.
advancement. For Cod to save in an or- dinary way, wisdom would not be so much taken notice of. But when he goes strange- ly to work, and saves in that very way in which we think he will destroy ; now, his wisdom shines forth in a most glorious con- spicuous manner. God would make Israel victorious, and what way doth h…
848 wordsSECTION 52OF GOD'S POWER.
God's \visdom is seen in befooling wise men, and making their wisdom a means of their overthrow. Ahithophel had deep po- licy, 2 Sam. xvi. 23., " The counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled, in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God :" but he consulted his own shame. The Lord turned his counse…
917 wordsSECTION 53OF GODS POWER.
I. He hath a sovereign right and autho- rity over man. He can do with his crea- tures as he j>leases. Who shall dispute with God ? who shall ask him a reason of his do- ings ? Dan. iv. 35., " He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and a- mong the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or s…
705 wordsSECTION 54OF GOD'S POWER
his will. God can with a word unpin the wheels, and break the axle-tree of the crea- tion. He can do more than we can think, Eph. iii. 20. He can suspend natural a- gents ; he sealed up the lions' mouths, made the fire not to burn ; he made the waters to stand upon an heap ; he caused the sun to go ten degrees backward…
859 wordsSECTION 55OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
Use 3d. It reproves such as do not be- lieve this power of God. We say, we do not doubt of God's power, but his will. But indeed it is God's power that we ques- tion. " Is there any thing too hard for me?" Jer. xxxii. 27.; yet we stagger through unbelief, as if the arm of God's power were shrunk, and he could not help …
914 wordsSECTION 56OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
S. Comfort in case of weakness of grace, and fear of falling away. I pray, but I cannot send out strong cries ; I believe, but the hand of my faith doth shake and tremble. Cannot God strengthen weak grace ? 2 Cor. xii. 9., " My strength is made perfect in weakness : most gladly therefore will I ra- ther glory in my inf…
904 wordsSECTION 57OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
Athly, God is holy transcendently, 1 Sam. ii. 2., " There is none holy as the Lord." No angel in heaven can take the just di- mensions of God's holiness ; the highest seraphim is too low of stature to measure these pyramids : the holiness in God is far above the holiness in saints or angels. 1. It is above the holines…
911 wordsSECTION 58OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
2d. Our holiness consists in our subjec- tion to the will of God : as God's nature is file pattern of holiness, so his will is the rule of holiness. This is our holiness, 1. When we do his will. Acts xiii. 22. 2. UHien we bear his will, Micah vii. 9., what he inflicts wisely, we suffer willingly. This is our holiness, …
917 wordsSECTION 59OF GOD'S JUSTICE.
8. Holiness leads to heaven ; holiness is the king of heaven's highway, Isa. xxxv. 8., " An highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness." At Rome there was the temple of virtue and honour, and they were to go through the temple ol virtue to the temple of honour ; so we must go through the temple …
854 wordsSECTION 60OF GOD'S JUSTICE.
fith. God's justice is such that it is not fit for any man or angel to expostulate with God, or depjand a reason of his actions. God hath not only authority on his side, but equity. He lays " judgment to the line, and righteousness to the plummet," Isa. xxviii. 17.; and it is below him to give an account to us of his p…
821 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical work by Thomas Watson, d. 1686. OCR from an original historical scan hosted by Internet Archive; OCR may contain recognition errors.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.