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
129
Tliis is a gieat ground of co:nfort to the church of God in the midst of all the com- binations of the enemy, " Christ is king;" and he can not only bound the enemies' power, but break it. The church hath more with her than against her, she hath Emmanuel on her side, even that great King to whom all knees must bend. Ch…
903 wordsSECTION 122OF CHRIST'S HUMILIATION IN HIS INCARNATION.
Use 3d. Branch 1. If Christ be a great king, submit to him. Say not, as those Jews, " We have no king but Casar," — no king but our lusts. This is to choose the bramble to rule over you, and " out of tlie bramble will come forth a fire," Judg. ix. Submit to Christ willingly. All the devils in hell submit to Christ ; bu…
920 wordsSECTION 123131
Quest. How coidd Christ be made of the flesh and blood of a virgin, and yet be with- out sin ! The purest virgin that is, her soul is stained ivith original siti. Ans. This knot the scripture unties, Luke i. 35., " The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and overshadow thee : therefore that holy thing, which shall be bor…
917 wordsSECTION 124133
A. 4. Jesus Christ united himself to man, ' that man might be drawn nearer to God.' God before was an enemy to us, by reason 132 OF CHRIST'S HUMILIATION of sin ; l)ut Clirist talking our flesh, dotli mediate for us, and bring us into favour with (iod. As when a king is angry witli a subject, tl)e king's son marries …
872 wordsSECTION 125OF CHRIST'S HUMILIATION
Hty of Christ ; Christ was made flosli, O sancta humUitdS, tu filium Dei dcscerulere ft- cisti in nteriun, Maria; Virginis ! Ausr. That Christ should ch>thc himself witli our flesh, a ]>iece of that earth which we tread upon; O infinite humility ! Christ's takinir our flesh was one of the lowest steps of his humiliatio…
853 wordsSECTION 126135
The text calls it a mystery. Thaf man should be made in God's image, was a won- der ; but that God sliould be made in man's image, is a greater wonder. That the An- cient of Days should be born, — that he who thunders in the heavens sliould cry in the cradle, — Qui tcnitruat in coelis, clamat in cunahulis ; qui regit s…
902 wordsSECTION 127OF CHRIST'S HUMILIATION.
A. 2. As, when Christ was born into the world, he was made flesh ; so, if he be born in thy heart, he makes thy heart an heart of flesh, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. Is thy heart incar- nate ? before it was a rocky heart, and would not yield to God, or take the impressions of the world, — durum est (/uod nun cedit iactui ; now it …
837 wordsSECTION 128137
souls. Job xiii. 23., " How many are my iniquities ?" Our sins are as the sands of the sea lor number, as the rocks of the sea for weiglit. Austin cries out, Vce mihifoe- cibuft j)eccatoritm. polliritur templum Domiiii ! My heart, which is (lod's temple, is pollut- ed witli sin. — (2.) If we look jnxta nos, — about us,…
840 wordsSECTION 129CHRIST'S EXALTATION.
dust with gold, — if he, I say, ahased him- self so for us, let us be willing to be abased for him. If the world reproach us for Clirist's sake, and cast dust on our name, let us bear it with patience. The apostles, Acts V. 41., departed from the council " rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Chr…
819 wordsSECTION 130139
II. God hatli exalted Christ in his office ; he hath honoured him to be Salvator mundi, — the Saviour of the world, Acts v. 31., " Him hath God exalted Avith his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour." It was a great honour to Moses to be a tem- poral saviour; but what is it to be the Sa- viour of souls ! Christ is c…
922 wordsSECTION 131OF CHRIST'S EXALTATION.
Use 1st. Of information. Branch 1. See Christ's different state on earth, and now in heaven. O how is the scene altered ! When he was on earth, he lav in a man- ger, — now he sits on a throne ; then he was hated and scorned of men, — now he is adored of angels ; then his name was re- proached,— now " God hath g^ven him…
939 wordsSECTION 132CHRIST THE REDEEMER.
Branch 5. Christ being exalted at God's right hand, this is for the comfort of be- lievers, that they shall one day be exalted to that place of glory where he is. Christ's exaltation is our exaltation. Christ hath prayed for this, John xvii. 24., " Father, I will, that all those whom thou hast given me, be with me wher…
889 wordsSECTION 133CHRIST THE REDEEMER.
soner. In this sense Christ is a Redeemer, he hath paid a price. Never such a price paid to ransom prisoners, 1 Cor. vi. 20., " Ye arc pretio empti, — bought with a price ;" and this price was his own blood. So, in the text, " by his own blood he entered in once into the lioly place, having obtained eternal redemption …
772 wordsSECTION 134143
defiled, alludes to a precious stone called amianthus^ which cannot be blemished : such a place is heaven, undefiled, — nothing can stain it, — there's no sin there to eclipse its purity. For the holiness and undefiled- ness of it, it is compared to pure gold, and to the sapphire and emerald, Rev. xxi. " The sapphire h…
850 wordsSECTION 135OF FAITH.
A. 2. Such as arc redeemed by Christ are redeemed from the world. Gal. i. 4., " ^^^lo gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver (or redeem) us from this present evil world." Such as are redeemed by Christ are risen with Christ, Col. iii. 1. As the birds, though they light upon the gi'ound to pick up a little see…
940 wordsSECTION 136145
1. Self-renunciation. Faith is a going out of one's self; a man is taken off from his own bottom, he sees he hath no righte- ousness of his own to save him, Phil. iii. 9., " Not having mine own righteousness." Self-righteousness is a broken reed the soul dares not lean on. Repentance and faith are both humbling graces;…
871 wordsSECTION 137OF FAITH.
A. 3 In its being the grace which God honcnns to justify and save : thus indeed it is ' precious faith,' as the apostle calls il, 2 Pet. i. 1. The other graces helj) to sanc- tify, but it is faith that justifies, Rom. v. 1., " Being justified by faith." Repenl;iii -e or love do not justify, but faitli. Quest. Hu iv dot…
933 wordsSECTION 138EFFFXTUAL CALLING.
3. Faith is an obediential grace, Rom, xvi. 26., ' The obedience of faith.' Faith melts our will into God's ; faith runs at OF FAITH. 147 God's call ; if God commands duty (tli()ii<^li cross to flesh and ])lood) faith obeys. Hoi) xi. 8., " By faith Abraham obeyed." Faitli is not an idle grace, as it liatli an eye to…
933 wordsSECTION 139149
Ans. Every creature hath a voice to call us. The heavens call to us to behold God's glory, Ps. xix. L ; conscience calls to us ; God's judgments call to us, repent, Mic. vi. 9., " Hear ye the rod." But every voice doth not o«tnvert. There are two means of our effecrtiial call : L The preaching of the word, which iis t…
887 wordsSECTION 140EFFECTUAL CALLING.
suasion,— that God in tbe conversion of a sinner, doth only morally persuade, and no more ? He sets his promises before them to allure ihom to good, and his threaten- in<rs to deter them from evil ; and here is all he doth. But sure moral persuasions alone are insufficient to the effectual call : how can the bare propo…
855 wordsSECTION 141151
Use 3d. Of comfort to them who are tfie called of God. This call evidenceth elec- tion, Rom. viii. 30., " Whom he predesti- nated, them he also called." Election is the cause of our vocation, and vocation is the sign of our election. Election is the first link of the golden chain of salvation, vocation is the second ; …
765 wordsSECTION 142OF JUSTIFICATION.
You are called to be saints, Rom. i. 7. Show your vocation by a Bible conversation. Shall not ilowers smell sweeter than weeds? Shall not they who are ennol)led with grace have more fragrancy in their lives than sinners? 1 Pet. i. 15., " As he wlio hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of c-fm- versation…
820 wordsSECTION 143153
Ans. The whole Trinity ; all the persons in the blessed Trinity have an hand in the justification of a sinner, — opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa. God the Father is said to justify, Rom. viii, 33., " It is God that justifieth." God the Son is said to justify, Acts xiii. 39., " By him all that believe are justifi…
862 wordsSECTION 144OF JUSTIFICATION.
Use \st. See from hence that there is no- thing within us could justify us but some- thing without us; not any righteousness inherent, but imputed; we may as well look for a star in the earth as for justification in our own righteousness. The papists say we are justified by works. But the apostle confutes it, " not of …
856 wordsSECTION 145OF ADOPTION.
Use 3d. Comfort to the justified. 1. It is comfort in case of failings. Alas ! how defective are tlie godly. They coirje short in every duty ; but though believers should be humbled under their defects, yet not de- spond; they are not to be justified by their duties or graces, but the righteousness of Christ. Tlieir du…
898 wordsSECTION 146157
alter it, but whom God adopts he sancti- fies ; he doth not only give them a new name but a new nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. God turns the wolf into a lamb ; he makes the heart humble and gracious ; he works such a change as if another soul did dwell in the same body. Quest. From lohat state doth God take us when he adopts us…
890 wordsSECTION 147OF ADOPTION.
1. Tliat God should adopt us when he had a Son of his own. Men adopt because they want children, and desire to have some to bear their nauie : but that God should adopt us when he had a Son of his own, the Lord Jesus, — here is the wonder of love. Christ is called " God's dear Son," Col. i. 13. ; a Son more worthy than…
936 wordsSECTION 148159
\st. First sign of adoption, obedience. A son obeys his Father, Jer. xxxv. 5., " I set before the sons of the house of the Recha- bites, pots full of wine, and cups, and said unto them, drink ye wine. But they said, we will drink no wine : for Jonadab, the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, ye shall drink n…
903 wordsSECTION 149OF SANXTIFICATION
Second sign of adoption, to love to be in oxu- Father's y)resence. The child who loves his father, is never so well as when ^«» is near his father. Are we cliildren ? ^'e V)ve the presence of God in his ordi- nances. In prayer we speak to God, in the preaching of las word he speaks to us ; and how doth every child of G…
933 wordsSECTION 150161
Use uU. Extol and magnify God's mercv, who hath adopted you into his family ; who, of slaves, hath made you sons ; <){ heirs of hell, heirs of the promise. Adoj)- tion is a free gift. He gave them power, or dignity, to become tiie sons of God. As a thread of silver runs through th.e whole piece of work, so free grace r…
853 wordsSECTION 151OF SANCTIFICATION.
5. Sanctification is a beautiful thing ; it makes God and angels fall in love witli us, Ps. ex. 3., " The beauties of holiness." As the sun is to the world, so is sanctification to the soul, beautifying and bespangling it in God's eyes. That which makes God glorious, must needs make us so. Holi- ness is the most sparkl…
783 wordsSECTION 152163
3. Tlie third counterfeit of sanctification is hj^ocrisy ; Avhen men make a pretence of that holiness Avhich they haA'e not. A comet may shine like a star; such a lustre shines from their profession, as dazzleth the eyes of the beholders, 2 Tim. iii. 5., " HaA'- ing a form of godliness, but denying the poAver." These a…
826 wordsSECTION 153OF SANCTIFICATION.
4. There is no going to heaven without sanctification, Ileb. xii. 14., " Without ho liness no man shall see the Lord." God is an holy G<)d, and he will suffer no un- holy creature to come near him; a king will not suffer a man with plague-sores to approach into his ])resence. Heaven is not like Noali's ark, M'herc the …
767 wordsSECTION 154165
Fifth sign, a well-ordered life, 1 Pet, i. 15., " Be ye holy in all manner of conver- sation :" Where the l)eart is sanctified, the life will be so too: the temple had gold without as well as within. As in a piece of coin, there is not only the king's image within the ring, hut his superscrij)tion too without ; so wher…
862 wordsSECTION 155OF SANCTIFICATION.
3<//y, Sanctifieation makes us resem- ble God. It was Adam's sin that he aspir- ed to be like God in omnisciency, but we must endeavour to be like him in sanctity. It is only a clear glass in which we can see a face; it is only an holy heart in which something of God can be seen ; there's no- thiiifi of God to be seen …
897 wordsSECTION 156OF ASSURANCE.
A. 5. Pray for sanctification. Job pro- pounds a question, " Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ?" Job xiv. 4. God can do it. Out of an unholy heart he can produce grace. O ! make David's prayer, Psal. Ii. 10., " Create in me a clean heart, O (iod." Lay thy heart before the Lord, and say, " Lord, my unsancti…
890 wordsSECTION 157169
witli it for the richest prize, — but his as- surance, though it be infallible, it is not perfect. There will be sometimes a trepi- dation or trembling; he is safe, yet not without fears and doubts : as a ship lies safe at anchor, yet may be a little shaken by the wind. If a Christian had no doubt- ings, there would be…
866 wordsSECTION 158OF ASSURANCE.
2. The noble and excellent eflfects it pro- duceth : 1. Assurance will make us love God, and praise him : (1.) Love him. Love is the soul of religion, — the fat of the sa- crifice,— and who can love God so, as he who Iiatli assurance? The sun reflecting its beams on a burning-glass, makes the glass burn that which is n…
743 wordsSECTION 159171
pleasant places, and I have a goodly heri- tage." Assurance will rock the heart quiet ; the reason of discontent, is either because men have no interest in God, or do not know their interest. St. Paul saith, " I know whom I have believed," 2 Tim. i. 12. There was the assurance of his interest. And, 2 Cor. vi. 10., " As…
821 wordsSECTION 160OF ASSURANCE.
Ans. Not by liavinj]^ soniotinios good mo- tions stirred up in us by the Spirit, lie may work in us yet not dwell, but by the sanc- tifying ])ower of the Spirit in our heart ; tlie Spirit infuseth divinum imiohm, — a di- vine nature, — it stamps its own impress and effigies on the soxil, making llie complexion of it ho…
919 wordsSECTION 161173
Ans. 1. Keep a pure conscience ; let no guilt lie upon the conscience unrepented of: God seals no pardons before repentance. God will not pour in the wine of assurance into a foul vessel, Heb. x. 22., " Let us di-aw near in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience !" Guilt clips the …
828 wordsSECTION 162OF PEACE.
A. 3. Let your hearts be endeared in love to God. If God gives liis people cor- rection, they must love him ; much more when he gives them assurance, Ps. xxxi. 23., " O love the Lord, ye his saints." Hath God brought you to the borders of Canaan, — given you a bunch of graj)es, — crowned you with loving-kindness, — con…
911 wordsSECTION 163175
A. 6. If. you have assurance, be careful you do not lose it ; keep it, for it is youi life, viz. Bene esse, — the comfort of voui life. Keep assurance, 1st, By prayer, Ps xxxvi. 10., " O continue thy loviug-kind- ness :" Lord, continue assurance ; do not take away this privy seal from me. 2dly, Keep assurance by humili…
865 wordsSECTION 164OF PEACE.
A. 2. False peace separates those things which God hath joined together : God joins holiness and peace, but he who hath a false peace, separates these two. He lays claim to peace, but banisheth holiness, Deut. xxLv. 19., " I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunk- enness to thirst.…
653 wordsSECTION 165177
Ans. Some of the godly may not have so full a degree of peace. 1. Through the fury of temptation. The devil, if he can- not destroy us, he will disturb us. Satan disputes against our adoption ; he would make us question the work of grace in our hearts, and so troubles the waters of our peace : Satan is like a subtle ch…
723 wordsSECTION 166OF JOY.
eed. * O, saith the soul, how sweet is this rose of" Sharon ! Ilatli Christ waded through a sea of hlood and wrath, to pur- chase my peace ? Hath lie not only made peace, but spoke peace to me ? How should my heart ascend in a fiery chariot of love ! How willing should I be to do and suffer for Christ !' — 3. This peac…
900 wordsSECTION 167179
keep God and conscience friends ; do with your hearts as you do with your watches, wind them up every morning by prayer, and at night examine whether your hearts have gone true all that day, whether the wheels of your affections have moved swift- ly toward heaven. Oh call yourselves often to account ; keep your reckoni…
822 wordsSECTION 168OF JOY.
3d Season. After sore conflicts with Satan. Satan is the red dragon who trou- bleth the waters; he puts the soul into frights, makes it believe tliat it hath no grace, and that God doth not love it ; thoiigli Satan cannot blot out a Christian's evidence, yet he may cast such a mist before his eyes, that he cannot read …
918 wordsSECTION 169181
A. 4. Spiritual joys are more pure, they are not tempered with any bitter ingredi- ents ; a sinner's joy is mixed with dregs, it is imbittered with fear and guilt ; the wolf feeds in the breasts of his joy, he drinks wormwood wine, but spiritual joy is not muddied with guilt, but like a crystal stream, runs pure ; it i…
928 wordsSECTION 170OF GROWTH IN GRACE.
Ans. Walk accurately and heavenly ; God gives it after a long and close walk- ing with him. 1. Observe your hours; set time every day a])art for God. 2. Mourn for sin : mourning is the seed (as Basil saith) out of which the flower of spi- ritual joy grows, Isa. Ivii. 18., " I'll rest(;re comfort to his mourners." 3. Ke…
915 wordsSECTION 17118S
A. 2. The right manner of growth is to grow proportionably, when a Christian grows in one grace as well as another, 2 Pet. i. 5. To grow in knowledge, but not in meekness, brotherly love, good works, this is not the right growth ; a thing may swell and not grow, — a man may be swelled with knowledge, yet may have no sp…
862 wordsSECTION 172OF GROWTH IN GRACE.
A. G. What need have we to grow in grace. There is still something lacking in our faith, 1 Thess. iii. 10. (irace is but in its infancy and minority, and we must still be adding a ciil)it to onr sjiiritiial stature; the apostles said, " Lord increase our faith," Luke xvii. 5. (irace is but weak, 2 Sam. iii. 39., " I am…
919 wordsSECTION 173OF PERSEVERANCE.
Sign 3. Wlicn we are less troubled abonf sin. Time Avas Avhen the least siu did grieA'e us, as the leiust hair makes the eye weep: but now Ave can digest sin without OF GROWTH IN GRACE. 185 remorse. Time was when a Christian was troubled if he neglected closet-prayer : now he can omit family-prayer. Time was when va…
906 wordsSECTION 174181
THE fifth and last fruit of sanctification is perseverance in grace. The heavenly inheritance is kept for the saints, 1 Pet. i. 4. ; and they are kept to the inheritance ; in my text, " Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." The apostle asserts a saint's stability and per- manency ill grace. Th…
894 wordsSECTION 175183
A. 2. Auxilio spiritus, — by the sacred in- fluence and concurrence of the Spirit. Tiie Spirit of God is continually at work in the heart of a believer to carry on grace to per- severance ; it drops in fresh oil to keep the lamp of grace burning. The Spirit excites, strengthens, increaseth grace, and makes a Christijin…
898 wordsSECTION 176OF PERSEVER.VNCE.
4. The fourth argument is taken, ab unione cum C/tn'sfo, — from believers' union with Christ. They are knit to Christ, as whc members to the head, by the nerves and ligaments of faitli, so that they cannot be broken off, Eph. iii. What was once said of Christ's natural body, is true of his mystical. " A bone of it shal…
919 wordsSECTION 177OF PERSEVERANCE.
1 Pet. i. 5. JVlio are kept by thx power of God through faith unto salcalion. Use Ut. SEE the excellency of grace, it perseveres: other things are but for a sea- son,—health and riches are sweet, but they are but for a season, — but grace is a blos- som of eternity. The seed of God remains, I John iii. 9. Grace may su…
766 wordsSECTION 178191
wine of his joy run out. Were the Armi- nian doctrine true, how could the apostle say, the seed of God remains in him, 1 John iii. 9., and the anointing of God abides ? 1 John ii. 27. ^^Hiat comfort were it to have one's name written in the book of life, if it might be blotted out again ? But, be assured, for your comf…
837 wordsSECTION 179OF PERSEVKRANCE.
A. 4. The promises of mercy arc annex- ed only to perseverance. Rev. iii. 5., " He that overcometh, ^hall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name • out of the book of life," Non pngnanti sed vincenti dmihitur corona, Aug. The promise is not to liiin that fights, but that overcomes, Luke xxii. 28.,…
826 wordsSECTION 180103
ther of all the graces. God lets a poo humble Christian stand, when others of higher parts, and who have higher thoughts of themselves, fall off by apostacy. They are likest to persevere, whom God u ill give most grace to : " But he gives grace to the humble," 1 Pet. v. 5. They are likest to persevere, who liave God dw…
927 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.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.