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
A BELIEVER'S PRIVILEGE AT DEATH.
3. " For me to live is Christ," i. e. Christ is the joy of my life, Ps. xliii. 4., " God my exceeding joy," or the cream of my joy. A Christian rejoiceth in Christ's righteous- ness : he can rejoice in Christ, when world- ly joys are gone ; when the tulip in a gar- den withers, a man rejoiceth in liis jewels : when rel…
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5. Believers at death shall gain the sweet society of glorified saints and angels : this will add something to the felicity of heaven, as every star adds some lustre to the firma- ment. \st, The society of the glorified saints; we shall see them in their souls, as well as in their bodies ; their bodies shall be so clea…
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Use \st. See the great difference between the death of the godly and the wicked; the godly are gainers at death, the wicked are great losers at death. They lose four things : (1.) They lose the world, and that is a great loss to the wicked ; they laid up their trea.'^ure upon earth, and to be turned out of it all at o…
930 wordsSECTION 184A BELIEVER'S PRIVILEGE AT DEATH.
SoLov. A qncon of tliis land said, slie pre- ferred licr coffin before her cradle. Quest. L IVhat benefits do believers receive at death ? Ana. 1, They have pjeat immunities. — 2. Tln'ir bodies are united to Christ in the jn-ave till the resurrection. — 3. They pass imme- diately into a state of pi or y. I. The sain…
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cliildrcn, and yet leave enough for them- selves, Job V. 7., " Man is born to trouble," - — he is heir to it, — it is his birtliright, — you may as well separate weight from lead as trouble from the life of man, Q_nid est diu vivere, nisi diu torqueri ? Aug. King Hen- ry's emblem, a crown hung in a bush of thorns ; the…
863 wordsSECTION 186A BELIEVER'S PRIVILEGE AT DEATH.
U a Bochim ; Rachel wept for lier cliil- dren ; some grieve that they liavc no chil- dren, and others grieve that their children are undiitiful. Thus we spend our years with sighing ; it is a valley of tears, but death is the funeral of all our sorrows, Rev. vii. 17., " And God shall wipe away all tears." Then Christ's…
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1. The first and most sublime part of the glory of heaven is the full and sweet frui- tion of God : ipse Deus siifficit ad proem ium, Aug. We are apt to think the happiness of heaven is in being free from pain and misery, but the A'ery quintessence of happi- ness, is the enjoyment and fruition of God ; this is the diam…
863 wordsSECTION 188A BELIEVER'S PRIVILEGE AT DEATH.
1. This is the felicity of heaven, to be in the sweet embraces of God's love; to be the Hephzibah^ — the delight of the King of Glory; to be sunning ourselves in the light of God's countenance. Then the saints shall know " the love of Christ which pjiss- eth knowledge," Eph. iii. 19. From this glorious manifestation of…
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7. The seventh thing in glory, is eterni- ty, 2 Cor. iv. 17., " An eternal weight of glory."— hY, Glory is a weight: the He- brew AV'ord for glory {quod signijicat pon- dus) is a weight : God must make us able to bear it. — 2rf/^, An eternal weight. Glo- ry is such a manna as doth not breed worms. If the saints' glory …
784 wordsSECTION 190OF THE RESURRECTION.
upon their bags of gold, and fields of corn, and shall not the heirs of heaven take more delight in conteinj)lating their glory in re- version ? Could we send forth faith as a sf)y, and every day view the glory of the Jerusalem above, how would it rejoice us, as it doth the heir to think of the inherit ance which is to…
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OhJ. 1. But some say, as the Virgin Mary to the angel, " How can this be ?" so, how can it be, that the body which is consumed to ashes should rise again ? Ans. It doth not oppose reason, but tran- scend it; there are some resemblances of the resurrection in nature. The corn, which is sown in the ground, dies before i…
853 wordsSECTION 192OF THE RESURRECTION
Use S(/. The resurrection of the body is a cordial when a Christian lies a-dying. Thy body, though it drop into the sepul- chre, it shall revive and flourish as .in herb in the resurrection : the grave is a bed of dust where the bodies of saints sleep ; but they shall be awakened by the trump of the archangel. The grav…
840 wordsSECTION 193OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
1. The bodies of the saints, when they arise, shall be comely and beautiful. The body of a saint in this life may be deform- ed : those whose minds are adorned with virtue, yet may have mis-shapen bodies ; as the finest cloth may have the coarsest list: but this deformed body shall be amia- ble and beautiful. This beau…
901 wordsSECTION 194OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
Ans. That there may be a day of retri- bution, ^^■hen God may render to e\ery one according to his work. Things seem to be carrie<l very unequally in the world ; the wicked do so prosper as if they were re- warded for doing evil ; and the godly do so suffer as if they were j)unished for being good. Therefore for the vi…
928 wordsSECTION 195OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
Thirdly, The trial itself, which hath a dark and a light side. 1. A dark side. It will fall heavy on the wicked : the judge being set, the books are opened, Rev. xx. 12., — the book of conscience, — and the book of God's remembrance. And now the sin- ner's charge being read, and all their sins laid open, — their murder…
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of heaven are without Intermission and ex- piration, 1 Thess. iv. 17., " And so shall we be ever with tlie Lord." I Use. As it is sad news to the wicked. — i Tliey shall " not stand in judgment," Ps. i. 5. Tliey shall come to judgment, but they shall not stand in judgment, viz. they shall not stand acquitted, — they s…
920 wordsSECTION 197OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S REVEALED WILL.
A. 3. If you would stand acquitted at the last day, then trade your talents for God's glory; lay out yourselves for God, honour him with your substance ; relieve Christ's members ; this is the way to be acquitted. He that had five talents traded with them, and made them five talents more, "his lord said unto him, well…
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A. 2. Obedience must be devout and fer- vent, Rom. xii. 11., "Fervent in spirit," &c. Quce cbullit prce nrdore — it alludes to water that boils over — so the heart must boil over with hot affections in the service ot Ciod. The glorious angels — who, for their burning in fervour and devotion, are called Serapliims — the…
794 wordsSECTION 199OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S REVEALED WILL.
A. 6. Obedience must be constant, Ps. cvi. 3., " Blessed is he who doth righteous- ness at all times." True obedience is not like an high colour in a fit, but it is a right sanguine; it is like the fire on the altar, which was always kept burning, Lev. vi. 13. Hypocrites' obedience is but for a sea- son ; it is like pl…
945 wordsSECTION 200OF LOVE.
2dli/, It is a destructive sin, 2 Thess. i. 7, 8., " The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that obey not the gospel." He who refus- eth to obey God's will in commanding, shall be sure to obey his will in punishing. The sinner, while he thinks to s…
922 wordsSECTION 201OF LOVE.
A. 2. We must love God propter se, — for liimself, for his own intrinsic excellen- cies ; we must love him for his loveliness. Meretricitcs est amor plus annulum quam sponsum amare ; " It is an harlot's love, to love the portion more than the person." Hypocrites Ioac God because he gives them corn and wine : we must lo…
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A. 4. The fourth visible sign is sympa- thy ; friends that love do grieve for the e- v\\s which befall each other. Homer de- scribing Agamemnon's grief when he was forced to sacnfice his daughter, bnngs in all his friends weeping with him, and ac- companying him to the sacrifice in mourn- ing ; lovers grieve together ;…
932 wordsSECTION 203OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Use 2d. Let us be persuaded to love God with all our heart and might. O let us take our love off from other things, and place it upon God ! Love is the heart of religion, the fat of the offering; it is the grace which Christ inquires most after, John xxi. 15., " Simon lovest thou me?" Love makes all our services accept…
1,003 wordsSECTION 204OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Where observe, 1. The preface to the preface, *' (lod spake all these words, say- ing." 2. The preface itself to the com- mandments, " 1 am the Lord thy God." OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 219 1. I begin with tlie first, the preface to the preface, " (Jod spake all these words, saying," &c. This is like th…
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fiaitli, " Tlie law is spiritual, but I am car- nal," Rom. vii. 14-. 2r//y, The Antinomi- ans, who will not admit the moral law to be a rule to a believer. We say not he is under the curse of the law, but the com- mand ; we say not the moral law is a Christ, but it is a star to lead one to Christ ; we say not it doth s…
863 wordsSECTION 206OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
stone ; a diamond for the sparkling of his grace, and a loadstone for his attractive vir- tue in drawing others to the love of God's precepts, vir bonus magis aliis prodest quam sibi. You that are parents, discharge your duty; though you cannot impart grace to your children, yet you may impart know- ledge. Let your chi…
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Use 2(1. If God be Jehovah, the supreme Lord, then it condemns the blasphemous papists, who speak after this manner, ' Our Lord God the Pope.' Is it a wonder the pope lifts his triple crown above the head of kings and emperors, when he usurps God's title, " shewing himself that he is God ?" 2 Thess. ii. 4. The pope goe…
909 wordsSECTION 208OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
J. 3. We may know God is our God, if be hath given us the hearts of children. Have we obediential hearts? Ps. xxAni. 8. Do we subscribe to God's commands, when his commands cross our will ? A true saint is like the flower of the sun : it opens and shuts with the sun, he opens to God, and shuts to sin. If we have the he…
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3. If God be our God, then all that is in God is ours : the Lord saith to a saint in covj'nant, as the king of Israel to the king of Syria, 1 Kings xx. 4., " I am thine, and all that I have." So saith God, " I am thine." How happy is he Avho not on- ly inherits the gil"t of God, but inherits God himself! All that I hav…
928 wordsSECTION 210OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
1st. If (iod be our God, let us improve our interest in him, — cast all our burdens upon him, — the burden of our fears, wants, sins, Ps. Iv. 22., " Cast thy burden upon the Lord." Wicked men, who are a bur- den to God, have no right to cast their bur- den upon him ; but such as have God for their God, are called upon …
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riches of wisdom, but God is the God of all comfort. Fourthly, In the chief good there must be eternity. God is a treasure that can neither be drawn low, nor drawn dry. Though the angels are still spending on him, he can never be spent ; he abides for ever. Eternity is a flower of his crown. Now, if God be our God, her…
958 wordsSECTION 212OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEX COMMANDMENTS.
Ans. 1 Because of the strangeness of the deliveran'ce. God delivered his people Israel by strange signs and wonders, — by send- \\ig plague after plague upon Pharaoh, — blasting the fruits of the earth, — killing all the first-born in Egypt, Exod. xii. 29. And when Israel marched out of Eg}T)t, God made the waters of t…
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A. 2. It is a mercy to be delivered from idolatrous places, because o{ the greatness of the sin of idolatry. It is giving that glorv to an image, which is due to God. All divine worship God doth appropriate to himself; it is a flower of his crown. The fat of the sacrifice God laid claim to, Lev, iii. 3. : divine worshi…
832 wordsSECTION 214OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
he cannot be seen. Dent. iv. 12., " But saw I no similitude, only ye heard a voice." QiiOii invisihile est, ptn(/i von potest, Aimbr. God cannot be pictured out by any finger; you . cannot ])icture the soul being a spirit, much less God, Isa. xl. 18., " To whom then will ye liken God?" The papists say, they worship God…
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be unequally yoked for religion : now, to such parents, (1.) Think how precious tho soul of your child is ; it is immortal, it is capable of communion with God and an- gels : and will you let this soul be lost, by placing it in a bad family? If you had an horse you loved, you would not put him into a stable with other …
866 wordsSECTION 216OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
2. For purgation : to purge our corrup- tion. Ardet pakn, purgatur aurum, Isa. xxvii. 9., " And this is all the fruit, to take away his sin." The eye, though it be a tender part, yet when it is sore, we put sharp powders and \A'aters into it, to eat out the pearl : though the people of God are dear to him, yet, when co…
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Brcnich 3. If God's own Israel maybe in the house of bondage, then afllictions do not of tliemselves demonstrate a man n)isera])le, indeed sin unrepented of, makes one miser- able ; but the cross doth not. If God hath a design in afllicting his children, to make them hapj)y, then they are not miserable ; but God s affl…
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2(////, If Israel be sometimes in the house of bondage, in an afflicted state, then think befoi-ehand of affliction ; say not as Job xxix, 18., " I shall die in my nest." In the house of mirth, think of the house of bondage ; you that are now Naomi, may be Marah, Ruth i. 20. How quickly may the scene turn, and the hype…
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Ans. He doth it like a God, in wisdom. — 1. He doth it sometimes suddenly. As the angel was caused to fly swiftly, Dan. ix. 21., so God sometimes makes a deliverance fly swiftly, upon the wing, and on a sud- den he turns the shadow of death into the light of the morning. As God gives us mercies above what we can think,…
866 wordsSECTION 220OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
2. His truth. God hath made promises to his people, when they are under great pressures, to deliver them; and his truth is engaged in his promise, Ps. 1. 15., « Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deli- ver thee." Job V. 19., " He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea in seven." How is the scripture bespangled…
914 wordsSECTION 221OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Ans. Wlien we are, by our afflictions, conformed to Christ : namely, when we have learned obedience ; Heb. \. 8., " Yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered ;" that is, he learned sweet sub- mission to his Father's will. Luke xxii. 42., " Not my will but thine be done." When we have thus learned obedien…
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hatli fnich a binding: power over a man ; and it is said to reign, Rom. vi. 12., because it cxerciseth a tyrannical power ; and men are said to be tlie servants of sin, Rom. vi. 17., because tliey are so enslaved by it. Thus sin is tlie house of bondage. Israel was not so enslaved in the iron furnace as the sin- ner is…
838 wordsSECTION 223OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
it, John viii. 34.., " The lusts of your father you will do." He liath pot your licarts, and him you will ohey; his strong tempta- tions do more to draw men to evil, than all the promises of God can draw them to good. This is the sLate of every man by nature, lie is in the house of b(mdage, the devil hath him in his po…
952 wordsSECTION 224OF THE COMMANDMENTS.
2. This house of hell is haunted with de- A'ils, Mat. XXV. 41. Anslem hath a saying, " I had rather endure all torments, than see the devil with bodily eyes." Such as go to hell must not only be forced to behold the devil, but must be shut up in the den with this lion ; they must keep the devil company ; the devil is f…
911 wordsSECTION 225OF THE COMMANDMENTS.
Ans. 1. The law requires that we wor- ship God as our Creator; the gospel re- quires that we worship God in and through Christ. God in Christ is propitious ; out of Ciirist we may see God's power, jus- tice, holiness, — in Christ we see his mercy displayed. A. 2. Tlie moral law requires obedience, but gives no strengt…
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bidden, there envy and rash anger are for- bidden, which may occasion it. ANHiere a- dulter)^ is forbidden in the commandment, there is forbidden all that may lead to it, — as wanton glances of the eye, — or com- ing into the company of an harlot, Prov. v. 8., " Come not nigh the door of her house;" he who would be fre…
849 wordsSECTION 227OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.
A. 4. Bv consenting to another's sin. Saul did not cast one stone at Stephen, yet the scripture saith, " Saul was consenting to his death," Acts viii, 1. Thus he had a hand in it. If several did combine to mur- der a man, and they should tell another of their intent, and he should give his consent to it, he were guilty…
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Ans. \. To make God to be a God to us, is to acknowledge him for a God; thegodsof the heathens are idols, Ps. xc^^. 5., and we " know that an idol is nothing," 1 Cor. viii. 4., that is, it hath nothing of Deity in it ; if we cry, " Help, O Idol !" an idol cannot help; the idols were themselves carried into captivity, I…
838 wordsSECTION 229OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.
A. 3. To make God to be a God to us, is to give him adoration : which consists, 1. In reverencing of him, Ps. Ixxxix. 7., " God is to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." The seraphims, who stood about God's throne covered their faces, Isa. vi. and Elijah wrapt himself in a mantle, when the Lord passed …
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Ans. If we trust in God aright, then we will trust in God at one time as well as an- other, Ps. Ixii. 8., " Trust in liim at all times." Can we trust God. 1. In our straits ? when the fig-tree doth not flourish, — when our earthly crutches are broken, — can we now lean upon God's promise? When the pipes are cut off tha…
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Use 2d. It condemns Christians, who pro- fess to own God for their God, yet they do not live as if he were their God. 1. They do not believe in him as a God ; when they look upon their sins, they are apt to say, can God pardon ? when they look upon their wants, can God provide? can he prepare a ta^ ble in the wildernes…
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2. We must have no other God. ** Thou shalt have no other gods before me :" this commandment forbids, 1. Serving a false God, and not the true, Jer. ii. 27., " sa^nng to a stock. Thou art my father ; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth." Or, 2. Joining a false god with a true, 2 Kings \\\\. 33,, "■ They feared t…
942 wordsSECTION 233OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.
4. If we trust in our civility, we make it a god. Many trust to this, none can charge them with gross sin. Civility is but nature refined and cultivated ; a man may be washed, and not changed; his life may be civil, yet there may be some reigning sin in his heart; the Pharisee could say, " I am no adulterer," Luke x\di…
904 wordsSECTION 234OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
Use \st. It reproves such as have other gods, and so renounce the true God. 1. Such as set up idols, Jer. ii. 28., " Accord- ing to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah." Hos. xii. Ill, " Their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the field," — 2. Such as seek to familiar spirits. This is a sin condemned by …
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\st. To make a true image of God is im- possible. God is a spiritual essence, John iv. 24. ; and, being a Spirit, he is invisible, Deut. iv. 15., " Ye saw no similitude in the day that the Lord spake unto you in Iloreb out of the midst of the fire." How can any paint the Deity ? Can they make an imago of that which tli…
891 wordsSECTION 236OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
graven image, the molten image, and a teacher of lies ?" Is an image a lay-man's book ? See then what lessons this book teacheth, it teacheth lies ; it represents God in a visible shape, who is invisible. For the papists to say they make use of an im- age to put them in mind of God, is as if a woman should say, she kee…
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3. Dare not to join in marriage with image- worshippers. Solomon, though a man of wisdom, yet his idolatrous wives di-ew away his heart from God. The people of Israel entered into an oatli and curse that they would not give their daughters in mar- riage to the idolaters, Neh. x. 30. For a protestant and papist to marry…
728 wordsSECTION 238OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
L In a good sense ; and so God is jealous for his people, Zeeh. i. 14., " Thus saith the Lord, I am jealous for Jerusalem, and for Zion, witb a great jealousy." God hath a dear affection for his people, they are his Hephzibah, or delight, Isa. Ixii. 4. The ap- ple of his eye, Zech. ii. 8. To express how dear they are t…
803 wordsSECTION 239OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
Observe 2. One special sin God visits for, is idolatry and image-worship. " Visiting the iniquity of the fathers." Most of God's envenomed arrows have been shot among idolaters, Jer. vii. 12., " Go now into my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it." God, for Israel's idol…
809 wordsSECTION 240OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
III. The third reason against image-wor- ship, " Of them that hate me." This is a reason against image-worship, 'tis hating God ; the papists, who worship God hy an image, hate God. Image-worship U a pre- tended love to God, but God interprets it an hating of him ; Quce dillgit alieiium odil sponsum,—^ She that loves a…
854 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.