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
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not said liis heart trembled for liis two sons Hoplmi and Phinclias; but his heart trem- bled for tlie ark, because the ark was the special sign of God's presence ; and if that were taken, the glory was departed. He who loves his heavenly Father, fears lest the tokens of his presence should be re- moved, lest profancne…
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Kin against God ? It is the part of tlic lio- nour a son gives to a Father, he fears to displease him. We sliow our lionour to our hcaver.ly Father, by doing all wc carj to exalt God, and make his excellencies Khine forth : though we cannot lift up God higher in heaven, yet we may lift him high- er in our hearts, and i…
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pain in tlic heart, there is much soitow u- risiiig from the sense of guilt and wrath. Tlic iraoler's trenibliuo:, Acts xvi. 30., was a pan"" in the new birth. God's S|>irit is a spirit of bondage, belorc it he a sjjirit of a- doption. Tiiis blessed work of regeneration sj)reads over the whole soul ; it irradiates tlie…
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cannot c.nll dod FatluM- ! if llicv do, tlirv will liavft as little comfort in Jiaviiifj Fatlicr. as Dives liad in lu'll, w licfi he sai<l, " Fatlu r Abraham," Liil<e xvi. 24. 2f////. Who an' makers of division, Rom. xvi. 17., " Mark them which cause divisions, and avoid them. Such as are horn of (j'od, are ma- kers of…
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2. God being a Father, if he frown, if he dip his pen in gall, and write hitler things; if be correct, it is in love ; a fatlier loves his cliild as well when be doth chastise and discipline bini, as when he settles his land on him. Rev. iii. 19., " As many as I love, I lebuke." Afllictions are sharp arrows (saith Greg…
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Ans. 1. If God be our Father, then he will teach us. AVhat father will refuse to counsel his son ? Doth (iod command j)a- rents to instruct their children, Deut. iv. 10., and will not he instruct his? Isa. xlviii. 17., "I am the Lord thy (iod, which tcacheth thee to profit." Ps. Ixxi. 17., " O (iod thou hast taught me …
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he sometimes is asleep ; but God is a Fa- ther that never sleeps. Ps. cxxi. 4., lie neither sluinberelli nor sleej)elh. — 7. He thinks nothinc^ too good t() part witli to his chihlren: he gives them the kidneys of the AN heat, and honey out of" the rock, and '* Wine on the lees well-refined," Isa. xxv. 6. He gives them…
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C. If God be our Father, then lie will correct us in measure, Jer. xxx. 11., " I will correct thee in measure;" and that two ways : Ist, It shall be in measure, for the kind; God will not lay upon us more than we are able to bear, 1 Cor. x. 13. lie knows our frame, Ps. ciii. 11. lie knows we are not steel or marble, th…
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affliction to a wicked man hath evil in it ; it makes liim worse, Rev. xvi. 9., " Men were scorched with j^reat lieat and blasphemed the name of God." But no evil befals a -hild of God ; he is bettered by affliction, lleb. xii. 10., " That ye might be made par- takers of his holiness." What hurt doth the furnace to the…
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12. If God be our Father, we shall not want any thing that he sees is good for us, Ps. xxxiv. 10., " They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." God is pleased sometimes to keep his children to iiard commons, but it is good for them ; sheep thrive best on short ])asture: God sees too much may not be good: p…
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them, as a man sparcth liis own son tliat BCivetli liim." God's sparing liis cliildron, imports this, liis ck'inency towards tlieiii ; he doth not punish them as lie mitjlit, Ps ciii. 10., " lie liatli not dealt with ns according to our sins." We oft do that which merits wrath, grieve God's Spirit, relapse into sin ; G…
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diamonds? In tliis lieavenly kiii^'^dom i< thatwliicli is satisfying^, — inipaiallok'd Ijcau- ty, — rivers of pleasure, and this for ever, Ps. xvi. 11., "At tliv rijrlit liand are plea- sures for evermore." Heaven's eniineney is its permanency; and this kin<;<I()m Cod's chihhen shall enter into immediately after deatli…
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Quest. How doth Christ preserve the saints' graces, till they come to heaven ? Ans. 1. Jnfluxu Spiritns. Christ carries on grace in the souls of the elect, by the in- fluence and co-operation of his Spirit. Christ doth, Spiritu, continually excite and quicken grace in the godly; his Spirit doth blow up the sparks of g…
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1. Let us depend uj)on our heavenly Fa- ther, in all our straits and exigencies ; let us believe that he will ])rovide for us. Children rely upon their parents for the supply of wants : if we trust God for sal- vation, shall wc not trust him for a liveli- hood ? There is a lawful provident care to be used, but beware o…
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4. If" («o<l be our Father, let this cause in us a childlike reverence, Mai i. 6., " If I be a lather where is my honour ?" This is a part of the honour we give to God, when we reverence and adore him. If you have not always a cliihUike confidence, yet always preserve a childlike reverence. And how ready are we to run …
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0 let all who profess God to be their Fa- ther, honour him by their unspotted lives. Scipio abhorred the embraces of an harlot, because he was the general of an army : abstain from all sin, because you are born of God, and have God for your Father, 1 Thess. v. 22, " Abstain from all appear- ance of evil." It was a say…
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A. 4. We learn, from God's being in Iiea- ven, his omnisciency. " AH things ai-e naked, and opened to his eye," Hel), iv. 13. Men plot and contrive against the church ; but God is in heaven, and they do nothing but what our Father sees. If a man were on the top of a tower or theatre, he might thence see all the people …
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A. 3. To pray in faith, is, in prayer to fix our faith on God's faithfulness, believiug that he doth hear, and will help; this is a taking hold of God, Isa. Ixiv. 7. By prayer we draw nigh to God, by faith we take hold of him: 2 Chron. xiii. II., thechlhlren of Judah cried luito the Lord ; and this was the crying of ia…
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2. That we may act faith in prayer, con- sider we do not pray alone. Christ prays over our prayers again ; Christ's prayer is the ground why our prayer is heard. Christ takes the dross out of our prayer, and pre- sents nothing to his Father but pure gold. Christ mingles his sweet odours with the pray ers of the saint…
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lieving prayer. It is sad sailing where there is no anchoring, and sad praying where there is no promise to anchor upon, Jam. i. 1. The disciples toiled all night and caught nothing : the unbeliever toils in prayer and catcheth nothing, — he re- ceives not any spiritual blessings, pardon of sin, or grace ; as for the t…
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A. 2. By God's name is meant any tiling by which God may be known ; as a man is known by his name ; God's name is his atti-ibutes, Avisdom, power, holiness, good- ness; by these God is known as by liis name. Quest. 2. What is meant by halloicing God's name ? Ans. To hallow, is a comnnmi separate, — to set apart a til…
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yl. 6. We hallow and sanctify God's name, when we give him an holy and spiritual worship : \st. When we give him the same kind of worship that he hath appointed: Lev. X. 3., " I will be sanctified in them that come nigh to me :" that is, I will be sanctified with that very worship I have ap- pointed. It is the purity o…
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A. 9. We hallow and sanctify God's name by obeying him. How doth a son more honour his father, than by obedience? Ps. xl. 8., " I delight to do' thy will, O my God !" The wise men sliowed honour to Christ, not only by bowing the knee to him, but by presenting him with gold and myrrh, Mat. ii. 11. We hallow God's name, …
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A. 11. We hallow and sanctify God's name when we sympathize with him ; we grieve when his name suffers. \st. We lay to heart his dishonour. How was Moses affected with God's dishonour I He breaks the tables, Exod. xxxii. 19. We grieve to see God's sabbaths profaned, his worship adulterated, the wine of truth mingled wi…
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A. 14. We hallow and sanctify God's name, by making as many proselytes as we can to him ; v.'hen, by all holy expedients, counsel, prayer, example, we endeavour the salvation of others. How did IVIonica, St. Austin's mother, labour for his conversion ! She had sorer pangs in travail for his new birth, than for his natu…
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Use 1st. See the true note and character of a godly person ; he is a sanctifier of God's name, " Hallowed be thy name." A true saint doth ambitiously endeavour to advance God's name. This is the ques- tion he asks himself in every thing he is going about : " Will this action tend to the honour of God's name ? Will this…
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ii. 7., " Who can forgive sin but God on ly ?" (2.) The pope, by liis indulgence, encourageth men to sin. What need the papists care what sins they commit, wlien they have a license and patent from the pope to bear tliem harmless ? — 4th. Instead of hallowing God's name, they dishonour God's name, by their invocation t…
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the Lord thy God." The riames of kings are not mentioned without giving them their titles of lionour, high and mighty ; but men speak irreverently of (»od, as if he were like one of them, Fs. 1. 21., this is a taking (lod's name in vain. (2.) They swear by his name. Many seldom name (iod's name but in oaths. How is God…
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the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons and daughters." The sins of the wicked anger God ; the sins of his own people gi-ieve him ; he will be sure to punish them, Amos iii. 2. " You only have I known of .-ill the families of the earth ; therefore will I punish you for all your iniquitie…
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ing and glorifying of God's name; neve? was more honour brought to God's namd than by this great undertaking of Christ now, here was Christ's comfort before his deatli, that he had hallowed God's name, and brought glory to him. So, what a cor- dial will this 1)0 to us at last, when our whole life hath been an hallowing…
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7. Such as do not hallow God's name, but profane and dishonour it, God wdll pour contempt upon them ; though they be ever so great, and though clothed in purple and scarlet, yet they are abhorred of God, and their name shall rot. Though the name of Judas be in the Bible, and the name of Pon- tius Pilate be in the creed…
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10., " Who is this King of glory? Tho Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." He hath internal glory, P«. xciii. 1., " The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty." Other kings have royal and suinj)tuous aj>- parel to make them appear g'orious to the beholders, but all their magnificence is bor- rowed ; but God is c…
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Branch 2. If God be so great a King, let us fear him, Jer. v. 22., " Fear ye not me ? saith the Lord : will ye not tremble at my presence ?" We have enough of fear of men. Fear makes danger appear greater, and sin lesser ; but let us fear the King of kings, who hath power to cast body and soul into hell, Luke xii. 5. A…
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Use 4th. Terror to the enemies of the church. If God be king, he will set his ut- most strength against them Avho are the enemies of his kingdom, Ps. xcvii. 3., " A fire goes before him and burnetii up his ene- mies round about." 1. He will set himself against his ene- mies ; he will set his attributes against them, h…
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his discij)les to pray, "thy kingdom come," he did not mean it of any earthly kingdom, that he should reign here in outward pomp and splendour. 2d. It is not meant of God's providential kingdom, Ps. ciil. 19., " His kingdom ruleth over all ;" that is, the king- dom of his providence. This kingdom we do not pray for, wh…
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L'se l.v/. See what the state of nature is, it is a " kingdom of darkness," and it is a bewitching darkness, John iii. 19., " Men loved darkness rather than light:" as the Athlantes in Ethiopia curse the sun. Such as are still in the kingdom of darkness, tremble to think of this condition; this darkness of sin leads to…
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Use. Let us prjiy that Satan's kingdom, set up in the world, may be thrown down. It is sad to think that though the devil's kingdom be so bad, yet that it should have so many to support it. Satan hath more to stand up for his kingdom, than Christ hath for his. What a large harvest of souls hath Satan ; and God only a i…
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A. 3. We had need pray that the king- dom of grace may come, because till this kingdom come into our hearts, we are loath- some in God's eyes, Zech. xi. 8., " My soul loathed them." Quanta est faditas vitioscB mentis, Tullv. An heart void of grace looks blacker than hell ; sin transforms one into a devil, John vi. 70.,…
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Rev. \\. 8., " Behold, a pale horse, and his name that sat on him Avas death, and hell followed him." Thus you see wliat need we have to pray tliat the kingdom of grace may come. He tiiat dies without Christ, I may say as Christ, Mat. xxvi. 24., " It had been good for tliat man he had not been born." Few do believe the…
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Ans. 1. Tears in the wicked do not spring from love to God, but are forced by afflic- tion, Gen. iv. 13., as water that drops from the still is forced by the fire. The tears of sinners are forced by God's fiery judgments. 2. They are deceitful tears, — lucrijmce men- tiri doc/ce. Men weep, yet go on in sin ; they do no…
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A. 4. An unfeigned desire is superlative ; we desire Christ, not only more than the world, but more than heaven, Ps. Ixxiii. 25., " Whom have I in heaven but thee?" Heaven itself would not satisfy without Christ; Christ is the diamond in the ring of glory ; if God should say to the soul, " I will put thee into heaven, …
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A. 5. True faith will trust God without a pawn. Though a Christian be cut short in provisions, the fig-tree doth not blossom, yet he will trust in God. Tides famem non 'formidat. Faith fears not famine. God hath given us his promise as his bond, Ps. xxxvii. 3., " Verily thou shalt be fed." Faith puts this bond in suit …
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bth. AVe may know the kingdom of grace is come into us, Avhen we have given up ourselves to God by obedience ; as a ser- vant gives up himself to his master, as a wife gives up herself to her husband, so we give up ourselves to God by obedience. And this obedience is, \st. Free ; as that is the sweetest honey which dro…
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3. The weakest grace shall persevere, as well as the strongest. A sucking child was as safe in the ark as Noah. An infant believer, that is but newly laid to the breast of the promise, is as safe in Christ as the most eminent heroic saint. Obj. 4. I fear the kingdom of grace is not 430 OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE …
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pence ; grace is tlic root, peace is tlic flower grows out of it ; it is par in prucdla, such peace that no worltlly aflliftioii can sliako. The doors of SoU)mon's tonij)le were made of olive-tree carved with open flowers, 1 Kiiiffs vi. 32. : in a gracious heart is tlie olive of poafce, and the open flowers of joy. Al…
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Saviour in this petition is, that the king- affliction, without murmuring or fainting, doni of grace may increas-^, that it may here is the kingdom of grace increased. come more into us. And this may answer a question. Quest. Why do we pray, thy kingdom come, when the kingdom of grace is already come into the sold ?…
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A. 6. Then the kingdom of grace increas- eth, when a Christian is as well diligent in his particular calling, as devout in his ge- neral, lie is the wise Christian, that car- ries things equally; that doth so live by faith, that he lives in a calling. Therefore it is worth our notice, when the apostle had exhorted the …
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A. 3. If tbe kingdom of grace dotb not increase, it will decay, Rev. ii. 4., " Tbou bast left tby first love." Grace, for want of increasing, is sometimes like a winter- plant, all tbe sap runs to tbe root, and it looks as if it were dead, Rev. iii. 2., " Strengtben tbe things that remain, which are ready to die;" thou…
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Ans. By this kingdom is meant, tliat glo- rious estate which the saints shall enjoy when tliey shall reign with God and angels for ever. If a man stand ujxtn the sea- shore, he cannot see all the dimensions of the sea, the length, breadth, and dej)th of it, yet he may see it is of a vast extension : so, though the king…
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4. In the kingdom of heaven, we shall be freed from original corruption; this is causa causati, the root of all actual sin. There would be no actual sin, if there were no oriffinal ; there would be no water in the stream, if there were none in the fountain. Original sin is incorporated into our na- ture; it is as if th…
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9. We shall, in the kingdom of lieaA'cn, be freed from all society with the wicked. Here, we are forced sometimes to be in their company, Ps. cxx. 5., " Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech, and dwell in the tents of Kedar !" Kedar was Ishmael's son, whose children dwelt in Arabia, a jirofane, barbarous people. Here the w…
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(3.) In the pains of hell there is no mi- tigation, no mixture of mercy. In this life, God in anger remembers mercy. Hab. iii. 2. ; but in hell there is no alleviation, or lessening of the pains. As in the sacrifice of jealousy. Numb. v. 15., God would have no oil or frankincense put into it : so in hell there is no oi…
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3. We shall in the kingdom of he.iven, enjoy the society of ' an innumerable com- pany of angels,' Ileb. xii. 22. Quest. But is there not enough in God to fill the soul with delight ? Can the sight (if angels add to the soid's happiness ? What need IS tliere of the light of torches^ uhen the nun shines ? Ans. Because…
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2 Cor. vii. 5., " We were troubled on every side:" like a ship on the sea having the waves beating on both sides : but in the kingdom of heaven there is rest, Ileb. iv. 9. IIow welcome is rest to a weary traveller ! When death cuts asunder the string of the body, the soul, as a dove, flies aw.'iy, and is at rest. This …
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A. 4. The glory of this kingdom is con- stantly exhilarating and refreshing ; there is fulness but no surfeit. W(»rldly com- forts, though sweet, yet in time grow stale ; a down-bed pleaseth a while, but within a while we are weary, and would i ise. Too much ])leasure is a pain ; but the glory of heaven doth never surf…
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A. 4. The kingdom of heaven excels all other kingdoms in holiness. Kingdoms on earth are for the most part unholy ; there is a common shore of luxury and undean- ness running in them; kingdoms are stages for sin to be acted on, Isa. xxviii. 8., " AH tables are full of vomit." But the kinjrdora of heaven is so holy that…
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A. 9. This kingdom of heaven excels all earthly kingdoms in self-perfection. Other kingdoms are defective, they have not all provision within themselves, but are fain to traffic abroad to sup|)ly their wants at home ; king Solomon did send to Ophir for gold, 2 Chron. viii. 18. ; but there is no de- fect in the kingdom …
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2. The glory in the kingdom of heaven will be fully perfected at the resurrection, and general day of judgment; then the bo- dies and souls of believers will be reunited. What joy will there be at the reunion and meeting together of the soul and body of a saint ! O what a welcome will the soul give to the body ! " O my…
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5. The elect must have this blessed king- dom, in regard of the previous work of the Spirit in their hearts. They have the be- ginning of the kingdom of heaven in them here ; grace is heaven begun in the soul : besides, God given them pn'mitus spiritns, — " the first-fruits of the Spirit," Rom. viii. 23. The first-frui…
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A. 3. We must pray that the kingdom of glory may come, that by going into it, we may make an end of sinning. I tliink sometimes, what a blessed time it will be, never to have a sinful thought more ! Though we must not pray, " Thy kingdom come," out of discontent, because we would be rid of the troubles and crosses of t…
867 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.