Discourses on Important and Interesting Subjects (Volume 1 ); Being the Select Works of Thomas Watson (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1829. Excerpt: ... the mastery of it, go to Christ, beg of him that he would exercise his kingly office in thy soul; that he would subdue this sin, and put it under the yoke. Beg of Christ to exercise his spiritual chirurgery upon thee; desire him to lance thy heart, and cut out the rotten, and that he would apply the medicine of his blood to heal thee of thy hypocrisy, Often make that prayer of David, Psal. cxix. 80. Let my heart be found.in thy statutes.' Lord, let me be any thing rather than an hypocrite. Two hearts will exclude one from heaveu. CHAP. IV. Shewing the Characters of a Godly Man. Inqui-TT will be inquired in the next place, Who ry 2d. is the godly man? For the full answer whereunto, I shall lay down several specifical signs and characters of a godly man. Sect. I. 1. The first fundamental sign is, a godly man is a man of knowledge, Prov. xiv. 18. 'The prudent are crowned with knowledge.' The saints are called wise virgins, Matt. xxv. 4. A natural man may have some discursive knowledge of God, but he knoweth nothing as he ought to know, 1 Cor. viii, 2. He knows not God savingly: he may have the eye of reason open, but he discerns not the things of God after a spiritual manner. Waters cannot go beyond their spring-head: vapours cannot rise higher than the sun draws them. A natural man cannot act above his sphere; he is no more able to judge aright of sacred things, than a blind man is to judge of.colours. 1. He sees not the evil of his heart; if a face be ever so black and deformed, yet it is not seen under a veil; the heart of a sinner is so black, that nothing but hell can pattern it, yet the veil of ignorance hides it. 2. He sees not the beauties of a Saviour, Christ is a pearl, but an hid pearl. But a godly man is taught of God, 1 John ii. 27. The anoint...