The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-10 (Thomas Watson)

Description

The opening verses of the best-known of all Christ's sermons were handled by many of the Puritans, for the Beatitudes gave full scope to the combination of sound doctrine, practical wisdom and heart-searching application which characterized their preaching. In addition to these general Puritan characteristics, Thomas Watson added certain of his own: a master of a terse, vigorous style and of a beauty of expression, he could speak not only to win men's understanding but also to secure a place for the truth in their memories. More than most of his generation he sought to follow the example of Christ's teaching by employing all manner of illustrative material from common life, and with simplicity and charm he spoke words not easy to forget. Two hundred years after Thomas Watson's death William Jay of Bath said that he could go to any one of his books and 'find it ever fresh, pointed and instructive.'

The Beatitudes, first published in 1660, has been one of the rarest of Watson’s works. In this edition the layout has been entirely revised and editorial notes supplied.

Endorsements

'What announces itself as an exposition of Matthew 5:1-10 turns out to be a digest of all the central Puritan teaching on the Christian life. The Beatitudes are treated as mineshafts into the whole economy of grace, as indeed they are.' —J.I. PACKER

Table of Contents

To the Reader xi

1 INTRODUCTION 1

The preacher: Christ and his qualifications 1

The ministry does not ‘lie in common’ 3

The pulpit 4

The occasion 5

Ministers should embrace opportunities of service 5

Exhortations to ministers 9

Exhortations to the flock of God 10

2 THERE IS A BLESSEDNESS IN REVERSION 13

Wherein blessedness does not consist 14

Blessedness does not lie in externals 16

Wherein blessedness consists of 19

Blessedness in practice 21

3 THE GODLY ARE IN SOME SENSE ALREADY BLESSED 25

Evidences that the godly are already blessed 26

Practical issues 28

4 BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT 31

Various observations 31

The meaning of ‘poor in spirit’ 33

Several questions propounded 34

Why Christians must be ‘poor in spirit’ 35

Poverty of spirit is true riches 37

How we may know whether we are ‘poor in spirit’ 38

Four persuasions to be ‘poor in spirit’ 41

5 THE POOR IN SPIRIT ARE ENRICHED WITH A KINGDOM 43

Saints glorified may be compared to kings 43

The kingdom of heaven excels other kingdoms 46

The kingdom of heaven is infallibly entailed upon the saints 47

Corollaries and inferences from the above 48

A scrutiny and trial whether we belong to the kingdom of heaven 50

Serious exhortations to the wicked and to Christians 51

6 BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN 55

A two-fold mourning which does not make us blessed 55

The object of holy mourning 56

A five-fold mourning which is spurious 57

The right gospel-mourning 58

The accommodations of gospel-mourning 60

We must mourn for the sins of others 65

We must mourn for the miseries of the church 66

The seasons of holy mourning 67

The degrees of mourning 69

The opposite to holy mourning 69

7 SUNDRY SHARP REPROOFS 71

8 MOTIVES TO HOLY MOURNING 75

Eleven divine motives to holy mourning 75

An objection answered 80

9 THE HINDRANCES TO MOURNING 81

Nine hindrances considered 81

10 SOME HELPS TO MOURNING 89

11 THE COMFORTS BELONGING TO MOURNERS 89

The relationship of comfort to mourning 91

The nature of the comforts during the earthly life 93

Three differences between true and false comfort 94

Reasons why mourners may lack comfort 101

The nature of the comforts in the world to come 104

An exhortation to comfort 107

12 CHRISTIAN MEEKNESS 109

Meekness towards God and towards man 109

Meekness in the bearing of injuries 110

Meekness in the forgiving of injuries 115

Meekness in recompensing good for evil 117

Meekness shows the character of a true saint 118

Ten reasons why Christians should be meek 118

How to attain the grace of meekness 126

13 THE NATURE OF SPIRITUAL HUNGER 129

Hungry after righteousness 129

A reproof for such as do not hunger after righteousness 131

A reproof for such as hunger but not after righteousness 134

Five signs of spiritual hunger 135

Comforts for such as know spiritual hunger 136

Six differences between spiritual and carnal hunger 137

Believers’ objections answered 140

A persuasion to spiritual hunger 141

Helps to spiritual hunger 142

14 SPIRITUAL HUNGER SHALL BE SATISFIED 145

God can fill the hungry soul: why and how he does so 146

The objections of carnal and godly men considered 149

15 A DISCOURSE OF MERCIFULNESS 151

The nature and source of mercifulness 152

Mercy is to be extended to the souls of others 153

Reproofs for such as have no mercy to souls 155

Christians must be tender of one another’s names 157

Mercy is to be extended to the estates, offenses and wants of others 161

A vindication of the Church of England and its doctrine of good works 166

A check to the unmerciful 168

Persuasion to mercifulness 171

Nine persuasions to works of mercy 174

Rewards for the merciful man in this life 178

Six rules concerning works of mercy 180

16 A DESCRIPTION OF HEART-PURITY 185

The nature of heart-purity 185

Reasons for purity of heart 186

Christians must not rest in outside purity 190

Signs of an impure heart 190

Seven signs of a pure heart 197

Nine exhortations to heart-purity 205

Eight means to be used to obtain heart-purity 209

17 THE BLESSED PRIVILEGE OF SEEING GOD EXPLAINED 213

The sight of God in this life and in the life to come 213

Nine excellencies of the beatific vision 214

It is the sinner’s misery that he shall not see God 219

We must labor to be rightly qualified for this vision 219

A cordial for the pure in heart 220

18 CONCERNING PEACEABLENESS 221

A four-fold peace 222

Two reasons for peaceable-mindedness 223

Peaceable-mindedness a saint’s character 224

A reproof for such as are unpeaceable 225

An exhortation to peaceable-mindedness (under 11 heads) 226

Some helps to peaceable-mindedness 230

All Christians must be peacemakers 233

19 THEY SHALL BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD 237

By nature we are not children of God 238

Children of God are made such by adoption and infusion of grace 238

How we come to be children of God by faith 241

Nine signs of divine sonship 243

How Christians should bring up their children 253

The love of God in making us his children 255

The honor of God’s children 257

Twelve high privileges of God’s children: 261

God’s love towards them 261

God bears with their infirmities 266

God accepts of their imperfect services 266

God provides for them 267

God shields off dangers from them 268

God reveals to them the great things of his law 268

God gives them boldness in prayer 269

God brings them into a state of freedom 270

God makes them heirs apparent to the promises 271

God gives them his blessing 272

God works all things for their good 272

God keeps them from perishing 275

20 EXHORTATIONS TO CHRISTIANS AS THEY ARE CHILDREN OF GOD 279

Let us prove ourselves to be the children of God 279

Let us carry ourselves as becomes the children of God 280

21 CONCERNING PERSECUTION 285

Observations on persecution 285

What is meant by persecution? 286

Various kinds of persecution 286

The causes of persecution 288

The persecution of ministers 289

The persecution that makes one blessed 292

Lessons to be learned from persecution 296

Two sharp reproofs 297

Christians should possess themselves beforehand with thoughts of sufferings 299

Christians must arm themselves for suffering: 300

Labor to be persons rightly qualified for suffering 300

Avoid those things which will hinder suffering 301

Promote those things which will help you to suffer (especially self-denial): 303

Inure yourselves to suffering 303

Be well-skilled in the knowledge of Christ 304

Prize every truth of God 304

Keep a good conscience 305

Make the Scripture familiar to you 305

Get a suffering frame of heart 306

Get suffering graces 311

Treasure up suffering promises 316

Set before your eyes suffering examples 318

Lay in suffering considerations 319

22 AN APPENDIX TO THE BEATITUDES 329

The Lord’s commandments are not grievous 329

Eight particulars showing that God’s commands are not grievous 331

Christ’s commands compared with: 334

The law 335

The commands of sin 336

The torments of the damned 336

The glory of heaven 337

Various reproofs 338

Product Details

Title: The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-10  

Author: Thomas Watson

Publisher: Banner of Truth

Pages: 352

Binding: Cloth-bound

Size: 22.3 x 14.6 x 3.0 cm

ISBN: 9781848714366