Digital Logos Edition
A Divine Cordial offers loving testimony to God’s faithfulness based on Romans. Watson calls his first premise “a glorious privilege”—that all things work together for good. His second is that those who understand this privilege are called. Third, Watson emphasizes the Romans text that they are called, “according to his purpose.” Watson exhorts readers to the certainty of their privilege and calling, prescribing, as he puts it, “A little of this Cordial: All these things shall work together for good to them that love God.”
“A sacrament is a visible sermon. And herein the sacrament excels the word preached. The word is a trumpet to proclaim Christ; the sacrament is a glass to represent him.” (Page 3)
“A good christian is not a grave to bury God’s mercies, but a temple to sing his praises.” (Page 15)
“Afflictions to the godly are medicinal. Out of the most poisonous drugs God extracts our salvation. Afflictions are as needful as ordinances.’ 1 Pet. 1:6. No vessel can be made of gold without fire; so it is impossible that we should be made vessels of honour, unless we are melted and refined in the furnace of affliction. ‘All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.’ Psal. 25:10. As the painter intermixes bright colours with dark shadows; so doth the wise God mix mercy with judgment. Those afflictive providences which seem to be prejudicial, are beneficial; let us take some instances in scripture.” (Page 24)
“Love is an expansion of soul, or the inflaming of the affections, whereby a christian breathes after God as the supreme and sovereign good. Love is to the soul as the weights to the clock, it sets the soul a-going towards God, as the wings by which we fly to heaven; by love we cleave to God, as the needle to the loadstone.” (Page 71)
“Christian, though thou dost not break forth into a flame of scandal, yet thou hast no cause to boast, for there is much sin raked up in the embers of thy nature. Thou hast the root of bitterness in thee, and wouldst bear as hellish fruit as any, if God did not either curb thee by his power, or change thee by his grace.” (Page 49)