Thomas Watson - Body of Divinity

Thomas Watson's Body of Divinity is just a remarkable book. It not only has that quality of being 'on the mark', but it is written in a very unusual language for theology. A very light, brisk, creative language of kingdom and angels and glory.

Sample the above link to see what I mean. Maybe do a word search within the page, like 'angel' or 'kingdom' or something like that.

Here's a paragraph where he is talking about Scripture:

How does it appear that the Scriptures have a Jus Divinum, a divine authority stamped upon them?

Because the Old and New Testament are the foundation of all religion. If their divinity cannot be proved, the foundation on which we build our faith is gone. I shall therefore endeavour to prove this great truth, that the Scriptures are the very word of God. I wonder whence the Scriptures should come, if not from God. Bad men could not be the authors of it. Would their minds be employed in inditing such holy lines? Would they declare so fiercely against sin? Good men could not be the authors of it. Could they write in such a strain? or could it stand with their grace to counterfeit God’s name, and put, Thus saith the Lord, to a book of their own devising? Nor could any angel in heaven be the author of it, because the angels pry and search into the abyss of gospel mysteries, I Pet 1: I2, which implies their nescience of some parts of Scripture; and sure they cannot be the authors of that book which they themselves do not fully understand. Besides, what angel in heaven durst be so arrogant as to personate God and, say, 'I create,' Isa 65: I7, and, 'I the Lord have said it,? Numb 14: 35. So that it is evident, the pedigree of Scripture is sacred, and it could come from none but God himself.

He then goes on to list seven things about Scripture to show that it is the Word of God.

There are so many passages, striking language, worth quoting (the above outtake, by the way, doesn't really represent the work as a whole in terms of style, I just thought that was an intriguing paragraph) that you don't know where to begin. He is particularly good at inducing the elusive sense of glory and heavenly delight, and also the heavenly and kingly power, that is inherent in being effectually called and regenerated and made heirs of God.

And unlike so many other Puritans Watson is truly pithy. It's a special book. The entire book is called A Body of Practical Divinity. Banner of Truth publishes it in three separate volumes: Body of Divinity; The Ten Commandments; and The Lord's Prayer. It follows the structure of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, but that just provides basic structure and a foundation for him because he takes unique flight from each section...