Part 7

6. *But although this mourning is at an end, is lost in holy joy, by the return of the Comforter, yet is there another, and a blessed mourning it is, which abides in the children of God. They still mourn for the sins and miseries of mankind: they _weep with them that weep_. They weep for them that weep not for themselves, for the sinners against their own souls. They mourn for the weakness and unfaithfulness of those, that are in some measure saved from their sins. _Who is weak and they are not weak? Who is offended and they burn not?_ They are grieved for the dishonour continually done to the Majesty of heaven and earth. At all times they have an awful sense of this, which brings a deep seriousness upon their spirit: a seriousness which is not a little increased, since the eyes of their understanding were opened, by their continually seeing the vast ocean of eternity, without a bottom or a shore, which has already swallowed up millions of millions of men, and is gaping to devour them that yet remain. They see here, the house of God eternal in the heavens; there, hell and destruction without a covering; and thence feel the importance of every moment, which just appears, and is gone for ever.

7. *But all this wisdom of God is foolishness with the world. The whole affair of _mourning_ and _poverty of spirit_, is with them stupidity and dullness. Nay ’tis well if they pass so favourable a judgment upon it; if they do not vote it to be mere moping and melancholy, if not downright lunacy and distraction. And it is no wonder at all, that this judgment should be passed, by those who know not God. Suppose as two persons were walking together, one should suddenly stop, and with the strongest signs of fear and amazement, cry out, “On what a precipice do we stand! See, we are on the point of being dashed in pieces! Another step, and we fall into that huge abyss. Stop! I will not go on for all the world.” When the other, who seemed to himself at least equally sharp-sighted, looked forward and saw nothing of all this; what would he think of his companion? But that he was _beside himself_; that his head was out of order: that much religion (if he was not guilty of much learning) had certainly _made him mad_.

8. *But let not the children of God, _the mourners in Sion_, be moved by any of these things. Ye whose eyes are enlightened, be not troubled by those, who walk on still in darkness. Ye do not walk on in a vain shadow: God and eternity are real things. Heaven and hell are in very deed open before you: and ye are on the edge of the great gulph. It has already swallowed up more than words can express, nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues, and still yawns to devour, whether they see it or no, the giddy, miserable children of men. O cry aloud! Spare not! Lift up your voice, to him who grasps both time and eternity, both for yourselves and your brethren, that ye may be counted worthy to escape the destruction that cometh as a whirlwind! That ye may be brought safe, thro’ all the waves and storms, into the haven where you would be. Weep for yourselves, till he wipes away the tears from your eyes. And even then weep for the miseries that come upon the earth, till the Lord of all shall put a period to misery and sin, shall wipe away the tears from all faces, and _the knowledge of the_ Lord _shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea_.

SERMON XXII.

UPON OUR LORD’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT. DISCOURSE II. MATT. v. 5, 6, 7.

_Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy._

I. 1. WHEN _the winter is past_, when _the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land_; when he that comforts the mourners is now returned, _that he may abide with them for ever_: when at the brightness of his presence the clouds disperse, the dark clouds of doubt and uncertainty, the storms of fear flee away, the waves of sorrow subside, and their spirit again _rejoiceth in_ God their _Saviour_: then is it that this word is eminently fulfilled, then those whom he hath comforted can bear witness, _Blessed_ or happy, _are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth_.

2. *But who are the meek? Not those who grieve at nothing, because they know nothing; who are not discomposed at the evils that occur, because they discern not evil from good. Not those who are sheltered from the shocks of life, by a stupid insensibility; who have either by nature or art, the virtue of stocks and stones, and resent nothing, because they feel nothing. Brute philosophers are wholly unconcerned in this matter. Apathy is as far from meekness as from humanity. So that one would not easily conceive, how any Christians of the purer ages, especially any of the fathers of the church, could confound these, and mistake one of the foulest errors of Heathenism, for a branch of true Christianity.

3. *Nor does Christian meekness imply, the being without zeal for God, any more than it does ignorance or insensibility. No; it keeps clear of every extreme, whether in excess or defect. It does not destroy but balance the affections, which the God of nature never designed should be rooted out by grace, but only brought and kept under due regulations. It poises the mind aright. It holds an even scale, with regard to anger and sorrow and fear: preserving the mean in every circumstance of life, and not declining either to the right-hand or the left.

4. *Meekness therefore seems properly to relate to ourselves. But it may be referred either to God or our neighbour. When this due composure of mind has reference to God, it is usually termed resignation; a calm acquiesence in whatsoever is his will concerning us, even though it may not be pleasing to nature; saying continually, _It is the_ Lord; _let him do what seemeth him good_. When we consider it more strictly with regard to ourselves, we stile it patience or contentedness. When it is exerted toward other men, then it is mildness to the good, and gentleness to the evil.

5. *They who are truly meek, can clearly discern what is evil; and they can also suffer it. They are _sensible_ of every thing of this kind; but still meekness holds the reins. They are exceeding _zealous for the_ Lord _of Hosts_; but their zeal is always guided by knowledge, and tempered in every thought and word and work, with the love of man as well as the love of God. They do not desire to extinguish any of the passions, which God has for wise ends implanted in their nature. But they have the mastery of all; they hold them all in subjection, and employ them only in subservience to those ends. And thus even the harsher and more unpleasing passions, are applicable to the noblest purposes. Even hate and anger and fear, when engaged against sin, and regulated by faith and love, are as walls and bulwarks to the soul, so that the wicked one cannot approach to hurt it.

♦6. ’Tis evident, this divine temper, is not only to abide, but to increase in us day by day. Occasions of exercising, and thereby increasing it, will never be wanting while we remain upon earth. We _have need of patience, that after_ we _have done_ and suffered _the will of_ God, we _may receive the promise_. We have need of resignation, that we may in all circumstances say, _Not as I will, but as thou wilt_. And we have need of _gentleness toward all men_; but especially toward the evil and unthankful: otherwise we shall be overcome of evil, instead of overcoming evil with good.

7. Nor does meekness restrain only the outward act, as the Scribes and Pharisees taught of old, and the miserable teachers, who are not taught of God, will not fail to do in all ages. Our Lord guards against this, and shews the true extent of it, in the following words: _Ye have heard, that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment_, ver. 21, &c.

_But I say unto you, that whosoever shall be angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire._

8. Our Lord here ranks under the head of murder, even that anger which goes no farther than the heart; which does not shew itself by any outward unkindness; no, not so much as a passionate word.

_Whosoever is angry with his brother_, with any man living, seeing we are all brethren, whosoever feels any unkindness in his heart, any temper contrary to love: whosoever is angry _without a cause_, without a sufficient cause, or farther than that cause requires, _shall be in danger of the judgment_, ἔνοχος ἔστι· _shall_ in that moment _be obnoxious to_ the righteous judgment of God.

But would not one be inclined to prefer the reading of those copies, which omit the word, εἰκῆ, _without a cause_? Is it not entirely superfluous? For if _anger at persons_ be a temper contrary to love, how can there be a cause, a sufficient cause for it? Any that will justify it in the sight of God?

_Anger at sin_, we allow. In this sense we may _be angry and_ yet we _sin not_. In this sense our Lord himself, is once recorded to have been angry. He _looked round about upon them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts_. He was grieved at the sinners, and angry at the sin. And this is undoubtedly right before God.

9. _And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca_: whosoever shall give way to anger, so as to utter any contemptuous word. It is observed by commentators, that _Raca_ is a _Syriack_ word, which properly signifies, _empty, vain, foolish_: So that it is as inoffensive an expression as can well be used, toward one at whom we are displeased. And yet whosoever should use this, as our Lord assures us, _shall be in danger of the council_: Rather, shall be obnoxious thereto: he shall be liable to a severer sentence from the Judge of all the earth.

_But whosoever shall say, Thou fool_――Whosoever shall so give place to the devil, as to break out into reviling, into designedly reproachful and contumelious language, _shall be obnoxious to hell-fire_, shall in that instant be liable to the highest condemnation. It should be observed, That our Lord describes all these, as obnoxious to capital punishment. The first, to strangling, usually inflicted on those who were condemned in one of the inferior courts: the second to stoning, which was frequently inflicted on those who were condemned by the great council at _Jerusalem_; the third to burning alive, inflicted only on the highest offenders, in the _valley of the sons of_ Hinnom. Γῆ Ἑννών· from which that word is evidently taken, which we translate hell.

10. And whereas men naturally imagine, that God will excuse their defect in some duties, for their exactness in others, our Lord next takes care to cut off that vain, though common imagination. He shews, That it is impossible for any sinner to _commute_ with God: who will not accept one duty for another, nor take a part of obedience for the whole. He warns us, That the performing our duty to God, will not excuse us from our duty to our neighbour: that works of piety, as they are called, will be so far from commending us to God, if we are wanting in charity, that on the contrary, that want of charity will make all those works an abomination to the Lord.

_Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee_, on account of thy unkind behaviour toward him, of thy calling him, _Raca_, or _Thou fool_; think not that thy gift will atone for thy anger; or that it will find any acceptance with God, so long as thy conscience is defiled with the guilt of unrepented sin. _Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother_, (at least, do all that in thee lies toward being reconciled) _and then come and offer thy gift_, ver. 23, 24.

11. And let there be no delay in what so nearly concerneth thy soul. _Agree with thine adversary quickly_――Now: upon the spot――_while thou art in the way with him_――If it be possible, before he go out of thy sight――_Lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge_――Lest he appeal to God, the judge of all, _and the Judge deliver thee to the officer_, to _Satan_, the executioner of the wrath of God, _and thou be cast into prison_, into hell, there to be reserved to the judgment of the great day. _Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing._ But this it is impossible for thee ever to do; seeing thou hast nothing to pay. Therefore if thou art once in that prison, the smoke of thy torment must _ascend up for ever and ever_.

12. *Mean time _the meek shall inherit the earth_. Such is the foolishness of worldly wisdom! The wise of the world had warned them again and again, “That if they did not resent such treatment, if they would tamely suffer themselves to be thus abused, there would be no living for them upon earth; that they would never be able to procure the common necessaries of life, nor to keep even what they had; that they could expect no peace, no quiet possession, no enjoyment of any thing.” Most true――suppose there were no God in the world; or suppose he did not concern himself with the children of men. But _when_ God _ariseth to judgment, and to help all the meek upon earth_: how doth he laugh all this Heathen wisdom to scorn, and turn the _fierceness of man to his praise_! He takes a peculiar care, to provide them with all things needful for life and godliness. He secures to them the provision he hath made, in spite of the force, fraud, or malice of men. And what he secures, he _gives_ them _richly to enjoy_. It is sweet to them, be it little or much. As _in patience_ they _possess their souls_, so they truly possess whatever God hath given them. They are always content, always pleased with what they have. It pleases them, because it pleases God. So that while their heart, their desire, their joy is in heaven, they may truly be said to _inherit the earth_.

13. But there seems to be a yet farther meaning in these words, even that they shall have a more eminent part _in the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness_, in that inheritance, a general description of which (and the particulars we shall know hereafter) St. _John_ hath given in the 20th chapter of the _♦Revelation. And I saw an angel come down from heaven――and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent――and bound him a thousand years――And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of_ Jesus, _and for the word of_ God, _and of them which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with_ Christ _a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again, until the thousand years were expired. This is the first resurrection: blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power. But they shall be priests of_ God _and of_ Christ, _and shall reign with him a thousand years_.

II. 1. Our Lord has hitherto been more immediately employed, in removing the hindrance of true religion: such is pride, the first, grand hindrance of all religion, which is taken away by _poverty of spirit_; levity, and thoughtlessness, which prevent any religion from taking root in the soul, till they are removed by holy _mourning_: such are anger, impatience, discontent, which are all healed by Christian _meekness_. And when once these hindrances are removed, these evil diseases of the soul, which were continually raising false cravings therein, and filling it with sickly appetites, the native appetite of a heaven-born spirit returns; it hungers and thirsts after righteousness: and _blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled_.

2. Righteousness (as was observed before) is the image of God, the mind which was in _Christ Jesus_. It is every holy and heavenly temper in one; springing from, as well as terminating in the love of God, as our Father and Redeemer, and the love of all men, for his sake.

3. _Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after_ this: in order fully to understand which expression, we should observe, first, That hunger and thirst are the strongest of all our bodily appetites. In like manner this hunger in the soul, this thirst after the image of God, is the strongest of all our spiritual ♦appetites, when it is once awakened in the heart: yea, it swallows up all the rest in that one great desire, to be renewed after the likeness of him that created us. We should, secondly, observe, That from the time we begin to hunger and thirst, those appetites do not cease, but are more and more craving and importunate, ’till we either eat and drink or die. And even so, from the time that we begin to hunger and thirst after the whole mind which was in _Christ_, these spiritual appetites do not cease, but cry after their food with more and more importunity. Nor can they possibly cease, before they are satisfied, while there is any spiritual life remaining. We may, thirdly, observe, That hunger and thirst are satisfied with nothing but meat and drink. If you would give to him that is hungry all the world beside, all the elegance of apparel, all the trappings of state, all the treasure upon earth, yea thousands of gold and silver: if you would pay him ever so much honour, he regards it not; all these things are then of no account with him. He would still say, These are not the things I want: give me food, or else I die. The very same is the case with every soul that truly hungers and thirsts after righteousness. He can find no comfort in any thing but this; he can be satisfied with nothing else. Whatever you offer besides, it is lightly esteemed; whether it be riches, or honour, or pleasure, he still says, this is not the thing which I want. Give me love or else I die!

4. *And it is as impossible to satisfy such a soul, a soul that is a-thirst for God, the living God, with what the world accounts religion, as with what they account happiness. The religion of the world implies three things; first, The doing no harm, the abstaining from outward sin; at least from such as is scandalous, as robbery, theft, common swearing, drunkenness; secondly, The doing good, the relieving the poor, the being charitable, as it is called: thirdly, The using the means of grace; at least, the going to church and to the Lord’s supper. He in whom these three marks are found, is termed by the world a religious man. But will this satisfy him who hungers after God? No. It is not food for his soul. He wants a religion of a nobler kind, a religion higher and deeper than this. He can no more feed on this poor, shallow, formal thing, than he can _fill his belly with the east-wind_. True, he is careful to abstain from the very appearance of evil: he is zealous of good works. He attends all the ordinances of God. But all this is not what it longs for. This is only the outside of that religion, which he insatiably hungers after. The knowledge of God in _Christ Jesus, the life which is hid with_ Christ _in_ God, the being _joined unto the_ Lord in _one Spirit_, the having _fellowship with the Father and the Son_; the _walking in the light as_ God _is in the light_, the being _purified even as he is pure_: this is the religion, the righteousness he thirsts after. Nor can he rest, ’till he thus rests in God.

5. _Blessed are they who_ thus _hunger and thirst after righteousness. For they shall be filled._ They shall be filled with the thing which they long for; even with righteousness and true holiness. God shall satisfy them with the blessings of his goodness, with the felicity of his chosen. He shall feed them with the bread of heaven, with the manna of his love. He shall give them to drink of his pleasures as out of the river, which he that drinketh of, shall never thirst: only for more and more of the water of life. This thirst shall endure for ever.

The painful thirst, the fond desire Thy joyous presence shall remove: But my full soul shall still require A whole eternity of love.

6. *Whosoever then thou art, to whom God hath given to _hunger and thirst after righteousness_, cry unto him that thou mayest never lose that inestimable gift, that this divine appetite may never cease. If many rebuke thee, and bid thee hold thy peace, regard them not, yea, cry so much the more, _Jesus, Master, have mercy on me_! Let me not live, but to be holy as thou art holy! No more _spend thy money for that which is not bread_, nor thy _labour for that which satisfieth not_. Canst thou hope to dig happiness out of the earth? To find it in the things of the world. O trample under foot all its pleasures, despise its honours, count its riches as dung and dross: yea, and all the things which are beneath the sun, _for the excellency of the knowledge of_ Christ Jesus; for the entire renewal of thy soul in that image of God, wherein it was originally created. Beware of quenching that blessed hunger and thirst, by what the world calls religion: a religion of form, of outside shew, which leaves the heart as earthly and sensual as ever. Let nothing satisfy thee but the power of godliness, but a religion that is spirit and life; thy dwelling in God and God in thee, the being an inhabitant of eternity; the entring in by the blood of sprinkling _within the veil_, and _sitting in heavenly places with_ Christ Jesus.

III. 1. And the more they are filled with the life of God, the more tenderly will they be concerned for those, who are still without God in the world, still dead in trespasses and sins. Nor shall this concern for others lose its reward. _Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy._

The word used by our Lord, more immediately implies, the compassionate, the tender-hearted: those, who far from despising, earnestly grieve for those that do not hunger after God. This eminent part of brotherly love, is here (by a common figure) put for the whole: So that _the merciful_, in the full sense of the term, are they who _love their neighbours as themselves_.

2. Because of the vast importance of this love, without which, _tho’ we spake with the tongues of men and angels, tho’ we had the gift of prophecy and understood all mysteries and all knowledge, tho’ we had all faith so as to remove mountains_; yea, _tho’_ we _gave all_ our _goods to feed the poor, and_ our very _bodies to be burned, it_ would _profit us nothing_: the wisdom of God has given us by the apostle _Paul_, a full and particular account of it: by considering which we shall most clearly discern, who are the _merciful_ that shall _obtain mercy_.

3. _Charity_, or _Love_ (as it were to be wished it had been rendered throughout, being a far plainer and less ambiguous word) the love of our neighbour as _Christ_ hath loved us, _suffereth long_, is patient toward all men. It suffers all the weakness, ignorance, errors, infirmities, all the frowardness and littleness of faith, in the children of God; all malice and wickedness of the children of the world. And it suffers all this, not only for a time, for a short season, but to the end: still feeding our enemy when he hungers: if he thirst, still giving him drink: thus continually _heaping coals of fire_, of melting love, _upon his head_.