The Way to True Happiness, Sermon 11
The eleuenth SERMON.
MATTH. 5.7. Blessed are the mercifull: for they shall obtaine mercy.
THe former steps to true happinesse we hauehave dispatcht: wee proceed to that which next offers it selfe, and that is mercy. Blessed are the mercifull, &c; we hauehave not much to say by way of explicatiō of the words: our worke lyeth most in exhortation to the duty. The points are 2. first that mercifull men are blessed. Secondly, that they that sow in mercy, shall reape in mercy. Mercy implyes pitty to such as are in misery. It hath for its obiect, a mans owne flesh in generall (as the Prophet phraseth it) that is, whole mankind, so farre forth as any one is in misery, to shew him mercy is to become a blessed man, and this is not the least part of his happinesse, that he shall finde as much mercy as he shewes. To begin with the first point.
Doct. Blessed are the mercifull. The words are so plaine and easie to be vnderstood, that we know not how to make them plainer. EueryEvery man is so farre forth blessed, as he is mercifull. Vnderstand it of an holy and spirituall mercy, and the point will bee cleare. For proofe whereof, heare first what Dauid the father saith to it, Psal. 41.1. Blessed is the man (saith he) that considereth the poore and needy, &c; where you hauehave the mercifull man set forth, 1. by his disposition: He is such a one as considereth the poore and needy, and by his condition, he is a blessed man: for the Lord will deliuer him in time of trouble, &c. Thus Dauid the father: And thus also Salomon his sonne, Prou. 14:21. Hee that despiseth his neighbour, sinneth: hut hee that hath mercy on the poore, happy is hee. Neither is it onelyonly affirmed by man, that the mercifull are in a blessed estate, but also by God himselfe. Let's heare the Iudge speake to the point in hand, Matth. 25, 35. Come yee blessed of my Father, receiue the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Come (ye blessed) that's their estate, rcceiue the Kingdome, &c; and why? I was an hungred, and you gaue mee meate: I was thirsty, and ye gaue me drinke, &c; yee exercised mercy tow…rd mee in my poore distressed members. Thus we hauehave testimony cleare on our side, let vsus see the reasons and grounds of the point. And so it shall appeare that Mercifull men are blessed men, if wee consider mercy 1. in the fore-runners of it. 2. in its effects. 3. in its quality and nature.
For the first: Before a man can bee spiritually Reas. 1 mercifull, 1. his nature must be changed, he must bee a new man, cast, as it were, into a new frame. By nature we are all crab-trees, not oliues; wolues and beasts, not men: And as in respect of the body, man is compounded of all the elements: so is hee in respect of the soule compounded of all the malignities of all the creatures, for he is rauenous, as the woolfe; sauage, as the beare; fell, as the lion; fierce, as the leopard; poysonfull, as the Serpent:Esa. 11. Loe, such is eueryevery one by nature, as the Prophet Esay describes him. Now, if this corruption of nature bee in any one corrected, and hee made of a woolfe, a lamb; of a lion a sheepe, &c; as the prophet saith, it shall be in the kingdome of Christ, this argues his happinesse, and hee is in this name blessed. 2. As his nature is changed, so is his estate also: for the mercifull man is brought out of the habitations of darkenesse (wherin, as men vse to deale with fierce and fell creatures, he was formerly kept) into the kingdome of light; hee is deliuered from vnderunder the power of Satan (that spirit of cruelty) and put vnderunder the gouernment of Christ, who is so mercifull and meeke, that no man euer heard his voice in the streets, as the prophet hath it Thus he is put vnderunder another gouernor, enliuened by another head, guided by another spirit, endued with another wisedome then before, not that wisedome that is carnall, sensuall, and diuellish, but that which is from aboue, which (as S. Iames deliuers it) is first pure, then peaceable, &c; full of mercy and good fruites, Iam. 3.17. So, if wee looke to the fore-runners of mercy, as that the mercifull man is changed both in his nature, and in his state, hee is a blessed man.
Secondly, let vsus consider mercy in the effects and consequents, it will appeare that the mercifull man is an happy man, both in respect of God, and in respect of men. For God first, mercifulnesse giues a man interest into the mercy of God, such a one may plead mercy to God, and in that name lay claym to Gods mercy toward himselfe, as Dauid doth, Psal. 86.2. preserue my soule, for I am mercifull. That man that can tender mercy to God, may challenge mercy from God. And indeed, that mercy that any one shewes to his brother, is but an effect, & the reflection of Gods mercy to himselfe, for as there is no water in the cisterne, but what comes from the fountaine, neither any light in the candle, but what is borrowed from another light: so there is no mercy in vsus, till God hath shed abroad his mercy into our hearts, nor any light, til he hath imparted the same vntounto vsus. Hereby then it appeares, that the mercifull man is a blessed man, for that hee may challenge mercy from God, and be assured that he hath already receiued that mercy from him, which hee communicates to others. But secondly, as mercy helpes a man to God-ward; so it helpes him with men too. For 1. it refresheth the bowels of those that are hungry, &c. lookes vponupon a broken estate, and brings healing in its wings, lookes vponupon the broken name of another, and layes on a plaister; in a word, it brings helpe and ioy vntounto the world. 2. It winnes vponupon others, and reconciles them to our persons, to our profession, makes them thinke the better of both: it breakes the fiercenesse of the roughest nature, and makes a stranger, nay, an enemy to become a friend: As the Apostle shewes it, Rom. 12. out of the Prouerbs, If thine enemy hunger, feed him, saith he, if he thirst, giuegive him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vponupon his head. Mercy will melt an enemy, put him to't, and euen force him by a sweet compulsion to become a friend. Thus eueryevery man will bee a friend to the mercifull. Againe, it helpes and doth vsus good in this respect, that it assures vsus of our vprightnesse, and secures vsus of the truth of our louelove to God, to men, and that our religion is pure and vndefiled, which is (as Saint Iames tell vsus, Chap. 1. vlt.) to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their affliction, &c: so that the man that is spiritually mercifull, is sound in his religion, for true Religion euer goes accompanied with true mercy. Againe, as it comforts, and secures a man for the present, so it prouides for him, and layes a foundation for the future. The mercifull man layes vp for time to come, he sowes good seed, which will yeeld to him a sure crop: For he that sowes mercy, he sowes to himselfe, according to that of the Prophet, sow to your selues in righteousnesse, reape in mercy, Hos. 10.12. He that sowes mercy, shall reape mercy, and in the same measure that he sowes, shall he reape: he shall receiue mercy from God, for with the mercifull thou wilt shew thy selfe mercifull, (saith the Psalmist) Psal. 18. he shall hauehave mercy from man, from the word, from his conscience, from himselfe, all shall make for his good. In short, mercy filles the world as full of blessings, as cruelty doth of curses; God will blesse the merciful-minded, men will blesse him, heauen will blesse him, earth will blesse him: Many blessings are offred vp on his behalfe, others will blesse God for him, 2 Cor. 9. the husband relieued by him will blesse him, the wife will blesse him, the children blesse him, friends blesse him, the loynes of those whom he hath refreshed will blesse him, as they did Iob, their backs will blesse him, their bellies blesse him, &e. his house shall be filled with blessings, therefore he must needs be a blessed man, that is spiritually mercifull.
Lastly, the nature and quality of spirituall mercy,Reas. …. will proue that man blessed that doth exercise it: For, what is mercy but a piece of Gods Image, a sparke of the diuine nature. So much as there is of mercy in a man, so much there is of grace, so much of holinesse, so much of God, so much of the Spirit, so much of Heauen, so much of happinesse. The point, you see, is cleare: whether you looke vntounto the antecedents of mercy, or consequents, or the nature of it, his happinesse is euinced, that is, truly mercifull. Before we come to the Vse, we will shew you in a passage or two: 1. what Spirituall mercy is: 2. what is the ground thereof: 3. how many kinds: 4. what are the effects that issue from it. For the first, Spirituall mercy is nothing else but an inclination of the soule vponupon spirituall motiues, to pitty and relieue those that be in misery: and it is a branch of louelove from which it differs onelyonly in this, that louelove lookes to a man in all estates, mercy to man in misery: But louelove and mercy stand both in willing and working that which is good.
Secondly, for the ground of Spirituall mercy, it is own-nesse, and propriety (as they speake in Schooles) for either a man finds, or else makes, and as it were, adopts him for his owne, to whom he sheweth mercy.
Thirdly, as concerning the kinds; there is a double mercy: 1. a false mercy (which is indeed true cruelty, but goes vnderunder the name of mercy, but may easily be discerned from the second sort, which is): 2. a true mercy. For this first proceeds by a true rulee, namely, Iustice and Wisdome, by the which he that doth not regulate his mercy, is not to be held a mercifull man. If eyther he goe beyond, or come short of this rule, if he be either more mercifull, or more rigorous then may stand with iustice, and wisdome, he is not truly mercifull: Secondly, true mercy may be discerned by the effects. If our mercy tend to the party pittied (as this foolish mercy destroyes many a child, &c.) then it is not right, for true mercy is not destructiue, but looks to the good of the party to whom it is extended.
Againe, mercy is either naturall or spirituall. The first is to be found in all men, that hauehave not blowne out the light of nature, and so made themselues fierce and outragious. This naturall mercy is that: 1. which expresseth it selfe vponupon naturall obiects, and for naturall motiues, as to shew pitty to a kinsman, to a child, or the like, to doe good to such as hauehave done much for vsus, or from whom we expect much good to be done vsus: 2. which is shewed for naturall respects, as to shew a man mercy meerly, for that he is poore, sicke, in paine, or the like (for the same reason that a man hath pitty euen on his beast) without all respect to the good of his soule. This naturall mercy is not that which here hath the blessing put vponupon it by our Sauiour, although it be capable of outward blessing and is also, in it's kind, commendable. But the mercy here intended, is that spirituall and holy mercy, which hath for it's ground, louelove to God, and his Image in mans nature; for it's obiect, it hath pitty on the soule principally, and shewes it selfe in exhorting, instructing, reprouing, counselling, comforting, &c. as occasion serues, and need requires.
Fourthly, for the affects and fruites of this spirituall mercy: It is actiue, first inwardly, secondly outwardly. Inwardly, it sets all the powers of the soule …a worke, for the reliefe of the party distressed. And 1. for the mind and vnderstanding of a man, mercy makes him: 1. consider his case, as the mercifull man is discribed to do, Psal. 41.1. it bends his vnderstanding to the party affected, afflicted, makes his thoughts dwell vponupon that subiect, vponupon his debts, vponupon his misery, pouerty, &c. it feeds his thoughts with the consideration of the others miserable estate, makes him thinke, he's a man as well as I, &c. 2. It causeth him to cast about, and deuise how to relieue and succour him, according to that expression of Salomon, Prou. 14.22. Mercy and truth, saith he, shall be to them that deuise good. It makes a man bethinke himselfe which way he may goe to worke, to relieue and helpe such as are poore, sicke, or in any other affliction, it sharpens his wits, and sets him a proiecting, according to that wee read, Esay. 32.8. The liberall man deuiseth liberall things; he studies on his bed, and casts about how he may best doe to releue such as are in need of him. And this now is mercies first worke vponupon the vnderstanding, it makes a man to consider the needy and afflicted, and to cast about by what meanes best to relieue them, you may see it in eueryevery mother toward her sicke child, shee cannot forget it, whatsoeuer she is about, but studies still whither to goe, what meanes to vse, what course to take to ease the poore chid. But secondly, as mercy works vponupon the mind, so also vponupon the memory of a man, which now presents vntounto him the misery of his neighbour, wheresoeuer he goes, he heares him groaning, he sees him sweating, tossing, panting, he cannot possibly forget him whereuer he is, whateuer he does. It makes a man search and rifle into the bottome of his memory (that chest of the soule) to bethinke himselfe, and call to mind what hauehave I read that might doe this poore man good? what hauehave I heard? what hauehave I tryed and found by experience, that might yeeld him ease, do him comfort? Thirdly, as it works vponupon the memory, so likewsie vponupon the will, it makes a man both nolle malum, as to be sorry fo his sicknesse, paine, distresse, and velle bonum, to doe him all the good that may be done, he longs for the good of his distressed neighbour, desires it earnestly, prayes heartily for it, and vseth all good meanes to effect it. And this that inward act of mercy; which it hath vponupon the vnderstanding, memory and will of him, in whom it is transforming him after a sort into the person afflicted, making him feele the sorrowes, sigh in the sufferings, bleed in the wounds of his neighbour, liue in him, dye with him, &c.
Secondly, for the out-side; Mercy will vent it selfe at the eyes, and make one pitty, and weepe ouer the party afflicted, at the mouth, and cause him to speake healing words, comforting words, mercifull words, to speake to his heart, to pleade with God for him by prayer, to pleade with men for him, that they may come in & lend their help. As it sets the eye and the tongue a worke, so also it employes the hand, which it causeth to draw forth it selfe to take off the burden, or at least to put vnderunder the shoulder, and so helpe to beare it: in short, one way or other to be easefull, comfortable. Thus mercy hath its worke vponupon the out side also, and shewes it selfe by the eye, tongue, hand, and all the members. It carryes a man out of himselfe, makes a man not feele himselfe, forget himselfe. We see it in the hen, which often forgets and forbeares to feed her selfe, that she may prouid for her chickens; we see it in the mother, which many times is content to neglect her self, to dresse the child: thus mercy carryes a man out of himselfe: Nay, it carryes a man oboue himselfe, renders him eloquent, makes him say more for his afflicted neighbour, then hee can possibly say at another time, doe more for his deliuerance then hee durst doe, were it not in such extremity, and exigence.
And thus we hauehave discouered vntounto you in few, what mercy is, together with its ground, kinds, and effects
Ʋse 1 What vse shal we now make of this point? Is it so that the mercifull man is a blessed man? here then diuerse errours are discouered. And first, learne by this Doctrine the miserable and vnhappy estate of all mercilesse men, and they are such as hauehave neither leisure to mind mercy, nor vnderstanding to study it, nor memories to bethinke themselues of it, nor hearts to affect it, nor eye to pitty those that are in distresse, nor a mouth to speake for them, nor an hand to releiue them: Miserable must needes be the condition of these kind of persons; for they are scarce to bee reckoned among men, seeing in this they fall below the very beasts: for eueryevery creature will in their kind condole, and cōmiserate such of their kinde as be in misery. Let but a swine be lugd, and the rest of the company will get together, and grunt together; yea, and make head against that which puts it to payne. Bring a beast to the place where the blood of another of his kind hath beene spilt, and he will bury his fellow, and solemnize his funerall with lamentation made ouer him, as he can. Therefore, he is a beast and worse, that hath no pitty vponupon the ruines and miseries of other men. Nay more, he is a cursed creature, accursed of God, and accurst of men (wee'll dispatch it in few because of the time.) God hath pronounced such a curse vponupon the vnmercifull man, as may well make his very heart to tremble, Prouerb. 21.13. who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore, he also shall cry himselfe, but shall not be heard. The time shall come, when they shall cry to men to pitty them, to God to helpe them, with, Lord help me, Lord saue me from this paine, misery, death, &c; but Salomon tells them, what they shall trust to, and what shall be their speed in that day, the time shall come, saith he, that they also shall cry, and not be heard. The time was when his brother cryed, oh master heare, oh brother helpe, oh neighbour pitty, but he stopped his eare, and was deafe to others suites, the time likewise shall come when he shall cry out, o God heare, o Lord shew mercy, &c: but God shall not attend nor answer him, but shall returne him his owne measure. Heare what Saint Iames saith to this in his second Chapter, vers. 13. there shall be Iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy: a terrible speech! woe to the man whom God will iudge in extremity, and not shew him any mercy, and euen so wil he deale with the mercilesse man. Heare also what the iudge himselfe shall say to such at the last day, Matth. 25.41. Then shall he say vntounto them on the left hand: Depart from mee ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuil and his angels; there's their doome: And why? for I was an hungred, and ye gaue me no meate, I thirsted, and ye gaue me no drinke, &c. Away therefore, get you out of my sight, there's no place in my kingdome for you: you were vnmercifull to my members, therfore, there's no heauen, no hope for you.
Secondly, take notice here of the vtter misery of cruell men. For, if they are so wretched and accursed of God and men, that onelyonly come short in mercy, what shall become of such that doe exercise acts of cruelty and hostility towards others, th…t put off all bowels of pitty and compassion, that are so farre from remembring the affliction of Ioseph, that they applaud and thinke themsclues happy, if they can put by the thoughts of him, if they can drowne the screeches of the poore afflicted, and forget their sighes: they are so far from pittying and praying for them, that they censure them in their sickenesse, not onelyonly not helpe, but euen hurt them all they can; not feede but starue them; not cloth but pull euen the very flesh from their backes so adding affliction to the afflicted, hauing no bowels left, but as it were dead and buried, their bowels are buried already, though themselues walke about as so many liuing carcasses. This is the cruell man against whom shall bee sent a cruell messenger,Psal. 55. so that he shall not liue out halfe his dayes, as Dauid saith. If the rust and canker of euill-gotten gold and siluer and their moth-eaten garments shall rise vp in iudgement, and be as a witnesse to eate the very flesh of their vnmercifull masters, which hauehave held them prisoners; and would not bring them forth to the releife of such as were in need, where then shall they appeeare that doe set all the world a crying by their oppression and cruelty? against whom the very beames out of the roofe cry out, Hab 2.11.& say, we were cut out of the wood in blood, tbe stones out of the walles, cry, we were laid in blood, the furrows in the field cry, we were plowed vp in blood? what shall become of those whom for their cruelty the backes of the poore do curse, the bellyes curse, the loynes curse, the wife curseth, the children curse, heauen and earth doe curse? how shall these stand before the Iudge?
Secondly, this point discouers the ignorance folly and weakenesse, which most men vsually bewray in this, as much as in any thing beside, whilst they are so afraid, and euen shunne to shew themselues mercifull men. Oh how glad are many, if they can make themselues beleeue, that there is no need to shew mercy, that they hauehave no cause, no calling so to doe; how doe they applaud themselues, if they can make a shift to forget the needy and distressed, or if they can but catch at some exception against the party to be releiued, whereby to perswade themselues that he is not capable of their mercy? how doe men shift and post it off to another, all excuses, all euasions, finde easie entertainement with them, and on how happy doe they thinke themselues, if they may by their shuffling escape; which, if they cannot cleanely doe, but they must needs do somewhat, oh how vnwillingly, how lamely do they goe about it. 'Tis such a while ere such a one finde his purse, and when it is found, ere he can pluck it out, after that ere hee can open it, then ere his money can be changed, and such a deale adoe there is ere they can bee drawn to disourse a smal sum this way, that a man would wonder at it: Wheras when meet in an ale-house, you shall hauehave, I'll pay and I'll pay, and eueryevery one shewes himselfe forward, and they striue who shall pay first, and who most, when they are required to helpe out in a worke of mercy, eueryevery one for most part starts back, withdraws his hand, and puts it off to others, saying, such and such are better able, I am in debt, I hauehave a great charge, many to prouide for, &c: thus most men are afraid to be merciful, as if they were afraid to be too happy, for eueryevery man is so far forth blessed, as he is mercifull. This backwardnesse to shew mercy, discouers a great deale of folly and vnbeliefe in mens hearts, together with great want of louelove to God and men. But what is there in mercy, that men should be so shy of it? Is it disgracefull? Nothing lesse, for it blesseth the memory of a man, when he is dead and gone. But what? is it painefull? No surely; but quite contrary: It is cruelty, that disrests and disquiets a mans heart, and racks his conscience, whereas mercy makes a man cheerefull within himselfe, and comfortable to others: so then mercy is neither disgracefull nor painefull: But is it not then perilous and dangerfull?Vide Cyprian de opere & Eleemosy. No, nor yet so neither, for mercy secures from danger, and frees from trouble. A man may be hated and maligned, for that he prayes, or is otherwise zealous and forward in the cause and worke of God, but who euer hated any one for shewing mercy? Where then is the danger of mercy? Is it any whit preiudiciall to ones estate? Admit it be, yet if it further the soules good, and helpe a man to heauen, we cannot buy heauen at too deere a rate; but to speake sooth mercy hurts no mans estate. Indeed foolish pitty, indiscreet mercy may, but not that which is spirituall and seasonable: for he that hath pitty vponupon the poore (saith Salomon, prou. 19.17. lendeth vntounto the Lord, and that which he hath giuen, will he pay him againe: he neuer did faile to doe it, nor euer will. If a man lend his money to his rich friends it is as safe as if it were in his owne coffer, and custody, besides, that he further engages therby his friend to himselfe. In like sort, hee that giues to the needy, doth not giuegive, but lend; and that to the Lord, God's his surety, God's his surety, and he will not dye in his debt, he will pay him eueryevery penny. Besides, shewing of mercy is a sowing of seed, and there's no losse you know in that, Saint Paul followes the Metaphor, 2 Cor. 9.6. and so forward. Now is any so mad as to thinke the seed that is sown in good & sure ground to be lost and buried, and to condemne the seedes-men of folly for so doing? No, but the more desirous any one is of gayne and incrcrease, the more hee sowes: So should it be here in sowing this of mercy to the poore, and the rather for that this is a certaine soyle, and the seed will certainely take. Hee which soweth bountifully, shall reape bountifully; there is no hurt can come by shewing mercy, if it be done with discretion. It makes a man truely happy, it puts him vnderunder mercy, it is a part and a piece of his happinesse. If you then feare to be too happy, forbeare to shew mercy, but herin, you shal bewray notorious folly. And thus wee hauehave dispatcht our first vse.
In the second place, let vsus all bee instructed to Ʋse 2 looke backe a little, not vponupon others, but vponupon our selues, and say. Am I a mercifull man, or am I not? what good hauehave I done? how many backs hauehave I clothed? how many bellies hauehave I filled? how many poore, sicke, distressed, hauehave I succoured, pittied, prayed for? what mercy h…ue I shewed? Indeed, all men cannot exercise all acts of mercy, because they are poore, and hauehave not wherwithall, and here poore men cōmonly when they heare a discourse of mercy, looke vponupon the rich, as if it only concerned them, and themselues were not touched. But though all men hauehave not mony to relieue others, or counsell to aduise them, yet somwhat they must be doing this way, when there is no need. None is so poore or destitute, but that hee may pray for those that be in misery, watch with them in their sickenes, bleed, mourne, weepe, commend their case to God, to others. Therfore, let none slip collar, but take himselfe to taske and examine, what mercy hauehave I shewed to the miserable? how oft hauehave I prayed for them, mourned with them, straightned my selfe to minister to their necessities? And if you find the reckoning to rise but slowly, poorely, be ashamed thereof, bewayle it, and for the future, neuer bee afraid to shew mercy, as if God in calling vsus thereunto, meant vsus any harme, but catch at all opportunities, and thankfully embrace them, taking occasion to blesse God, for that hee hath furnished vsus with any ability, and opportunity to bee easefull, seruiceable, comfortable to any sad heart, ruinous estate, &c. You can easiely be perswaded, that it is a blessed thing to receiue helpe, comfort, ease, reliefe when you are in distresse. Will you take Christs word once vttered by Saint Paul, I trow, Acts 20. It being a Prouerb much vsed by our Sauiour, namely, It is a more blessed thing to giuegive tben to receiue: in good things, it is better be an agent, then a patient, as on the contrary in euill things. Would you then be thankfull for receiuing good at the hands of others, be more thankfull if God hauehave giuen you ability and conueniency, and (which is the greatest of all) an heart to doe good to others.