Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 45
Verse 45.
That ye may be the children of your father which is in heauen: for he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill, and the good: & sendeth raine vponupon the iust and vniust.
Because it is against mans nature to louelove his enemie, therefore our Sauiour Christ inforceth his Disciples hereunto, by the benefit they shall reape hereby, in manifesting themselues to be the children of God: for he spake to those that were Gods children, thus perswading them to louelove their enemies: That which will make you knowne to be Gods children, that you must doe; but by louing your enemies you shall make it manifest that you are Gods children: this he prooueth in the words following, because it is a propertie of God so to doe; for he maketh the sunne to arise on the euill, and on the good, &c.
Here first obserue a true note of the childe of God; namely, to imitateVse 1. A true note of god, ch…d God his heauenly father, in louing his enemies, and expressing the faine by all kinde vsage, both in word and deede, praying for them, and releeuing them in their necessities. And because it is so blessed a thing to be the childe of God, we must therefore hereby stirre vp our selues to the conscionable performance of this dutie.
Secondly, from the ground of this reason we are taught, that wee2 ought principally to imploy our selues to those things, by the doingThe exercise of a Christi…. whereof, we may get assurance that we are the children of God; as also to shunne the doing of all such things, at declare vsus to be the children of Satan: that is, all sinnes which are indeed workes of darkenesse, and of the deuill. In the euill day, whether it be of death, or of affliction, when no man can comfort vsus, this will be an onelyonly ioy vntounto our hearts, which will swallow vp all feare, that wee know our selues to bee Gods children; for then the Lord will acknowledge vsus for his owne: but if by sinne we be like the deuill, God will refuse vsus, and so wee fall wholly to the deuill. Let vsus therefore practise those things, whereby this ground of comfort may be treasured in our hearts.
Thirdly, note here the style and title of honour, which Christ giueth3 vntounto God; he calles him not onelyonly their father, but their father which is Whereto Gods glorious titles serue.in heauen: this hee doth, to stirre vp reuerence in his hearers towards God, and so hauehave Gods children done, Dan. 9. 4. before that holy prophet powres out his praier vntounto God for his people, hee sets out the Lord with most glorious titles, O Lord God, great and terrible, which keepest couenant and merciemercy, &c. And Ieremie praying vntounto God, spends three or foure verses, in setting out Gods great power and Maiestie, Chap. 32. 17, 18, 19. So Hezekias in his praier for the people, calles the Lord, the good God; which no doubt he did, to stirre vp reuerence in his owne heart, and in the people, towards God. Whereby we are taught, when we hauehave occasion to mention the name of God, to doe it with all reuerence, and to vse some titles of honour therewithall, to stirre vp our selues and our hearers, to a gratious awe of heart towards Gods maiestie. But lamentable is the practise of the world in this behalfe, for eueryevery where the name of God is tossed in mens mouthes like a tennisball; some in the middest of their laughter vse O God, O Lord, for breathing words: but others spare not to make Gods glorious name, the ensigne of their rage and furie, in bloodie and blasphemous oathes: but void of grace are all such.
For he maketh the sunne to rise on the euill; and on the good, and sendeth raine on the iust, and on the vniust. Here Christ propounds the propertie of God in doing good, and shewing kindnes to his enemies, to prooue that by so doing, we shall shew our selues to be his children. Wherein first obserue, the manner of Christs speech; he saith not, Hee hath caused the sunne to rise, and hath sent raine, &c. but speaking of the time present, he doth now cause the sunne to rise, and sendeth raine; so likewise Iohn 5. 17. My father yet worketh, and I worke together with Gods preseruing prouidence.him. In which phrase is expressed a notable worke of Gods heauenly prouidence; namely; that after the creation of all things, whereby God gaue beeing vntounto the creatures, and power and vertue to doe the things, for which they were created, he doth by his prouidence still preserue that beeing, and so in eueryevery particular creature. It is God that gaue beeing to the sunne at the beginning, and it is hee that euer since continueth the beeing of the sunne, with the light and vertue thereof; & the same is true of all creatures, and of ourselues: aAct. 17. 28.for in him we liue, moone, and hauehave our beeing: hee is not like a Carpenter who buildes a house, and then leaues it, but still he preserues the things hee hath created. Herein we may well be compared to a spring or fountaine, which causeth the riuers to flowe while it sendeth out waters, but when it is stopped, they are dried vp: euen so, while God continueth the beeing and vse of creatures, so long they are; but if hee with-hold his hand from them, they cease to bee, and the vse of them continueth no more. Thus it is with vsus, both in regard of our soules and bodies, with the faculties, powers, and graces thereof; for b1. Cor. 4. ….what hast thou that thou hast not receiued from him? who cHeb. 1 3.beareth vp all things by his mightie word.
Now hence we must learne these duties; First, to seeke to know himDuties from Gods preseruing prouidence. that is daily about vsus, and preserueth vsus in soule and in bodie, from houre to houre. Secondly, to cleaue vntounto God with our hearts, and to set our affections of louelove; feare, ioy, and hope, wholly vponupon him, because he is the author and continuer of our beeing, what euer it be. Thirdly, to obey our God in all things; for shall he giuegive beeing to our bodies & soules, and shall we dispose of them after our pleasures, to offend him, who doth wholly support vsus, and that continually?
Secondly, here note Christ saith, his sunne, not the sunne, teaching vsus,The sunne is the Lord…. that the sunne which shineth in the firmament, is Gods sunne, not mens; God himselfe is the sole author and gouernour thereof, hee continueth that beeing which it hath, and the power and vertue which it sheweth forth. And the same thing by proportion, must be vnderstood of all other creatures both in heauen an earth, the moone and starres, all beasts and cattell, yea and we our selues are Gods creatures, and hee is our creator, our Lord, and gouernour: Psal. 50. 12. The whole world is mine, and all that is therein. Now hence we must learne two things; First, not to abuse any creature to our lust, as food, raiment, &c. but to vse whatsoeuer we enioy to Gods glorie, according to his wil. Secondly, to endeauour to bee lead by the creatures which we enioy, to the knowledge of our creator, for they are his: but alasse, the practise of the world is otherwise, men suffer themselues by the creatures to be drawn from God: for some make their bellie their God; to others, riches and pleasures are their God.
Thirdly, Christs saying of the Father, that he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill and on the good, doth shew vsus that common bountie which God vouchsafeth to his creatures, both good and bad; for the rising and shining of the sunne, is an excellent worke of God, by whichThe benefits of the sunne many other blessings are conuaied to the creatures: For first, eueryevery1 thing vponupon the earth receiueth heate and warmnesse from it, nothing is hid from the heat thereof Psal. 19. 6. In which regard it may well be called,2 the vniuersall fire of the whole world. Secondly, the sunne serueth notably for the distinction of times, by daie and night, weekes, moneths, quarters, and whole yeares, whereby wee know the tearme of times from the beginning, and so may doe till the ende of the world; in regard whereof, it may well bee called, the clocke of the whole world. Which things considered, may make vsus to blush and bee confounded in our selues, for that light regard we hauehave had of so excellent a creature, whereby God conuaies so manifold blessings vponupon the earth; let vsus therefore learne to blesse God for the sunne, and to expresse our thankfulnesse by all good duties.
And sendeth raine on the iust and vniust. Here is noted the secondRain a common blessing of God. common blessing bestowed of God vponupon the world; to wit, the falling of the raine vponupon the ground, both of good and bad. Now here first obserue the forme of speech vsed by Christ, saying, God raineth; see Deut. 11. 14. The Lord giueth raine in due season, the first and latter raine. This worke is attributed to God, for waightie causes; First, to shew thatWhy God is said to raine. the same God, who ordained in the beginning, that the clouds should1 water the earth, doth by his owne power vpholde the continuance of the same blessing vntounto this daie: and indeede, if he should not will the continuance hereof, it would for euer cease to raine vponupon the earth. Secondly,2 to teach vsus that God disposeth of the raine that falleth, restraining and enlarging it at his pleasure, either for the blessing, or the punishment of the place whereon it falleth, and that many times without the helpe of the second causes. Leuit. 26. 3, 4. If yee walke in mine ordinances, I will send you raine in due season: and verse 19. But if you will not obey me, I will make your heauen as yron, and your earth as brasse. Amos 4. 7. I hauehave with-held the raine from you, and caused it to raine vponupon one citie, and not vponupon another; one peete was rained vponupon, and that which was not rained vponupon, withered.
Here then we learne first, that wee ought to pray vntounto God for hisVse … raine of blessing; that is, for fruitfull seasons; and also to be thankfull vntounto God for seasonable weather when we receiue it, because hee sendeth it.
2. This must teach vsus to obey & serue God, for he hath the clouds2 in his hands like a spunge, & when he wil he presseth out the raine therof: now, if we obey him, he wil cause it to fall vponupon the earth for a blessing; but if we rebell against him, he will either hold it backe, or powre it downe vponupon vsus for a curse.
3. Seeing God sendeth down the raine, we may gather that no man3 can certainly tel, by the course of the heauēs, the particular season of theAstrological prediction of raine vncertaine▪ weather day by day. If the raine depended wholly vponupon the celestiall bodies, then should it fall alike in all places, that be of like position to the heauens; but that is not so, for God ordereth it according to the state of the people, vponupon whom it falleth, either for a blessing, or a curse, as we hauehave heard.
4. Hence we may gather, that neither witches by the help of Satan,4 nor yet Satan himselfe can cause raine, as many thinke; for it is God alwaiesWitches cā not cause …ame. that raineth. The deuill indeede is the prince of the ayre, and by Gods permission he may ioyne himselfe vntounto a storme, & make it more terrible and hurtful; as he did in the destruction of aIob. 1. 1…. 19.Iobs cattell & children, by fire from heauen, & by a mightie winde: but yet he cannot make the matter of winde, or of raine, that is proper to God.
5. Doth God raine vponupon the earth? then we may well consider,5 Vnseasonable raine gods punishment.why the land is so often plagued with vnseasonable raine: it is no doubt for our disobedience, as we hauehave heard, Leu. 26. 19. & the contempt of the word, among other sins, is one maine cause of this iudgement. Now if we would either remoue, or preuent this plague at any time, we must turne vntounto the Lord, and repent of our sins, for thereto we are called by this iudgement, Amos 4. 7. And if we doe turne, then wil the Lord send a gratious raine vponupon our land; but if we wil not turne, we shal hauehave another raine, the raine of Sodome and Gomortha; for bPsal. 1…. 6. …vponupon the wicked God will raine snares, fire, and brimstone. And this is certaine, where God sends his iudgements for the contempt of his word, and yet men doe not repent, there cLeu 26. 21. 24. &c.one iudgement is but the fore-runner of a greater, till they bee consumed. And sith experience teacheth, that after invndations of waters, vsually comes plague and pestilence; for the preuenting of these Iudgements, let vsus repent.
The last point to bee here obserued is this; in what tearmes our SauiourGod friends and enemies Christ expresseth, who bee the friends of God, and who bee his enemies. His friends, he calleth good and iust; his enemies, euill and vniust. Now that we may discerne of our estate towards God in this behalfe, we must see what a good and iust man is.
In eueryevery such a one two things are required: First, true faith,A … and … man. whereby a man laies holde on Christ for his righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption; and for the obtaining hereof, he must denie himselfe, and become nothing in himselfe, that hee may bee all in Christ. Secondly, true conuersion of the whole man vntounto God, from all sinne, so as his heart must be renued and disposed to please God in all things. And because these things are inward and secret, therfore to make them knowne, there is further required, that a man carrie in his heart a resolute and constant purpose, from time to time, neuer to sinne against God: and this purpose of heart he must testifie by a godly and cons…onable endeauour of life, to please God in all things; for this is the fruite of true faith, and of sound inward conuersion: and in regard hereof, were Enoch, Iob, Dauid▪ Zacharie, and Elizabeth called iust. But he that wants this constant purpose, and a daily endeauour, from a beleeuing & penitent heart to please God in all things, is a wicked person, and as yet Gods enemie.
By this, first, wee see how many are deceiued eueryevery where, with ciuillVse. …. … … … many. honestie; for if a man liue vprightly among his neighbours, and doe abstaine from murther, adulterie, oppression, and such like sinnes, hee is presently counted a good man: such a one indeede may be counted an honest man ciuilly as Ah…melec… was, but yet this outward honestie… Gen. 20. 6. makes not a man iust and good in the sight of God so as he repute… him for his friend; thereto are required true faith and true repentance, testified by new obedience.
Secondly, here also see, that neither the knowledge of Gods word,A man …y … … … … …gton & no… be the true friend of God. nor the hearing of it with some gladnesse, and bringing forth some fruits, no… yet to bee able to conceiue a praier for the forme thereof; that none of these (I say) no no… all of these, doe make a man the friend of God indeede, for all these may bee in an euill man, who hath a purpose in his heart, to liue in some sinne▪ in whose heart as yet there is no true faith, no… sound repentance: without which (as wee heard) no man is iust in the sight of God, nor accounted for his friend. And therefore we must not content our selues with these things, but labour to be good and iust indeede. When affliction shall be…ll vsus, or death approach, we would giuegive all the world, if it were in our hands, for good assurance that God were our friend: now then let vsus labour for true saith and repentance, and testifie these by a constant purpose, & a godly endeauour to please God in all things, through the whole course of our liues; and then will the Lord esteeme vsus for his friends.