Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 10,11
Verse 10.
Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake, for theirs is the kingdome of heauen.
11. Blessed are ye when men reuile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of euill against you for my sake, falsly.
12. Reioyce and be glad, for great is your reward in heauen: for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you.
Here Christ propounds his eight Rule touching happinesse, which he handles more largely then the former; for hauing laid downe the Rule, vers. 10. he expounds the same in a speciall application of it to his Disciples in the 11. and 12. verses. In the Rule it selfe, note two points; first, the parties blessed: secondly, wherein their blessednesse consists. The parties blessed, are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake. Persecution properly signifieth pursuite, such as one enemie maketh after another; but here the word must be taken generally, for all kind of persecution whatsoeuer. Now because it is a paradoxe, and absurd in humane reason, to thinke him blessed, that for any cause is persecuted; therefore Christ to verefie the truth hereof, repeats the same Rule in the nextwerse, where also he expounds eueryevery parcell thereof, wherewith I will content my selfe, because Christ is the best interpreter of his owne words.
In the 11. verse therefore Christ sets downe three things, all pertaining to the true exposition of this Rule: First, he explaines more particularly1 the parties that be blessed, saying to his Disciples, Blessed are yee. In the beginning of the Chapter, wee heard, that hee cast his eies vponupon them, and spake vntounto them; and now here he doth the like again: & therefore this Rule must not be vnderstood of all men in the world that suffer, but of all Christs true Disciples; and generally it is not true, for the heathen and infidels doe often suffer for good causes, and yet remaine infidels, without the true God, and so are not blessed. Againe, a Chrstian professor may giuegive vp his life in a good cause, yet not of louelove to God or his truth, but vponupon ambition; and so not be blessed: for a1. Cor. …3. 3.though I giuegive my bodie to be burned, yet wanting louelove, it▪ profiteth mee nothing. Secondly, Christ expoundeth particularly, what hee meaneth2 by persecution, naming three parts thereof: first, slaundering and reuiling, which is the persecution of the tongue: Thus the Iewes persecuted the Apostles, saying, bAct. 2. 13.they were drunke, or full of sweete wine: Thus Festus persecuted Paul, making him cAct. 26. 24.madde, or beside himselfe. Secondly persecution, meaning hereby (as the word doth properly signifie) first, pursuite, such as one enemie maketh after another, when he seekes to spoile him of his goods, or of his life: secondly, the bringing a man vntounto the Barre, and there of malice to accuse and arraigne him: thirdly, euill speaking with lying▪ when as men of purpose be without cause malitiously carried thereunto, as when the Iewes called Christ a dIoh. …. 48.Samaritan, that had a diuell: and said that eLuk. …. 15.he cast out diuels by Belzebub the prince of diuels; and thus were the Christians in the Primitiue Church persecuted, beeing malitiously accused for killing their owne Tertul. apol. cap. 7. & 16.children, for worshipping the head of an asse, for incest, and such like. To these three kindes of persecutions, S. Luke Chap. 6. 22. addes a fourth; namely, hatred: and a fift, called separation, wherby men were excommunicated, and cast out of the Temple & Synagogues, for Christs sake and his Gospels. These are the seuerall kinds of that persecution, for the enduring whereof, Christ pronounceth men blessed, vers. 10. whereof Hatred is the roote, and the rest are the branches. Thirdly, Christ laies3 downe the cause, for which, this persecution shall be inflicted; namely, for my sake: or as S. Luke saith, for the sonne of mans sake: which expoundeth this phrase, for Righteousnes sake. v. 10. to wit, for professing, beleeuing, and maintaining the doctrine of the Gospel taught by Christ, touching remission of sinnes, and life euerlasting, to them that beleeue.
The vses in generall: We see that Christ vrgeth this Rule of blessednes▪ more largely then the former: this he doth for speciall cause; first, hereby he would teach his Disciples, and vsus in them, that it is the willGods church must be afdicted. of God, his Church in this world should be vnderunder the crosse, in such affliction and persecution, as their blood shall be sought, for the maintenance of the faith. And this hee will hauehave to bee the state of his Church, for speciall causes: First, that the members thereof, by their afflictions, may be acquainted with their owne wants and infirmities, which they would not much regard, if they were freed from the crosse. Secondly, that by affliction they may be kept from many grieuous sinnes, into which they would fall, if they liued in peace. Thirdly, that others seeing the correction of the Church for sinne, might learne thereby to hate and auoide sinne: and lastly, that the Church might glorifie God, in a constant and couragious maintenance of his truth vntounto death; for euen in persecution is Gods truth preserued, against the reason of mans wisdome, patient suffering for▪ the truth, beeing faithfull witnes-bearing thereunto.
Secondly, Christ had newely called the Twelue out of all his Disciples, to be Apostles; whereupon they might thinke, that they should beLuk. …. 1…. aduanced to some outward honour, ease, and peace: but Christ hereby calles them from that conceit, & puts them in mind of affliction, which should befall▪ them in time to come; that when it came, they might the better indure it. And thus he prepares all churches to suffer affliction; yea, and we our selues, must hereby learne in time of peace, to prepare our selues against the day of triall, because his will is, that whosoeuer▪ would liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer affliction.
Thirdly, hereby Christ intends, to lay a ground of comfort to his disciples in their persecution, by a plaine and ful declaration of their happines that suffer for righteousnes sake, in that they hauehave sure title to the kingdome of heauen; out of which estate no sound comfort can be had. And this same must we lay vp in store, against the time to come: for we liue now in peace by Gods merciemercy, but we know not how long it will continue; we hauehave beene threatened, and dangerously assaulted by our enemies many a time, beside the rodde of God shaken with his owne hand against vsus; and wee may not thinke our peace will last alwaies, but seeing our sinnes increase, we may be sure our ioy and peace will one day bee turned into sorrow: and therefore it will be good to hauehave this Rule engrauen in our hearts, that they are blessed which suffer for righteousnesse sake. If therefore tribulation come for the defence of the Gospel, we must hauehave recourse to this promise of blessednesse, and that will be our comfort.
More particularly: In the words of this Rule, Blessed are they, &c. The world hates Gods Church: and …hy …Christ would let vsus see that deadly hatred which the world beares vntounto Gods Church; for so much the word (persecute) importeth: The reasons of this hatred may be these; First, the Church of God in the ministerie1 of the Gospel, seekes the ruine of the diuels kingdome, who is the Prince of the world; the diuell therefore rageth, and inflames the hearts of his instruments, with malice against Gods Church, that they may persecute and quite destroy it, if it were possible. Secondly, Gods2 Church is a peculiar people seuered from the world in profession, doctrine, and conuersation, and therefore the world hates them, Ioh. 15. 19. And this very point may serue to stay our hearts, when we shall bee persecuted for the profession and embracing of the Gospel of Christ; for the world doth hate Gods Church, and will doe to the end: there must be enmitie betweene the seed of the serpent, and the seede of theGen. 3. woman: as then he that was borne of the flesh, persecuted him that was borne after the spirit, so is it now. Gal. 4. 29.
Secondly obserue, that this hatred of the world, is not onelyonly against the members of Gods Church, but euen against Christs holy religion; so Christ saith, for my sake: or, for my Religions sake. This is to be marked, as a most excellent argument to perswade our consciences, that the Gospel of Christ which we professe, is the true and blessed doctrine of God, because the wicked world doth alwaies hate it; yea, it hateth vsus also for the Gospels sake: now if it were a doctrine of men, it would fit their natures well, and they would louelove it, for the world doth louelove his owne. Ioh. 15. 19.
Thirdly, if they be blessed that suffer persecution; then how may any man lawfully flie in persecution? Answer. A man may flie in persecution with good conscience, these two things obserued: first, that he be2. Caueats about flight in persecution. not hindred by his particular calling: secondly, that he hath libertie offered by Gods prouidence to escape the hands of his enemies. The intent of this verse, is not to forbid flight, but to comfort such as are in persecution, and cannot escape; for the word signifieth such persecution, as is by pursuite and oppression, which cannot be auoided.
Lastly, seeing they are blessed that suffer for righteousnes sake, Whether are they alwaies cursed that suffer deseruedly for an euill cause, for the contrarie reason is in contraries? Ans. They are alwaies accursed, saue in one case; to wit, vnlesse they repent for their vnrighteousnes, for which they are afflicted; but by true repentance they become blessed. The thiefe vponupon the crosse had liued in theft, and was therfore attached, condemned, and crucified, and so he suffered for vnrighteousnesse; but yet hee was saued, because hee repented, and beleeued in Christ.
It is added, for righteousnesse sake: In this clause we are taught a speciall lesson; namely, that when God shall lay vponupon vsus any affliction or persecution; as imprisonment, banishment, losse of goods, or of life it selfe; we must alwaies looke that the cause be good, and then suffer willingly. This is a necessarie Rule, for we must suffer affliction either publikely or priuately, if we will liue godly in Christ Iesus. Now it is not the punishment, but the cause that makes a Martyr: and to this purpose Peter f1. Pet. 4. 15.saith, Let none of you suffer as a Murtherer, a Thiefe, or a busie-body; but if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but glorifie God in this behalfe: and therefore we must be sure the cause be good; yea this we must looke vntounto in our particular priuate crosses.
Verse 11. Blessed are ye when men reuile you, and persecute you, &c. In handling the former verse, we shewed the meaning of these words, & how they serue to expoūd the former Rule. The point here to be obserued is this, That to reuile and slaunder, yea (as Luke saith) to hate a man for a good cause, especially for religion, is persecution: which shewes how fearefull the common sinne of the age is, whereby men reuile their brethren, with base and odious tearmes, because they shewe some care to please God, and to adorne their profession by a godly life. But thou art a persecutor whosoeuer thou art that vsest this, and therefore repent and leaue it, for it is a preparation to a greater sinne in this kinde, and most odious in Gods sight, as the punishment hereof declares, Gen. 21. 9, 10. with Gal. 4. 29, 30.
S. Luke addes a second word, And when they separate you, wherebyLuk. 6. …2. is meant excōmunicatiō out of the Temple and Synagogue; a punishment which Christ foretold should befall his disciples. This censure was put in execution in their Synagogues; for besides the administration of ciuill Iustice, Ecclesiasticall matters were there handled. Now marke what Christ saith, Though excommunication bee mine owne ordinance; yet blessed are you when men excommunicate you out of the Temple and Synagogues, for my names sake: where hee maketh excommunication a kinde of persecution, when it is denounced against men for righteousnesse sake.
Here then we may learne, what to thinke of the Popes Bulls, whereby1 he excommunicates Kings and Queenes, and particular Churches, for denying subiection to his chaire: namely, that they are the diuels instruments, where with Gods children are persecuted; and that all such as are thus excommunicated, for defending the truth of the Gospel, are blessed: for excommunication is not the instrument of a curse to them that suffer it for good cause. Secondly, hence we learne, that excommunication2 abused against Gods word, is no powerfull censure, though in it selfe, beeing vsed according to Gods ordinance, it be a most terrible thunderbolt, excluding a man in part, from the Church, and from the kingdome of heauen: and therfore all Churches must see, that this censure be not abused, for the abusers of it incurre the danger of the curse, and not they against whom it is vniustly pronounced.