Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 7
Vers. 7.
Blessed are the mercifull: for they shall obtaine merciemercy.
This verse containeth the fift Rule or precept of our Sauiour Christ5. Rule. touching true happines, in which obserue two points: first, who be blessed: secondly, wherein this blessednes consisteth▪ For the first: the parties blessed be the mercifull. And that we may the better know them, I will speake something of this vertue: first, shewing what merciemercy is: then, what be the cheife duties thereof.
First, MercieMercy is an holy compassion of heart, whereby a man is mooued MercieMercy described.to helpe an other in his miserie. First, I call it a compassion of heart, because it makes one man to put on the person of an other, and to be grieued for the miseries of an other, as if they were his owne: and therfore it is called aCol. 3. 12.the bowells of compassion, because when a mans heart is touched therewith▪ his very liuer and entralls doe stirre in his bodie, and are rouled within him, as the bHos. 11. 8.Prophet speaketh: and he is affected, as though the bowells of him that is in miserie were in his bodie. Secondly, I call it an (Holy) compassion, to distinguish it from foolish pitie, whereby a man doth vnlawfully tender him that is in deserued miserie: such was c1. King. 20. 41.Ahabs merciemercy to Benhadad, and d1. Sam. 15. 9.Sauls in sparing Agag, whereas the expresse commandement of God was to the contrarie: but such merciemercy and compassion as God approoueth, is a fruit of his spirit, and a vertue commended and commanded in the word of God. Thirdly, this vertue of merciemercy stirreth and mooueth the heart to helpe an other that is in miserie: for helpe in miserie is a notable fruit of true compassion, neither can thes be seuered: for in the compassion of the heart, and in the acte of reliefe, stands true merciemercy: and therefore e1. Ioh. 3. 17Iohn saith, He that seeth his brother in neede, and shutteth vp his compassion from him, how dwelleth the louelove of God in him? whereby also we may see, that no worke of merciemercy is shewed to any man in miserie, but that which commeth from compassion: and thus we see what mercy is.
Secondly, the duties of merciemercy are answerable to mans miserie: NowThe duties of merciemercy. mans miserie is either in his soule, or in his bodie. The greatest miseries of man are in his soule; as ignorance, impenitencie, and trouble of conscience: mans bodily miseries are sicknes, thirst, nakednesse, &c. and to these the works of merciemercy are answerable. Some therefore concerne the soule, and some the bodie. MercieMercy towards the soule is, when a man is carefull for the saluation of an other, vsing meanes to bring a man from spirituall darknes, vntounto light, from the power of Satan, vntounto God, from the state of sinne and the daunger of hell fire, to the state of grace in true faith and repentance, and so to life eternall. And looke how farre the soule is more excellent then the bodie, so farre doth this, worke exceede any worke of mercy that concernes the bodie: MercieMercy towards the body is called Almes or Releefe, whereby a mans outward necessitie, for foode, raiment, or such like, is supplied: that this is a worke of merciemercy, is manifest, Isay, 58. 10. where the Releeuing of the hungrie, is the powring out of the soule vntounto-him: and Saint Iohn maketh1. Ioh. 3. 17. the not releeuing of our brother in neede, to bee the shutting of the doore of compassion from him.
Now by this which hath beene said concerning merciemercy, and the workes thereof, wee may see who is a mercifull man; namely, such a one … Mercifull man.as hath his heart touched with compassion towards the miserie of another, and thereby is mooued to helpe and releeue him in soule and bodie, according to his estate: and such a man is blessed by the testimonie of Christ himselfe, howsoeuer in the world he may be despised.
First, here we hauehave to consider, what a number of miserable and cursedThe vse. The miserie of the vnmercifull, & their number. persons doe liue, euen in the bosome of Gods Church; for if this Rule of Christ be true, then vnmercifull men are accursed. Now such are common among vsus: The Richer sort which abound in outward blessings, thinke themselues happie; but if they be vnmercifull, they are wretched: and such are all those, that for the maintenance of their outward po…pe and brauerie, spoile the poore that liue vnderunder them, by inclosing of commons, racking of rents, vnreasonable fines, &c. or for the satisfying of their vaine pleasure and delight, bestowe more vponupon hawkes and hounds, then on the poore: Such a wretched person also is the Corne-monger, who hath his barnes full, and his garners full, and yet suffereth the poore to want bread, waiting still for a deerer time: Such also are our common vsurers ingrossers, and fore-stallers of needefull… commodities whatsoeuer: all these seeke themselues, and hauehave no merciemercy on them that are in miserie: yea, such likewise are those householders, who spend their time and wealth in some disordered course, as whoring, gaming, drinking, or such like, and so neglect their family; these f1. Tim. 5. ….denie the faith, and are worse then Iewes and Turkes, nay then many bruit beasts, for they are mercifull, towards their owne. It were an easie thing thus to shewe through all estates, the great multitude of miserable persons; for now the common prouerb is become the common practise, EueryEvery man for himselfe, and God for vsus all.
Secondly, seeing the mercifull man is blessed, wee must learne to putMotiues to merciemercy. on tender merciemercy, or the bowels of compassion towards those that bee in miserie. And to mooue vsus hereunto, let vsus marke these things: First,1 the state of the mercifull is here pronounced blessed of Christ. Secondly,2 merciemercy is a gift of the spirit▪ and the grace of gColo…. 12.Gods elect, which alwaies accompanieth the happie estate of those that be in Christ: for the power of grace doth change their carnall nature, Isay, 11. 6. 7. Thirdly, hereby we become like vntounto God our heauenly Father, who is3 the h…. Cor. …. 3.father of merci…. Fourthly, hereby we are made instruments of Gods merciemercy to them that be in miserie; for God conuaies his blessings4 vntounto his poore creatures ordinarily by meanes: We count it an high honour to be the Kings Almner; oh then, how great is this dignitie, to be Almner to the God of heauen, to disperse his goodnesse and mercies among the children of men? and hereto wee are aduanced, if wee helpe the poore that bee in miserie. Fiftly, the exercise of merciemercy commendeth5 our Religion, not onelyonly before men, but vntounto God: for pure iIam. 1. 27.Religion and vndefiled before God is this, to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their distresse: and, kHos. 6. 6.God will hauehave merciemercy, and not sacrifice: therefore the Apostle bids, lHeb. 13. 16.to doe good and to distribute forget not, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. This is the fast mIsa. 58. 5. 6which God requires, to loose the bands of wickednesse, to take off the heauie burden, and to let the oppressed goe free, to take off eueryevery yoke: and on the other side, to breake thy bread vntounto the hungrie, to bring the poore that wanders into thine house, and to couer the naked, &c.
And because this dutie is so necessarie and excellent, I will propoūdRules for the exercise of merciemercy. 1. Rule. certaine Rules to be obserued for our furtherance herein. First, wee must exercise three of our senses; seeing, hearing, and feeling, in other mens miseries: for seeing, nDeut. 15. 9we must bee very warie it grieue vsus not to looke vponupon our poore brother, but wee must see and behold his miserie and distresse, whether it bee in soule or bodie. This is the Lords practise. Israel is oppressed in Egypt, and the Lord saith, oExod. 3. 7. 9.I hauehave surely seene the trouble of my people, and the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them. And we must be followers of God, as deare children, and learne to visit them that be in miserie, either through sickenesse, imprisonment, pouertie, or such like; for sight will stirre vp in a man a sense and compassion of others miseries. Hence it is said, that pMath. 4. 14when Iesus saw a great multitude, hee was mooued with compassion towards them. And who can see a poore distressed person to lie in strawe, or on the ground without needfull releefe, as many a one would not suffer his dogge to lie, and not be mooued with compassion? Secondly, if wee cannot come to see a mans miserie, then we must bee content to heare of it, and giuegive heed and credit to the true reports that others make thereof vntounto vsus. Thus did Nehemiah, hearing of the affliction of the residue of the captiuitie, qNehem. 1. 3. 4. and …. 2. 5.he wept and mourned, fasted and praied, and sought for releefe for them at the Kings hands. Thirdly, for feeling, if the Lord shall afflict our bodies with sicknes, or our soules with temptations, we must be willing to suffer the same patiently, that thereby we may be fitted to take more compassion vponupon others in like case, and to comfort them the better. Paul saith of himselfe and Timothie, that in r2. Cor. 1. 8.Asia they were pressed with affliction aboue measure passing strength, so as they altogether doubted of life, and yet (he saith) the Lord dealt mercifully with them; that they might be able to comfort others which vers. 4.were in any affliction, with the same comfort wherewith God had comforted them.
Secondly, we must make our particular callings wherein we liue, the2. Rule. instruments of merciemercy, and in doing the duties thereof shew forth compassion towards others. This Rule is of great vse, and therefore it will…. not be amisse to shew the practise of it in particular. The Magistrate must rule and gouerne in merciemercy: and the Minister must preach in merciemercy: eueryevery sermon must be a worke of compassion towards the people, not onelyonly for the matter which it containeth, but for the manner of his deliuerie, and in the scope and drift which he aimeth at: he which preacheth otherwaies doth barre himselfe of all merciemercy, euen then, when he intreates of merciemercy vntounto others. There is a carnall and humane kinde of preaching, which now adaies takes place, wherein nothing is so much regarded as the vaunting of wit, memorie, and learning, by fine contriued sentences, multiplicitie of quotations, varietie of allegations of Fathers, Schoole-men, and other learning: but herein is no merciemercy nor compassion to the poore soule. It is said indeede, that none condemne this kinde of preaching, but they that can not attaine vntounto it. But the truth is, God will hauehave his word deliuered, s1. Cor. 24.not in the enticing speech of mans wisdome, but in the plaine euidence of the spirit, and of power: and therefore a man can not with good conscience applie himselfe to such kind of preaching, els no doubt a man of meane gifts might finde it more easie to attaine vntounto, then to the true preaching of Christ crucified. Thirdly, eueryevery priuate man must make the duties of his calling, works of merciemercy: the rich man must know himselfe to be, not a lord, but a steward of Gods blessings, and therefore must imploy and dispence the same in merciemercy, by giuing and lending vntounto the poore freely, as God shall minister vntounto him iust occasion. The trades man must buie and sell in merciemercy, dealing iustly with the rich, and shewing liberalitie to the poore. The master must thus in merciemercy vse the labour of his seruant; and the seruant thus in merciemercy doe seruice to his master, for conscience towards God. And happie were it with all estates, if this rule of merciemercy were obserued; the want whereof, is the bane of all societies.
Thirdly, for the more chearefull practise of merciemercy, we must lay aside some part of our goods, for the releefe of them that be in miserie.3. Rule. The Iewes were commanded to set apart the first fruits of their corne and cattell, for the Lords altar: but in the new Testament the altar is ceased, and the poore come in stead thereof; and therefore we must now bequeath some thing for their releefe. Many are giuen to great excesse in fare, and in artire; but they may doe well to abate some part thereof, and bestow it on the poore, for hereby will the rest be sanctified to their more free and comfortable vse: nay, in case of necessitie, we ought to sequester some part of our owne necessaries, for the refreshing of the poore; so did the Church of t2. Cor. 8. 2.Macedonia, euen beyond their power, giuegive to the releefe of the afflicted brethren. Men are exceeding cold in charitie, and one maine cause thereof, is want of obseruing this Rule, in setting apart some thing, according as God shall blesse vsus in our callings, for the releefe of the poore.
The second point to be considered in this rule is, wherein this blessednes doth consist; namely, in the obtaining of merciemercy: he that shewes merciemercy, shall finde merciemercy, both with God and man. Where first, weThe vse. 1. Against mās merits. may see the errour of the Church of Rome in their doctrine of merits: for they make a speciall part of humane satisfaction, to consist in Almes deedes and releeuing of the poore, teaching that a man may hereby merit eternall life: but they or to grossely; for then Christ would not hauehave said, blessed are the mercifull, for they shall finde merciemercy: but rather thus; they shall finde iustice: for that which comes of merit, is due by right. Secondly, hereby we may see what to thinke of our Church,2 and Nation; in respect of true Title to Gods merciemercy, for onelyonly the mercifull shall finde merciemercy. Now it were easie to goe through all orders and conditions of men among vsus, and therein to shew abundance of vnmercifulnes and crueltie; so as we may be iustly called a cruell people, and therefore can not looke for merciemercy at Gods hands: for to uIam. 2. 13.the mercilesse shall be iudgement without merciemercy. This is euident by the Lords dealing with his owne people: for all their sacrifices and duties of religion were xIsa. 1. 11. 12. 15.abomination vntounto the Lord, because their hands were full of blood; and because they had no merciemercy, therefore they were led into captiuitie, as we may see at large, Ier. 5. 28. Euck. 9. 9, 10. and Zach. 9. 12. Now we beeing in the same case with them for vnmercifulnes and crueltie, hauehave no doubt deserued long since the same punishment; euen that the Enemie should depriue vsus both of Gospel and peace, and of all our prosperitie and wealth: what then shall we doe? surely we must humble our selues by praier and fasting vntounto the Lord, if not publikely, yet priuately; eueryevery man and eueryevery familie apart, euen for this one sinne of vnmercifulnesse: and withall in this humiliation, begin to practise merciemercy, by bestowing that vponupon the poore, which we spare frō our bodies in the daie of our fast.