Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 8
Verse 8.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
These words containe the sixt Rule of Christ, touching true happinesse;6. Rule. wherein, as in the former, obserue two points: the persons blessed, and wherein their blessednesse consists. The persons blessed, are thus qualified; they are pure in heart. This is diuersly expounded: By pure in heart, some vnderstand those that are chasse; others, those that are simple hearted, voide of guile and deceit. But the words will beareWho be pure in hart. a more generall sense, & betoken such as are holy in heart, hauing their hearts purged from the defilement of their sinnes, and be in part renued and sanctified by the holy Ghost: and that they are so to bee taken, may appeare, Psal. 24. 4. whence these words are borrowed; where also the Prophet expoundeth the pure in heart to be such, as hauehave not lift vp their minde to vaine things: to which purpose, the Author to the HebrewesChap. 12. 14. saith, Follow peace with all men, and holinesse, without which no man can see God. Againe, the intent of our Sauiour Christ in this place, was no doubt to crosse the Pharisaicall conceipt of those times, whereby men did content themselues with outward holinesse, as sufficient to true happinesse; and therefore he saith, Blessed are the pure, not outwardly, but inwardly in heart. Further, by heart we are to vnderstand the soule, with the parts and faculties thereof; that is, the mind, the conscience, the will, and affections. And that wee may yet conceiue more clearely of this point, we are to search out two things; first, in what maner, then in what measure the heart is made pure: For the first, the purifyingThe manner of purifying the heart. of the heart is by a two-fold Action of the holy Ghost; first, by creating in the minde a sauing faith, which vnites a man vntounto Christ, & as an hand applieth Christs puritie, that is his obedience, to the heart: so Peter speaketh of the Gentiles, in the Councell at Ierusalem, that yAct 15 ….by faith the Lord purified their hearts. Secondly, when a man is in Christ, the holy Ghost purgeth and sanctifieth the heart inwardly, by mortifying all the corruptions in the minde, will, and affections, and by putting into it inward holinesse, whereby the image of Christ is renued therein. And this our Sauiour Christ expresseth, Iohn 15. 2. when hee saith, that the father purgeth every one that bringeth forth fruit in him. Now vntounto these the holy Ghost addeth an excellent grace of Christian Resolution, whereby a man hath a constant purpose not to sinne against God any way, either in thought, word, or deede; but in all things to please God continually; so as if at any time he-sinne, it is against his holyThe measure of purification. resolution. Now for the measure of this purification, it is onelyonly in part in this life; for the grace of sanctification is not perfect till death, as the Apostle saith, zRom 8. 23.we receiue but the first fruits of the spirit: that is, not the Tenths, but as an handfull of corne to a whole field: the soule is freed from the punishment and guilt of sinne, and in some sort purged from corruption, but not wholly. This wee must obserue the more diligently,Concil. Trid. sess. 5. sect. 5…. because the Papists teach otherwise; to wit, that after Baptisme and regeneration, sinne is so taken away, that there is in man nothing that God can hate: but experience in eueryevery childe of God, shewes this to be false. The chiefe ground of their opinion is this, that if sinne properly called, should remaine in the regenerate, then God should repute a man to be iust, which is a sinner. But we answer, that God neuer reputeth an impenitent sinner iust, but onelyonly the repentant, and regenerate, which are by faith in Christ, and so in effect are no sinners, because though corruption remaine in them in part, yet it is not imputed to their persons. Besides, in the acte of their conuersion, corruption hath receiued that deadly wound, whereof it shall neuer recouer, but daiely die, till it be quite abolished, and therefore doth it not raigne in them. And thus we see in what manner and measure the heart is purified, whereby the pure in heart may be thus described: They are such, as Pure in hart described.beleeue the pardon of their sinnes in Christ, and be in part renewed in their soules by the holy Ghost, hauing their naturall corruptions mortified and abolished in some measure, and the graces of Gods image repaired in thē, and a godly resolution wrought in their hearts, not to sinne against God in any thing.
Considering that the pure in heart bee blessed, wee must search ourVses. 1. selues, and see whether our hearts bee qualified with this grace: As in former times, so at this day inward puritie is much neglected. The ancient Iewes stood vponupon their legall puritie and righteousnesse, and the Pharises after them, relied vponupon their outward holinesse; and the holy Ghost foretold, that in a2. Tim. 3. 5.the latter daies should come perilous times, by reason of sundrie sinnes, wherof this is one, that men should content thē selues with a shadow and shew of godlinesse, and in truth denie the power thereof. And doth not experince shewe this to be true among vsus? for the pure heart is so little regarded, that the seeking after it, is turned to a by-word, and a matter of reproach: Who are so much branded with vile tearmes of Puritans and Presitians, as those, that most indeauour to get and keepe the puritie of heart in a good conscience? Againe, the generall ignorance that eueryevery where abounds, doth plainely argue the want of this grace; for what can bee in the heart but impuritie and iniquitie, where there is no knowledge of the will of God in the minde? And for such as hauehave more knowledge then the rest, generally they are not answerable vntounto it in practise; for take a view of all the markets in the land, and you shall hardly find a man that is to sell his graine, that will be brought to abate one iot of the highest price, no not vntounto the poore that stand in extreame neede; which as it argueth a bloodie and cruell heart, so it sheweth our times to be euill da…es, wherein men professe much, and doe nought: which sinne will drawe Gods iudgment vponupon vsus, and cause the Gospel to be remooued, and giuen to a nation, that with profession, will ioyne the power of godlinesse in heart and life. What befell the bMat. 21. 19sigge-tree whercon Christ sought fruite, & found nothing but leaues, was it not accursed? and how shall we thinke to escape, if we be like vntounto it? cHeb. 6. 7, 8.for the earth that drinketh in the raine that falleth oft vponupon it, and yet bringeth forth briers and thornes, is neere vntounto cursing, whose ende is to be burned.
Secondly, if the pure in heart be blessed, then we must labour to practise the counsell of the Prophet, dIsav 1. 16.Wash you, make you cleane; and e& 8. 13.sanctifie the Lord in your hearts: yea as the Apostle saith, f2. Cor. 7. 1.Let vsus purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit. Indeed it is the gAct. 15. 9.worke of God to purifie the heart, man of himselfe can no more doe it, then the Black-moore can change his skinne: but yet eueryevery one that would feele in himselfe this worke of God, must vse the meanes, wherein the spirit doth purge the heart; first therefore, we must humble our selues vnfainedly for all the sinnes and corruptions of our life alreadie past, and for the time to come, growe to a resolute purpose, not to finne against God in any thing: which we must testifie by a godly endeauour to obey him in all things; for a pure heart, and a purpose to liue in any one sinne, cannot stand together: but this constant purpose not to sinne, is a notable grace, and an infallible token of a renued and sanctified heart.
The second point in this Rule is, wherein this blessednesse doth consist; namely in this, that they shall see God: for the vnderstanding hereof, two points must be handled. First, how God may be seene; secondly, how the seeing of God is true happinesse. For the first, the Apostle saith, h1. Ioh. 4. 12no man hath seene God at any time: yea further, Paul calleth him, i1. Tim. 6. 16 How God may be seen.King of kings, whom neuer man saw, neither can see. We must therefore know, that there is a two-fold sight in man, the sight of the eie, and of the minde; by the sight of the eie no man can see God in his essence and substance, which is most spirituall, and so inuisible, for the eie seeth nothing but things corporall and visible: a man by his eie cannot see his owne soule, and much lesse the substance of God.
Obiect. I. But kGen. 17. 1.Abraham and lExo. 33. ….Moses saw God, for he appeared vntounto them. Answer. They saw him not in his nature and substance, but in certaine created images and similitudes, wherein God for that time did testifie his presence vntounto them: some indeed say, that though a man cannot see God in this life, yet in the life to come he shall see him with his bodily eies. But this opinion is not true, for though the body shall then be perfectly sanctified, and the eie sanctified, yea glorified, yet still it remaines a true body, and a true eie, and therefore cannot see the essence of God, which is invisible to the eie of flesh.
Obiect. II. I shall see God in my flesh (saith Iob) and mine eies shall Iob. 19. 26. 27behold him. Answ. Hee speaketh there of God his Redeemer, who is not God simply, but God incarnate; for the word translated Redeemer signifieth one allied vntounto vsus in blood: now no man doubteth, but God in Christ may be seene, as Iohn 14. 9. hee that hath seene me, hath seene my father.
Obiect. III. 1. Cor. 13. 12. We shall see him face to face. Answer. God hath no face, and therefore that cannot bee vnderstood literally; but thereby is signified, that we shal hauehave plentiful knowledge of God, as we hauehave of him whom we see face to face.
Obiect. IV. If we shall not see God with our eies, then they serue to no vse in heauen. Ans. God forbid; for besides the glorious companie of all the Saints, wee shall therewith behold our Lord Iesus Christ, who redeemed vsus by his blood, and made vsus Kings and Priests vntounto our God, to whom we shall sing praise, and honour, and glory, for euermore, Reu. 5. 12.
The second kind of sight, is of the minde, which is nothing but the knowledge or vnderstanding of the minde, and that is two-fold; imperfect in this life, and perfect in the life to come. In this life, the minde knowes not Gods essence or substance, but onelyonly by effects; as by his word and Sacraments, and by his creatures: and indeede, the speciall sight we hauehave of God in this life, is by these his effects to conceiue in our mindes how God is affected to vsus; as that God is our Father, and Christ our Redeemer, and the holy Ghost our Sanctifier. The perfect vision of God, is reserued to the life to come, where Gods elect shall see him in regard of his substance: for m1. Ioh. 3 ….we shall see him as he is. Yet that we be not deceiued herein, wee must knowe that perfect sight is two-fold, simple, and comprehensiue: Simple perfect sight is, when man sees a thing wholly as it is in it selfe, and thus God is not seene by the minde of man. Comprehensiue sight is, when the Creature seeth God, so farre forth as it is capable of his knowledge; & thus shall men see God in the world to come perfectly, and be filled therewith, though they knowe him not wholly, as he is in himselfe: euen as a vessell cast into the sea may be perfectly full of water, though it receiue not all the water in the Sea. But some will aske, how shall the minde see God? Ans. The manner is such, as neither eie hath seene, nor eare heard, neither can any man tell, but they onelyonly, that hauehave fruition of it in heauen: yet certainely such it is, as shall giuegive full contentment to eueryevery one that doth enioy it. But it shall be farre better for vsus, to seeke for a pure heart, whereby we may be assured of this blessed sight of God, then curiously to search how we shall see him: for to them that be of a pure heart, God will reueale himselfe perfectly, to their ioy vnspeakable and glorious.
The second point is, how this seeing of God can be true happinesse.How the seeing of God is happinesse. Answ. A man that hath beene blinde, will count himselfe happie when he receiues his sight; and hee that hath long laien in a darke dungeon, will count it a blessed thing, to be brought out, to see the light of the sunne: now if this bodily light bee so comfortable, how endlesse is the ioy of that heauenly light, which commeth from God himselfe? The n1. Kin. 10. 8Queene of Sheba counted those seruants blessed, that stood before Salomon to heare his wisdome; then doubtlesse the sonnes of God must needs be happie, that stand before the Lord, hearing his wisdome and beholding his glorie: oPsal. 16. 11.for in his presence is fulnesse of ioy, and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore. Moses is renowned with all posteritie for this prerogatiue, that God vouchsafed pExo. 33. 23to let him see his backe parts: and Christs Disciples were so rauished with a glimpse of Gods glorie in his transfiguration, that they would needs qMat. 17. 4.abide there still. Oh then, what glorie is it to see him as he is? doubtlesse this sight of God is true happinesse. But then (will some man say) the diuels shal be happie, for they shall see him at the last day. Answ. Their sight shall be their sorrowe, for they shall see him as a terrible iudge, not as a Sauiour, with apprehension and approbation of his louelove and merciemercy, which is the sight here meant: as the Apostle saith, r1. Cor. …. 12.wee shall see face to face, and knowe as wee are knowne. So then the meaning of these words is this, they shall see God by his effects in this life, and perfectly in the world to come, with approbation of his louelove and merciemercy.
This gratious promise must be obserued as a ground of special comfortThe Vses. … Comfort against reproach. to all Gods children; for they that endeauour after puritie of heart, shall suffer much contempt and reproach in the world; but they must not be dismaied, for God will looke vponupon them, and shewe himselfe fauourably vntounto them: sIsa. 66. 5.he will appeare to their ioy, and their aduersaries shall be ashamed: therefore they must say with Dauid, tPsal. 118. 6.I will not feare what man can doe vntounto me.
Secondly, is it true happinesse to see God? then in this world wee must striue to come as neere vntounto God, as possible we can; for the neerer we come vntounto him, the more we see him, and the neerer we are to our perfect happinesse. Now that we may come neere vntounto God, wee must set God alwaies before our eies; that is, wheresoeuer we are, and whatsoeuer we doe, wee must perswade our hearts that we are in his presence: this was Dauids practise, Psal. 16. 8. I hauehave set the Lord alwaies before me: this perswasion will make vsus to walke with God, as Enoch did, who for this is said uHeb. 11. 5.to please God.
Thirdly, this must allure our hearts towards all those meanes wherein God shewes himselfe vntounto his children: the Lord reuealed himselfe in his sanctuarie vntounto his people, and hereupon Dauid was rauished with desire to Gods courts; see Psal. 27. 4. and Psal. 48. 1, 2. And the like affection must we hauehave to Gods word and Sacraments, therein he shewes his beautie, as in his sanctuarie; and therefore we must labour therein to see the goodnesse and merciemercy of God towards vsus, vsing them as pledges of his grace and louelove in Christ: yea, we must endeauour to see him in all his creatures, as his wisdome, power, and goodnesse to vsus wards: this is a notable steppe to our perfect blisse.