Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 5 · Verse 6
Verse 6. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse.]
Iustiia …. …The righteousnesse of Christ both …. That is in Christ for us, being wrought by his value and merit, and is called the righteousnesse of justification. This is in us from Christ, being wrought by his vertue and spirit, and is called the righteousnesse of sanctification. Both these the blessed man must hunger and thirst after, that is earnestly, and … desire, as Rachel did for children, she must prevail or perish, as David 1 Chro. 11. 18.did after the water of the well of Bethlehem, to the jeopardy of the lives of his three mightiest: as the hunted Hart, or (as theforeign. Sept …. … animal. 16 c. 9. … readeth it) Hinde braieth after the water brooks. The Philosophers observe of the Hart or Hinde, that, being a beast thirsty by nature, when she is pursued by dogs, by reason of heat and…. lib …. losse of breath, her thirst is encreased. And in females the passionsOppian. lib. 2. are stronger then in males: so that she breaths and braies after the… 42. 1. … 119. 10.brooks, with utmost desire: so panteth the good soul after Christ, it panteth and fainteth, it breatheth and breaketh for the longing that it hath unto his righteousnesse at all times. She fainteth with Ionathan, swooneth and is sick with the Spouse, yea, almost1 … 30. …. dead with that poor affamished Amalekite. And this … appetite and affection ariseth from a deep and due sense and feeling of our want of Christ, whole Christ, and that there is an absolute necessity of every drop of his bloud. There must be a sad and serious consideration of mans misery, and Gods mercy. Whence will arise (as in hunger and thirst) 1. A sense of pain in the stomack. 2. A want and emptinesse. 3. An eager desire of supply from Christ, who is the true bread of life, and heavenly Manna; the Rock flowing with honey, and fountain of living water, that reviveth the fainting spirits of every true Ionathan and Samson, and makes them never to thirst again after the worlds tastlesse fooleries: Like as his mouth will not water after homely provision, that hath lately tasted of delicate sustenance.
They shall be satisfied.]
Because true desires are the breathingsPsal. …. 17. of a broken heart, which God will not despise. He poureth not…. the oil of his grace, but into broken vessels. For indeed, whole vessels are full vessels, and so this precious liquour would run over,The desire of the slothfull killeth him, &c. and be spilt on the ground. There may be some faint desires (as of wishers and woulders) even in hell-mouth; as Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous, but liked not to live their life:Prov. 21. 25. Pilate desired to know what is truth, but staid not to know it:Mat. 19. 22, That faint Chapman in the Gospel, that cheapen'd heaven of our Saviour, but was loth to goe to the price of it. These were but fits and flashes, and they came to nothing. Carnall men care notCarnales non curant quaerere, quem tamen … invenire: cupientes consequi, sed non & sequi. to seek, whom yet they desire to finde, saith Bernard: Fain they would have Christ, but care not to make after him: as Herod had of a long time desired to see our Saviour, but never stirred out of doors, to come where he was, Luk. 22. But now, The desire of the righteous that shall be satisfied, as Solomon hath it, that shall be well filled, as beasts are after a good bait (as … Saviours wordBern. here signifieth.) Desires, as they must be ardent and violent, suchforeign … dicitur de …. Nam foreign est …, out pabulum. as will take no nay, or be set down with silence or sad answers (whence it is that desire and zeal goe together, 2 Cor. 7. 11.) So if they be right, they are ever seconded with endeavour after the thing desired. Hence the Apostle contents not himself to say, that if there be first a willing minde, God accepts, &c. 2 Cor. 8. 12. but presently adds, Now perform the doing of it: that as there was a readinesse to will, so there may be a performance also, that is, a sincere endeavour to perform: as a thirsty man will not long for drink only, but labour after it; or a covetous man wish for wealth, but strives to compasse it. And thus to … is to attain, thus to will is to work, thus to desire is to doe the will of our heavenly father: who accepts of pence for pounds, of mites for millions, and accounts us as as good as we wish to be. He hath also promised, To fill the hungry with good things, to rain down righteousnesse on the dry and parched ground, to fulfill the desires of them that fear him. So that it is but our asking, and his giving: our opening the mouth, and he will fill it: our hungring and his feeding, our thirsting and his watering, our open hand and his open heart. The oil failed not, till the vessels failed: neither are we staitned in God, till in our own bowels. Dear wife (saith2 Cor. 6. 12. Lawrence Saunders the Martyr) riches I have none to leave behinde, wherewith to endow you after the worldly manner; but that treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry consciences (whereof, I thank my Christ, I doe feel part, and would feel more) that I bequeath unto you, and to the rest of my beloved in Christ; to retain the same in sense of heart alwaies. Pray, pray: I am merry, and I trust I shall be, maugre the teeth of all the devils in hell. I utterly refuse my self, and resign me to my Christ,Act. and Mon. fol 1361. in whom I know I shall be strong, as he seeth needfull.