Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 5 · Verse 7
Verse 7. Blessed are the mercifull.]
They that from a compassionateforeign. heart (melting with sense of Gods everlasting mercy to it self, and yerning over the miseries of others) extend and exercise spirituall and corporall mercy. The former (which teacheth a man to warn the unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men, &c. The School-men thus,1 Thess. 5. 14. Consule, castiga, solare, remitte, …, ora, usually excels and exceeds the later (which stirs a man up to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, &c.…. 25.
Vifito, poto, cibo, redimo, tego, colligo, condo.
)…. 2da, …, …. 32. …. …
1. In the nature of the gift, which is more noble, 2. In the object (the soul) which is more illustrious. 3. In the manner, which is …, as being spirituall. 4. In the kinde, which is more heavenly, as that which aimes at our brothers … salvation. And … way the poorest may be plentifull, and enrich the … with spirituall alms. As also the other way, something must be done, by all the Candidates of true …. They that labour with their hands, must have something … give to himEphes. 4 28. that needeth; be it but two mites, nay a cup of cold water, it shall be graciously accepted from a sincere heart, and certainly rewarded. And here the poor Macedonians may shame (and many times doe) the rich Corinthians, that have a price in their hands, but not a heart to use it. For it is the love, and … the lack of money, that makes men churls and misers. And hence itMoney-… have no quick silver, no currant …, Ward. is, that the richer men are, many times, the harder, as Dives: being herein like children, who when they have their mouths …, and both hands full, yet will rather spoil …, then give any away. But doe men give to Gods poor? Or, doe they not rather lend it to the Lord, who turns pay-master to such? Doe … not lay it out for him, or rather lay it up for themselves? The safest chest is the poor mans box. Make you friends with the Mammon of unrighteousnesse (God hath purposely branded riches with … infamous adjunct, that we might not over-love them) that … …. 16 9. ….ye fail, they … receive you into everlasting …, that is, either the Angels, or the poor, or thy well-emploied wealth, shall let thee into heaven. Only thou must draw forth not thy sheaf alone, but thy soul also to the hungry: … bowels ofIsa. …. 10 foreign. mercy, as our Saviour did, Matth. 15. 32. to bleed in … wounds, and be deeply and tenderly affected in …. This is better then alms. For when one gives an alms, … gives something without himself; but by compassion we … another by somewhat …, and from … selves. And … properly the mercy, to which mercy is here …, … to boot.
For they shall obtain mercy.]
Misericordiam, … mercodem, Mercy, not wages: it being a mercy (and not a duty) in God, to render unto every man according to his works, Psal. 62. 12. how much more according to his own works in us? … mercy he shall be sure of, that sheweth mercy to those in misery. His soul Prov 11. 25.shall be like a watered garden. The liberall soul shall be made fat, Etiam ipse … erit, … Kimchi. Insignis hyperbole, &c. ….saith Solomon, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. Or (as Kimchi expounds it) He shall be a sweet and seasonable showre to himself and others. His body also shall be fat and fairliking. Thy health shall spring forth speedily, and thy bones shallPsal. 41. 3. be made fat, Isa. 58. 10, 11. Or if he be sick, the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing; he will make all his bed in his sicknes. As he did for that faithfull and … Preacher of Gods Word (while he lived) M. … Whately, Pastour of Banbury (whom for honours sake I here name) the mostM. …. …. … Minister to the poor, I thinke (saith a learned Gentleman, that knew him thorowly) in England, of his means. HeM. Hen. Scud der. abounded in works of mercy (saith another grave Divine, that wrote his life) he set apart, and expended, for the space of many years, for good uses, the tenth part of his yearly commings in, both out of his temporall and … means of maintenance. A rare example: And God was not behinde hand with him: for in his sicknesse, he could comfort himself with that precious promise, Psal. 41. 1, 3. Blessed is he that considereth the Aug. in Psal. 103.poor, Qui praeoccupat vocem petituri, saith Austin, that prevents the poor mans cry; as he did, for he devised liberall things, seeking out to finde objects of his mercy, and not staying, many times, till they were offered. Therefore by liberall things … stood, as God had promised; his estate (as himself often testified) prospered the better after he took that course above-mentioned. For (in the next place) not getting, but giving is the way to wealth, as the … found it, whose barrell had no bottome: and as Solomon … it, Eccles. 11. 1. The mercy of God crowneth our beneficence with the blessing of store. … Isa. 58. 11.shall be exalted with honour, and thou … not …. Say not Psal. 112. 9.Prov. 28. 27.then, How shall our own doe hereafter? Is not mercy as sure a grain as vanity? Is God like to break? Is not your Creatour your Creditour? Hath not he undertaken for you and yours? How sped Mephibosheth and Chimham for the kindenesse their fathers shewed to distressed David? Were they not plentifully provided for? And did not the Kenites, that were born many ages after …'s death, receive life from his dust, and favour from his hospitality? 1 Sam. 15. 6.