Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 5 · Section 10
Means to hunger and thirſt after Righteouſneſs.
1 Feel thine own wants. There needs not much Invitation to an hungry man to eat, or a thirſty man to drink, Revel: 3.17, 18 John 4.15 Sir, give me this Water that I thirſt not, neither come hither to draw. What drives a man to the Phyſician but the ſight of his Diſeaſes?
2 See there is fulneſs for every want. Art thou hungry? he hath Bread, John 6.51 The Bread which I will give is my Fleſh which I will give for the life of the World. Art thou thirſty? he hath Water of Life. Art thou a Babe? Here is Milk to feed on. Art thou ſad? Here is Wine to glad thy heart.
3 Conſider ſuch as hunger and thirſt ſhall be filled, partly in this life by receiving the teſtimony of the Spirit witneſſing with their ſpirits, Rom: 8.16 touching the reconciliation with God in Chriſt, and ſome fruits of ſanctification whereby the old man is crucified and the new man renewed in them; but principally in the ſtate of glory, when they ſhall have perfect holineſs and happineſs.
4 Sharp Sawces procure a ſtomach. Let the bitterneſs of ſin and afflictions procure a hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs, Jer: 2.19 the Paſchal Lamb was eaten with ſowre Herbs, to ſhew that Chriſt is ſweet to them that feel the bitterneſs of ſin.
5 Purge your ſtomachs. Naturally we feed on pleaſures, profits and carnal contents, and we are apt to ſurfet on them. Conſider we the vanity of them, Matth: 6.20 Prov: 23.5 1 John 2 16, 17 1 Peter 2.1, 2 q, d, So long as you delight in ſin you will have no ſtomach to holineſs. Sin works on our ſoul as ill humours do on our ſtomachs, it cloys us and makes us loath all ſpiritual food.
6 Converſe with them that are ſpiritual, that have taſted heavenly things; when we ſee them contemplate Chriſt and his benefits, the ſoul reaſons there's ſome excellent thing in Chriſt and his benefits, and in an holy life that takes up theſe mens mindes.
7 We know not how ſoon theſe Dainties may be taken from us, let us as thoſe at a Feaſt, who having neglected eating at the latter end fall to afreſh. While the Jubilee is, take out a pardon; while the Phyſician is preſent get out a Medicine: imitate Joſeph to lay up againſt a Famine; no man ever repented the pains he hath taken for his ſoul, but many have lamented their neglects.
8 Exerciſe gets ſtomach. Exerciſe in prayer, in bearing croſſes, in reſiſting temptations, will ſharpen our affections to an holy life.
9 In order to hungring and thirſt get a taſt of the ſweetneſs of an holy life, 1 Peter 2.2 He that hath taſted any ſweet thing, the more he hath taſted it, the more he will deſire it; as in learning, ſweet meats, &c. Love the beſt life, and cuſtome will make it ſweet to you.
10 Relliſh holineſs. Where there's a relliſh of any good thing we will the more deſire it. If we relliſh ſpiritual things we will hunger and thirſt after them, Rom: 8.5 They that are after the Spirit ſavour the things of the Spirit.
11 Conſider the durableneſs of this Food. Other meat when it is eaten the ſweetneſs is preſently gone, but holineſs and Chriſt is a Food that endures to everlaſting life, John 6.27 All food elſe is periſhing, even the knowledg of natural and civil things, yea the ſpeculative knowledg of divine things: the truths of God are the food of the ſoul, but unleſs the goodneſs of truths be the food of the will and affections they are but periſhing food. In religious diſcourſes all ornaments, beſides that which quickens and ſtrengthens, is but periſhing food.
V. 7 Bleſſed are the mercifull, for they ſhall obtain mercy.
Two things, 1 A Propoſition, Mercifull men are bleſſed.
2 The Reaſon, For they ſhall obtain mercy.
Obſ. Mercifull men are bleſſed.
Reaſ. 1 Such ſhall finde mercy with God, 2 Tim: 1.16 The Lord grant mercy to the houſe of Oneſiphorus, for he oft refreſhed me; the Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day. v. 18 Come ye bleſſed of my Father, for I was hungry and ye gave me meat, I was thirſty, and ye gave me drink, Matth: 25.34.
2 From the rules of contrary. Mercileſs men are curſed: why? they finde no mercy with God. The glutton would not give ſo much as the crums to poor Lazarus, Luke 16.21 hence he could not get a drop of water to cool his tongue being in torments. James 2.13 He ſhall have judgment without mercy that hath ſhewed no mercy. Now as mercileſs men are curſed, ſo mercifull men are bleſſed.
3 All the good things that have been done for God are promiſed not onelyonly to be acknowledged, Philemon 6 Every good thing in you ſhall be acknowledged, but alſo promiſed to be rewarded, Heb: 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and labor of love which ye have towards his Name, in that ye have miniſtred to the Saints, and do miniſter. Prov: 11.17 The mercifull man doth good to his own ſoul.
For application, let it inform us of our duties. The very Heathens praiſed it, much more the Scriptures: ſee the compaſſionate Samaritan, Luke 10.30 ad 38 there's a ſtory of a man that fell among thieves, (for I do not think it to be a parable but a ſtory) the Levite and Prieſt paſt by, pretending, it's like, either the haſte of their journey, or the danger of their ſtay, leſt they ſhould be robbed, but the Samaritan he takes care of him.
2 Exhortation to mercifulneſs.
1 This is the way to lay up in ſtore a good foundation againſt the time to come, Luke 16.9 Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon, that is, of your earthly goods, ſo called becauſe moſtly found among unrighteous perſons, and moſt accounted by them, and therefore it appears they are not the true good; that when you fail of your Mammon or Wealth, they may receive you into everlaſting Tabernacles. For ſo the word ſignifies, 2 Cor: 5.1 that is, either the Angels may receive you, or that the poor whom you have helped through their daily prayers for you may be inſtrumental for your admiſſion into Heaven. Luke 12.33 Sell that you have and give alms. Some pretend they have no money, but you have money-worth; mercy is ſuch a piece of ſervice that you muſt ſell corn and cattle in order thereto; yea the neceſſity of Saints may be ſo great that lands and all muſt go, Acts 4.37 What is the iſſue? you will hereby provide bags that wax not old, a treaſure in the Heaven that faileth not. 1 Ti: 6.18 Be ready to diſtribute, willing to communicate, laying up in ſtore for themſelves a good foundation againſt time to come. As if he ſhould ſay, The foundation of earthly things is a ſandy and uncertain foundation, and therefore build not upon it, but lay up works of mercy in the bellies and backs of the poor; theſe works of mercy are compared to a foundation, becauſe as from an hidden foundation the houſe riſeth to a great height, ſo from theſe good works the degrees of a glorious life ariſeth, Prov: 11.17.
2 Such mercifull men ſhall finde mercy with God; where the Lord meets with a common objection, moſt men are ungratefull and ready to lift up the heel againſt their benefactors, however, ſuch ſhall finde mercy with God, Eccleſ: 11.1 Caſt thy Bread upon the Waters and thou ſhalt receive it after many days; alſo with men they ſhall finde mercy, God bowing their hearts to favour mercifull men, Pſalm 112.4 to v. 10.
3 Mercy is one of the principal things which God requires; hence it's put before Sacrifice, Matth: 9.13 ſo that Sacrifice may be diſpenſed with, that Mercy may take place; hence it's called one of the great points of the Law. Luke 11.42.
4 By mercifulneſs to others we become like to God; Luke 6.36 If we do not reſemble him in this, but will be cruel and harſh, we may look that God will ſo carry himſelf to us, Pſalm 18.25 Mat: 18.32, 33 he that was cruel for an hundred Pence, himſelf being forgiven ten thouſand Talents, was caſt into Priſon till he paid what was due. v. 34, 35 James 5 11 The Lord is pitifull and of tender mercy.
5 There is no love of God in us, if there be no mercy, 1 John 3.17 He that ſhuts up Bowels of Compaſsion, how dwells the love of God in that Man? 1 John 4.20 The Apoſtle with love to God joyns love and mercy to men: He that loves not his Brother whom he hath ſeen, how can he love God whom he hath not ſeen?
6 It's the note of God's elect that they put on Bowels of Mercies, Col: 3.12 where ſee they put on, 1 Mercies, having reſpect to the ſeveral kindes, as, giving, Heb: 13.16 where Diſtribution is called by the name of a Sacrifice; Charity is compared to a beautifull upper Garment, Col: 3.14 2 Mercy in forgiving, Mat: 18.35 Matth: 6 14, 15 3 Theſe Mercies flow from Bowels, 1 John 3.17 Such Bowels had Chriſt, Matth: 9.37 when he ſaw them as Sheep without a Shepherd, his Bowels earned towards them. So that mercy is an holy compaſſion of heart whereby a man is moved to help another in his miſery.
7 Mercileſs men are curied with God, by the rule of contraries: Its an argument that men without pity have never obtained mercy. Such are they that rejoyce at the miſeries of Gods people, Ezek. 25.3, 4, 5, 6. and ſuch as grinde the faces of the poor for to maintain bravery and vanity. This mercileſs cruelty is condemned Deut. 15.7, 8. Thou ſhalt not harden thy heart from thy poor brother, but ſhalt lend unto him. Such mercileſs perſons may ſeek for mercy themſelves, but they ſhall not be heard, Prov. 21.13. Amos 1.11.
8 By mercy we are made Gods Almoners to diſperſe his goodneſs among men, Pſalm 112.9. it's more then to be Almoners to Princes.