Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 5 · Section 11
Rules in ſhewing Mercy.
1 Do not onelyonly draw out your hand or your purſe, but your ſoul, Eſai 58.10.
2 What mercy you ſhew do it from a cheerfull heart, not grudgingly, or of neceſſity, for God loveth a cheerfull giver, 2 Cor. 9.7.
3 Take notice of their miſery, either from your own ſight thereof, or from the beholding of others, Job 30.25. Did not I weep for him that was in miſery, and was not my ſoul grieved for the poor? Prov. 24.11, 12. Many ſay they knew not that ſuch a man was in affliction, and that ſuch a man was delivered to death, well but God ſearches the heart, and knowes that thou kneweſt it.
4 Show all ſorts of mercies, ſoul-mercies in teaching the ignorant, in comforting the afflicted, Eſai 50.4. body mercies in feeding the hungry, viſiting the ſick, helping the fatherleſs and widows, Jam. 1.27. to deal thy bread to the hungry, Eſai 58.6. that thou bring the poor that are caſt out to thy houſe, when thou ſeeſt the naked that thou cover him, &c.
5 According to our ability. Where God gives more he looks for more; He which ſoweth ſparingly, ſhall reap ſparingly, and he which ſoweth bountifully ſhall reap bountifully, 2 Cor. 9.6. Acts 11.19. Diſciples ſent relief according to their ability, Luke 21.4.
6 Let mercy be with ſincerity, Matth. 6.1, 2, 3. that your right hand may not know what your left hand doth: not as the Scribes, Matth. 23.5. that did what they did to be ſeen of men.
7 Let mercy be with ſimpathy, 2 Cor. 11.29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is grieved, and I burn not? many come to perſons in pain and ask how they do, but are no more moved then if they were flints, Amos 6.6, 7. Pharaohs daughter will riſe up in judgement againſt many, Exod. 2.6. 2 Chron. 36.17.
8 Look upon it as a ſingular mercy that God hath made others objects of your mercy, and not you objects of others mercy, Acts 20.35. It's more bleſſed to give then to receive.
9 Look often on the commands of God herein, 1 Peter 3.8. Be ye all of one minde, having compaſsion one of another, be pitifull, Jude 22. of ſome have compaſsion.
Alſo examples Heb. 10.34. Ye had compaſsion of me in my bonds, Mark 5.19. Luke 10.32.
V. 8. Bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God.
Q. What is meant by purity of heart?
A. Some think ſincerity, as Matth. 6.1. oppoſed to hypocriſie: for many are like apples that look well but are rotten at the heart. 2 Purity, taken legally, no man hath it, Prov. 20.6. Who can ſay I have made my heart clean; I am clean from my iniquity? There is no man righteous on earth that doth good and ſinneth not, Eccleſ. 7.21.
2 Purity of heart is taken Evangelically. To be pure is to be full of it ſelf, and not to have any other thing mingled with it; ſo purity of heart is that which doth not admit any ſin to mingle with the frame and purpoſe of the heart, but the heart ſtill caſts it out of it ſelf, it reſiſts and rejects it.
As a thing is ſaid to be pure though it may have ſome droſs cleaving to it, as it's pure gold when its digged out of the Mineral, though there be much droſs in it, and we ſay it's pure ayr, though for a time there be many fogs and miſts within it, and it's pure water, though there may be ſome mud at the bottome, a man may be ſaid to have a pure heart, though there be a cleaving of much droſs to it.
Holy men have a fountain of original corruption in them, and from this fountain ſins ariſe continually, as the ſcum in the pot; but as in wine, or honey, or water, though the ſcum ariſe yet ſtill it purifieth it ſelf, and caſts it out; contrarily in men of impure hearts the ſcum ariſeth but it ſeeths in, Ezek. 24 12. She wearied her ſelf with lies, &c. and her great ſcum went not out of her, q. d. Holy men have their ſcum ariſing in their hearts, as well as wicked, but here is the difference, wicked mens ſcum ſeeths in, and mingles together, but men of pure heart have a cleanſing and purifying diſpoſition, that caſts out what ever evil comes, though it be continually riſing; though he be many times mired he ſtill waſheth himſelf again, he cannot endure it, he doth not as the ſwine delight in it, Matth. 15. That which comes from within defiles the man; the meaning is, when ſin ariſeth in a man from day to day, if he cheriſh ſin and entertain it, and ſuffer it to dwell and abide in his heart quietly, without diſturbance, if he ſuffer it (as it were) to be ſodden in, now they defile the heart; but if ſins ariſe in the heart, and he continually reſiſt them, and caſts them forth, and purifieth himſelf from them, ſuch a man is not defiled with them, nor is his his mind defiled nor conſcience defiled: but notwithſtanding this boiling out of evil he is a man of a pure heart: yet may ſin cleave to a man as droſs doth to the ſilver, but it mingles not with the regenerate part, nor that mingles not with it, no more then oyl and water do, which though they touch they do not mingle together.
Reaſ. Now theſe pure in heart are bleſſed, becauſe they are holy perſons in Gods account, that is, they are perſons in whom holineſs hath predominance, Pſal. 15.2. Who ſhall ſojourn in thy Tabernacle? who ſhall dwell in thy holy hill? The Prophet anſwers, He who hath clean hands and a pure heart, Pſal. 24.3, 4. Heb. 12.14. Follow holineſs, without which no man ſhall ſee the Lord. Holy perſons are freed from the power of the ſecond death.
2 Becauſe ſuch perſons are believers, Acts 15.9. purifying their hearts by faith, that is, every believer from the blood and ſpirit of Chriſt, draws power to purifie and purge the heart from that filth which ariſeth therein. Now to every true believer there is a promiſe of bleſſedneſs.
3 Becauſe a purifying of the heart and hope of bleſſedneſs are inſeparably annext or joyned together, 1 John 3.3. Every man that hath this hope in him, that is, to ſee the Lord to his comfort, whereof he had ſpoken, verſe 2. purifieth himſelf, as God is pure. A man may have other hopes without this, as hope to be rich, to be honourable, but he cannot have this hope without purity.
Uſe 1 Exhortation to follow after purity of heart. When the heart is pure thy hands will be pure: clean hands and a pure heart go together, Pſalm 24.4. thy prayer will be pure, Job 16.7. Mal. 1.11. thy conſcience will be pure, that it will witneſs thou lives not in ſin, 1 Tim. 3.9.