The Grove of Beatitudes, Beatitude 4
The Fourth BEATITUDE. Bleſſed are they that hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs: for they ſhall be filled.
EMBLEME IV. The Clove-Tree.
Sicamor attrahat ardens 4.
Be ſo attractive that no weed,
(Pernicious) near the Soul may breed:
So Thirſt and Hunger, not in part,
Virtue 's the Clove bloomes in the Heart.
THis Tree may in an eſpecial manner be ſaid to hunger and thirſt, as having ſuch an attractive power, that it draws to it ſelf all the heart and moiſture of the ground where it grows; inſomuch that for a conſiderable diſtance round about it, the Earth is ſo far from hearing any thing of Graſs or other Plants, that it is abſolutely ſmooth and bare.
When the fruit is come to maturity, it is not gather'd, but beaten down upon the ſaid bare plot; and having been left there a certain time to wither, it is brought into Europe, and is one of the moſt advantageous Commodities brought from the Eaſt-Indies.
In the Spaniſh Tongue it is called, Clavos, in the French, Cloux, that is to ſay, Nails, from its near reſemblance thereto; and thence in Engliſh, they are called Cloves. At firſt they are white, afterwards they become green, and at laſt they turn red.
Nay, it hath been lately diſcover'd as a cheat of the Inhabitants, who have the management and diſpoſal of this pretious Spice, that, ſome time before they look for the arrival of the Ships out of Europe, they carry up into the Store-houſes, where they keep their Cloves, ſeveral great veſſels full of water, which in a ſhort time is attracted by the Cloves, and adds much to their weight, yet ſo as that neither the Sight nor Feeling can make any diſcovery of the impoſture.
Behold here the pertinent Emblem of a truly-Chriſtian Soul, hungring and thirſting after righteouſneſs; and ſo earneſtly attracting the nouriſhing moiſture of Heavenly Grace, that there is no entertainment for any pernicious weed of ſin, ſo much as to take any root near her.
But poſſibly, ſome one will ſay, that this Tree draws all to it ſelf. 'Tis true, it does ſo: but not to the advantage onelyonly of it ſelf. For that moiſture and ſtrength which it draws from the Earth, is diffus'd into the ſeveral parts of it, in order to the production of bloſſoms and Fruit. And ſo it ſhould be with the devout Chriſtian, who hungers and thirſts after righteouſneſs; what juice he extracts out of the root of ſpiritual Contemplations, ought to ſpread its vigour into his Life and Actions, as he ſtands accomptable to his Creator, his Neighbour, or Himſelf; whereby the great Author of all Gifts and Graces may be glorify'd.
Again, if it be ſaid that the Clove-Tree is ſo attractive, as to draw all the moiſture to it ſelf for its own benefit; In like manner, the hungry and thirſty Chriſtian ſhould make his advantages of all things, in purſuit of the Kingdom of Heaven and the righteouſneſs thereof.
Moreover, whereas it is the deſign of Nature, that this Tree as well as all other Plants, ſhould bring forth their ſeveral fruits for the ſervice and benefit of Man; he may thence learn, that he alſo ought to render to his Neighbour what in juſtice is due to him.
In fine, Whereas the Cloves are firſt white; next, green; and laſtly, red; May they not inſtruct us (confidering our beſt fruits are but Bloſſoms) that our intentions ſhould be candid and ſincere, and relate onelyonly to Gods glory?
And when green, may they not as aptly ſignifie, that our better works are but green bloſſoms, not perfect Fruits, for want of maturity?
Laſtly, what are our works but red Cloves, when they are dignified by Chriſts precious blood? Cloves on the Tree muſt be beaten down to come to perfection, and after gathered; So muſt all our works, to be humbly preſented to the Eye of Mercy; not of Juſtice: In whoſe fight who can be juſtified?
The parched Clove is for the uſe of Man; And the work that ſhrinks up with fear, is grateful to God. But how ſhall a Soul have her fill by hungring and thirſting after Juſtice? What ſatiety, what full content can there be in this world? Certainly none, till it enjoyes the ſight of God.
Hence we may inferr, (with Saint Thomas) that in Virtue there is onelyonly a reſemblance of future Beatitude. Say, our righteouſneſs like a Clove appear white; how pure ſo-ever, 'tis but a bloſſom, which receiving a tincture of green, (the ſymbole of Hope) we are thereby inabled to proceed; For Hope may be term'd a Clove, or Naile, by which we are fixt to God in his promiſe, and faſten in his mercy, while the red Clove, or deep-piercing nail of Juſtice penetrating the Heart, produceth fear, to which likewiſe being as firmly fix'd, we freely ſerve God with fear, and exult with trembling. Mean while, let us ſeem to hear our Saviour ſay, I thirſt, whereby is exemplified the Fourth Beatitude; Bleſſed are they who hunger and thirſt after Righteouſneſs, for they ſhall be filled.
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE IV. BEATITUDE.
On our Bleſſed Saviour's ſacred Mouth, ſaying, I Thirſt.
FRom our Saviour's Eyes, I deſcend to his Mouth, and ſeem to hear him ſay, I thirſt, whereby is expreſſed this fourth Beatitude. For he did hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs; not for himſelf, but for us, that we might be juſtified by his Death and Paſſion. And to that end would (to ſatisfie for our ſins) ſuffer in all rigour of Juſtice, that it might be ſatisfied to the full, and we endowed with righteouſneſs, that we might more and more thirſt after Grace, never ſatiated till his Glory appears.
Conſider what Saint John Chryſoſtome ſayes: That, he hungers and thirſts after righteouſneſs, who deſires to live according to the Juſtice of God, and wiſheth this juſtice and rectitude of life as well to others as to himſelf. That Juſtice is call'd diſtributive, which gives to every one his due. To God I muſt render three things, viz.
Honour, as to my Creator,
Love, as to my Redeemer, and
Fear to him, as my Judge.
To my Neighbour likewiſe I muſt render three things:
Obedience, to my Superiour,
Charity and Love, to my equal, and
Charitable Benevolence, to my inferiour in want.
And three things I muſt procure for my ſelf:
Purity of my Heart,
Government of my Tongue, and
Order and Diſcipline, in ſubjecting the body to the Spirit.
This three-fold Juſtice muſt I hunger and thirſt after, and examine my ſelf wherein I am defective: Remembring what Saint Jerome ſaith, That it will not ſuffice to deſire Juſtice, but we muſt hunger and thirſt after it; Yet never think our ſelves juſt enough, but muſt more and more thirſt after Juſtice, as our Lord commands, He that is juſt, let him be more juſt; and he that is holy, more holy.
Conſider what a hunger and thirſt that is of the Worldling, who ſtill covets more and more Wealth; The Voluptuous Man more and more Pleaſure; And the Ambitious Man more and more Honour. Neither of theſe can have their fill, becauſe the Soul is of infinite capacity; and therefore cannot be fill'd with all the world can poure into it. Unhappy then are thoſe Men who hunger and thirſt, yet never are ſatisfied. And contrariwiſe, Bleſſed are they that hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs, to whom is promiſed ſuch fullneſs as ſhall wholly inebriate and ſatiate the Soul and Heart; whoſe Capacity is immenſe, and, being created to enjoy God, is inſatiable and reſtleſs, till it enjoyes his ſight: As Saint Auguſtine ſaith, Becauſe thou (O Lord) haſt made us for thee, our Heart is never at quiet until it comes unto thee.
O my ſoul, be ever languiſhing and thirſting after this compleat happineſs. Is it poſſible thou ſhouldſt have ſuch a drought, that, naturally deſiring to be bleſſed, and fill'd with the glory of God, thou ſhouldſt notwithſtanding hunger and greedily deſire things upon earth, and not thoſe above?
O bleſſed Saviour thou didſt thirſt, and they gave the vinegar and gall: but, to quench my thirſt, thou haſt promiſed me the water of life, ſo that I ſhall never thirſt more. Give me (O Lord) of this water; for hitherto I have digg'd and ſought it in the broken and leaking Ciſterns of thy Creatures; or in riches, dignities, and pleaſures, which never ſatiate.
Thou wert hungry after a faſt of forty days, and the Enemy preſented thee with ſtones to be turn'd into bread. But for me, if I truly hunger after righteouſneſs, thou haſt and doſt give me the bread of life, thy real body, to feed and ſtrengthen my ſoul to life everlaſting. This is the daily and ſuperſubſtantial bread which I ſhould hunger after, and for which I daily beg, and without which I cannot ſubſiſt. This was prefigured by Manna, which relieved the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſs, without which they had been famiſh'd. Such is the deſart of this world, ſuch thy true Body, which unleſs a man eat, and worthily eat, he ſhall not have life in him.
Jeſu! be unto me a Saviour, and redeem me from worldly vanities, which, like air, never fill or ſatiate an hungry ſoul Thou art the Way, lead and direct me; Thou the Life, revive and quicken me; Thou my greateſt and only Good, make me hunger and thirſt after thee; Only after thee, becauſe all that can be deſired may be found in thee, which may incite to love. If beauty, thou (O God) art the faireſt: If benefits, thou daily and liberally conferreſt them on me: If love, (to invite to love again) thine is the greateſt: As my Creator, thou gav'ſt me a being: As my Redeemer, thou freedſt me from thraldom; as a Preſerver, thou didſt and doſt deliver me from perils ſpiritual and corporal. Therefore thy Prophet David ſaid, My ſoul hath thirſted after thee the living fountain: To thee he thirſted, who art the moſt amiable, the moſt noble, and moſt excellent Good; a God, and all things. To thee he thirſted, a ſtrong God, a good permanent, immutable, and eternal. To thee a living God, operative, vigorous, intellectual, loving, and conferring on me innumerable benefits. How then can I do leſs then hunger and thirſt after thee who art ſo good, ſo gracious, ſo bountiful, ſo loving? Nay, how can I contain my ſelf within the limits of thy Creatures, that was created to ſo noble an end as is the blisful ſight of Thee? How can I forbear from crying out with thy ſervant David, When ſhall I come and appear before thy face. If I am a pilgrim, thou wilt conduct me to my deſired Countrey: If I am hungry and thirſty, thou wilt ſatiate me with the fruition of thy ſight; If I am naked, thou wilt there cloath me with glory.
Theſe things have I call'd to mind, (ſaid David Pſa. 41.) and thereupon I poured forth my ſoul within my ſelf like a ſtreamling to return to God my Ocean, as a river doth to the ſea whence it was deriv'd; I have dilated my ſoul, and extended her thirſting deſire, which nothing can ſatiate and fill, but God only. Nay more, I have poured out my ſoul upon my ſelf: And there (alas) what could ſhe find, but one ſo poor as not any way able to quench her thirſt, who is capable of a Good immenſe.
Or when I poured out my ſoul upon my ſelf, as water ſtreaming on the ſuperficies of the earth, I ſuffered it not to be ſuckt and ſwallowed up by ſelf-love, but to ſtream ſorth towards that River which makes joyful the City of God. Becauſe I will (ſaid David) paſs on to enter into the place of the admirable Tabernacle, even unto the houſe of God. Even as a poor Beggar travelling on the rode in the heat of Summer, being very weary, leaves the high way, to find ſome good Gentleman's houſe, to be refreſht, and to quench his thirſt; ſo doth David, thirſting, ſay, He will paſs through all difficulties and obſtacles whatſoever, to arrive at Gods houſe, there to quench his thirſt; & lodg in that admirable Tabernacle.
But his arrival at the houſe of God being deferred, he reſolves to make uſe of local memory. And to this end deſigns two ſpecial places, the River Jordan, and Mount Hermonijm. When he beholds the firſt, it puts him in mind of the River above, which makes joyful the City of God, and of the Torrent of delight, of which the bleſſed are given to drink. And when he caſts his eye on the ſecond, he calls to mind the holy and bliſsful Mount of Heaven, where God manifeſts himſelf to his Angels and Saints. Therefore (ſaith he) I will be mindful of thee (O God) from the land of Tordan, while I behold this river, and likewiſe, when I ſee the little Mount Hermonijm.
Who (then) fixing his eye on Mount Calvary, can forget his Saviours ſufferings; or who can but remember how he hungred and thirſted after righteouſneſs, when he hears him cry out, I thirſt, that is to ſay, the ſalvation of mankind, and that righteouſneſs for us ſinners, whereby we are adopted, and made the children of God.