The Beatitudes, Discourse · Chapter 15
MATTH. 5.6.
For they ſhall be filled.
CHAP. XV.
Shewing that the ſpiritual hunger ſhall be ſatisfied.
2. The Promiſe annexed.I Proceed now to the ſecond part of the text, a Promiſe annexed, foreign, they ſhall be filled. A Chriſtians fighting with ſin is not like one that beats the aire, 1 Cor. 9.26. and his hungring after righteouſneſſe is not like one that ſucks in only ayre, Bleſſed are they that hunger, for they ſhall be filled.
Doctr. Doctr. Thoſe that hunger after righteouſneſſe ſhall be filled; God never bids us ſeek him in vain *Iſa. 45.19., here is an hony-comb dropping into the mouths of the hungry, they ſhall be filled. Luke 1.53. He hath filled the hungry with good things. Pſal. 109.7. He ſatisfieth the longing ſoul, God will not let us loſe our longing; here is the excellency of righteouſneſſe above all things; a man may hunger after the world, and not be filled; the world is fading, not filling; Caſt three Worlds into the heart, yet the heart is not full; but righteouſneſs is a filling thing, nay, it ſo fills, as it ſatisfies; a man may be filled, and not ſatiſfied; a ſinner may take his fill of ſin, but that is a ſad filling, it is far from ſatisfaction. Prov. 14 14. The back-ſlider in heart ſhall be filled with his own wayes; he ſhall have his belly full of ſin, he ſhall have enough of it; but this is not a filling to ſatisfaction, this is ſuch a filling as the damned in hell have, they ſhall be full of the fury of the Lord: But he that hungers after righteouſneſs, ſhall be ſatisfyingly filled. Jerem. 31.14. My people ſhall be ſatisfied with goodneſs. Pſal. 63.3. My ſoul ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow. Joſeph firſt opened the mouth of the Sacks, and then filled them with corn, and put money in them, Gen. 42.25. So God firſt opens the mouth of the ſoul with deſire, and then fills it with good things, Pſal. 81.10. — For the illuſtration of this, conſider theſe three things.
1. That God can fill the hungry ſoul.
2. Why he fills the hungry ſoul.
3. How he fills the hungry ſoul.
1. That God can fill the hungry ſoul; he is called a fountain. Pſal. 36.9. With thee is the fountain of life: The Ciſtern may be empty, and cannot fill us: Creatures are oft broken Ciſterns, Jer. 2.13. But the fountain is filling; God is a Fountain; if we bring the Veſſels of our deſires to this Fountain, he is able to fill them; the fulneſs in God is, 1. An infinite fulneſs; though he fill us, and the Angels which have larger capacities to receive, yet he hath never the leſs himſelf; as the Sun, though it ſhines, hath never the leſs light. Luke 8.46. I perceive that vertue is gone out of me. Though God lets vertue go out of him, yet he hath never the leſs; the fulneſs of the creature is limited; it ariſeth juſt to ſuch a degree and proportion, but Gods fulneſs is infinite; as it hath its Reſplendency, ſo its Redundancy, it knows neither bounds nor bottom.
2. It is a conſtant fulneſs: The fulneſs of the creature is a mutable fulneſs, it ebbs and changeth. I could (ſaith one) have helped you, but now my Eſtate is low; the bloſſoms of the Fig-tree are ſoon blown off; creatures cannot do that for us which once they could; but God is a conſtant fulneſs. Pſal. 102.27. Thou art the ſame: God can never be exhauſted, his fulneſs is over-flowing and ever-flowing then ſurely it is good to draw nigh to God, Pſal. 73.28. it is good bringing our Veſſels to this ſpring-head, 'tis a never-failing goodneſs.
2. Why God doth fill the hungry ſoul. The Reaſons are:
1. God will fill the hungry ſoul out of his tender compaſſion; he knows elſe the Spirit would fail before him, and the ſoul which he hath made, Iſa. 57.16. If the hungry man be not ſatisfied with food, he dyes; God hath more bowels than to ſuffer an hungry ſoul to be famiſhed; when the Multitude had nothing to eat, Chriſt was moved with compaſſion, and he wrought a miracle for their ſupply: Matth. 15.32. Much more will he compaſſionate ſuch as hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſs: When a poor ſinner ſees himſelf almoſt ſtarved in his ſins, (as the Prodigal among his husks) and begins to hunger after Chriſt, ſaying, There is bread enough in my Fathers houſe; God will then out of his infinite compaſſions bring forth the fatted Calf, and refreſh this ſoul with the delicacies and proviſions of the Goſpel; oh the melting of Gods bowels to an hungry ſinner! Hoſea 11.8. My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled. We cannot ſee a poor creature at the door ready to periſh with hunger, but our bowels begin to relent, and we afford them ſome relief; and will the Father of mercies let a poor ſoul that hungers after the bleſſings of the Goſpel go away without an Alms of free-grace? no, he will not, he cannot; let the hungry ſinner think thus, Though I am full of wants, yet my God is full of bowels.
2. God will fill the hungry that he may fulfill his Word. Pſal. 107.9. Jer. 41.14. Luke 6.21. Bleſſed are ye that hunger now, for ye ſhall be filled. Iſa. 44.3. I will poure water upon him that is thirſty, I will poure my Spirit upon thy ſeed, &c. Hath the Lord ſpoken, and ſhall it not come to paſs? promiſes are obligatory; if God hath paſſed a promiſe, he cannot go back: Thou that hungereſt after righteouſneſs, haſt God engaged for thee; he hath (to ſpeak with Reverence) pawned his truth for thee. As his compaſſions fail not, Lam. 3.22. ſo he will not ſuffer his faithfulneſs to fail, Pſal. 89.33. If the hungry ſoul ſhould not be filled, the promiſe ſhould not be fulfilled.
3. God will fill the hungry ſoul, becauſe he himſelf hath excited and ſtirred up this hunger; he plants holy deſires in us, and will not he ſatisfie thoſe deſires which he himſelf hath wrought in us? as in caſe of prayer, when God prepares the heart to pray, he prepares his ear to hear, Pſal. 17.10. So in caſe of ſpiritual hunger, when God prepares the heart to hunger, he will prepare his hand to fill; it is not rational to imagine that God ſhould deny to ſatisfie that hunger which he himſelf hath cauſed: Nature doth nothing in vain: Should the Lord inflame the deſire after righteouſneſs, and not fill it, he might ſeem to do ſomething in vain.
4. God will fill the hungry, from thoſe ſweet Relations he ſtands unto them, they are his children; we cannot deny our children when they are hungry, we will rather ſpare it from our ſelves: Luke 11.13. When he that is born of God, ſhall come and ſay, Father, I hunger, give me Chriſt; Father, I thirſt, refreſh me with the living ſtreams of thy Spirit, can God deny? Doth God hear the Raven when it cries, and will he not hear the righteous when they cry? when the Earth opens its mouth and thirſts, God doth ſatisfie it: Pſal. 65.9, 10. Doth the Lord ſatisfie the thirſty Earth with ſhowres, and will he not ſatisfie the thirſty ſoul with grace?
5. God will ſatisfie the hungry, becauſe the hungry ſoul is moſt thankful for mercy; when the reſtleſs deſire hath been drawn out after God, and God fills it, how thankful is a Chriſtian! The Lord loves to beſtow his mercy where he may have moſt praiſe; we delight to give to them that are thankful: Muſitians love to play where there is the beſt ſound; God loves to beſtow his mercies where he may hear of them again: The hungry ſoul ſets the Crown of praiſe upon the head of free-grace. Pſal. 50.23. Who ſo offereth praiſe, glorifies me.
3. How God fills the hungry ſoul?
Anſw. There is a three fold filling.
1. With Grace.
2. With Peace.
3. With Bliſs.
1. God fills the hungry ſoul with Grace: Grace is filling, becauſe ſutable to the ſoul. Stephen full of the Holy Ghoſt, Acts 7.55. This fulneſs of Grace is in reſpect of parts, not of degrees. There is ſomething of every Grace, though not perfection in any Grace.
2. God fills the hungry ſoul with peace. Rom. 15.13. The God of hope fill you with joy and peace; this flows from Chriſt. Iſrael had honey out of the Rock; this honey of peace comes out of the Rock Chriſt. John 16. ult. that in me ye might have peace. So filling is this peace, that it ſets the ſoul a longing after heaven; this Cluſter of Grapes quickens the appetite and purſuit after the full Crop.
3. God fills the hungry ſoul with bliſs: Glory is a filling thing. Pſal. 17. ult. When I awake, I ſhall be ſatisfied with thy image. When a Chriſtian awakes out of the ſleep of death, then he ſhall be ſatisfied, having the glorious beams of Gods image ſhining upon him; then ſhall the ſoul be filled brim-full; the glory of heaven is ſo ſweet, that the ſoul ſhall ſtill thirſt; yet ſo infinite, that it ſhall be filled.
Qui te Chriſte bibent, dulci torrente refecti
Non ſitient ultra, ſed tamen & ſitient. —
Uſe. What an Encouragement is this to hunger after righteouſneſs! ſuch ſhall be filled: Uſe. God chargeth us to fill the hungry, Iſa. 58.10. He blames thoſe who do not fill the hungry, Iſa. 32.6. And do we think he will be ſlack in that which he blames us for not doing? Oh come with hungrings after Chriſt, and be aſſured of ſatiſfaction. God keeps open houſe for hungry ſinners; he invites his Gueſts, and bids them come without money, Iſa. 55.1, 2. Gods Nature inclines him, and his Promiſe obligeth him to fill the hungry. Conſider, Why did Chriſt receive the Spirit without meaſure? John 3.34. It was not for himſelf; he was infinitely full before; but he was filled with the holy unction for this end, that he might diſtill his grace upon the hungry ſoul. Art thou ignorant? Chriſt was filled with wiſdom that he might teach thee. Art thou polluted? Chriſt was filled with grace that he might cleanſe thee: Shall not the ſoul then come to Chriſt, who was filled on purpoſe to fill the hungry? we love to knock at a rich mans door; in our Fathers houſe there is bread enough; come with deſire, and you ſhall go away with comfort; you ſhall have the vertues of Chriſts blood, the influences of his Spirit, the communications of his love.
Here are two Objections made againſt this.
Object. 1 1. The carnal mans Objection: I have (ſaith he) hungred after righteouſneſs, yet am not filled.
Anſw. 1 Anſw. 1. Thou ſayſt thou hungereſt, and art not ſatisfied; perhaps God is not ſatisfied with thy hunger; thou haſt opened thy mouth wide *Pſal. 81.10., but haſt not opened thine ear *Pſal. 40.9.: When God hath called thee to Family-prayer, and mortification of ſin, thou haſt like the deaf Adder, ſtopped thine ear againſt God, Zach. 7.11. No wonder then thou haſt not that comfortable filling as thou deſireſt; though thou haſt opened thy mouth, yet thou haſt ſtopped thine ear; the child that will not hear his parent, is made to do pennance by faſting.
2. Perhaps thou thirſteſt as much after a tentation as after righteouſneſs: At a Sacrament thou ſeemeſt to be inflamed with deſire after Chriſt; but the next tentation that comes, either to drunkenneſs or laſciviouſneſs, thou falleſt in, and cloſeſt with the tentation. Satan doth but becken to thee, and thou comeſt; thou openeſt faſter to the Tempter than to Chriſt; and doſt thou wonder thou art not filled with the fat things of Gods houſe?
3. Perhaps thou hungereſt more after the world than after righteouſneſs: The young man in the Goſpel would have Chriſt, but the world lay nearer his heart than Chriſt: hypocrites pant more after the duſt of the Earth *Amos 2.7.than the water of life. Iſrael had no Manna while their Dough laſted; ſuch as feed immoderately upon the Dough of earthly things, muſt not think to be fill'd with Manna from heaven; if your money be your god, never look to receive another God in the Sacrament.
2. The godly mans Objection; I have had unfeigned Object. 2 deſires after God, but are not filled.
Anſw. 1. Thou mayſt have a filling of grace, Anſw. 1 though not of comfort; if God doth not fill thee with gladneſs, yet with goodneſs, Pſal. 107.11. Look into thy heart, and ſee the diſtillations of the Spirit; the dew may fall, though the honey-comb doth not drop.
2. Wait a while, and thou ſhalt be filled; the Goſpel is a ſpiritual Banquet, it feaſts the ſoul with grace and comfort; none eat of this Banquet but ſuch as wait at the Table. Iſa. 25.6, 9. In this Mountain ſhall the Lord of Hoſts make unto all people a Feaſt of fat things, a Feaſt of wines on the Lees well refined; and it ſhall be ſaid in that day, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him; we will be glad, and rejoyce in his ſalvation. Spiritual mercies are not only worth deſiring, but waiting for.
3. If God ſhould not fill his people to ſatisfaction here, yet they ſhall be filled in heaven; the Veſſels of their deſires ſhall be filled, as thoſe water-pots, Joh. 2. up to the brim.