The Beatitudes, Discourse · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Shewing that the godly are in ſome ſence already bleſſed.
I Proceed now to the ſecond Aphoriſme, or Concluſion, that the godly are in ſome ſence already bleſſed. Bleſſed are —] the Saints are bleſſed not only when they are Comprehenſores, but while they are Viatores. They are bleſſed before they are crowned. This ſeems a Paradox to fleſh and blood; what reproached, and maligned, yet bleſſed! A man that looks upon the children of God with a carnal eye, and ſees how they are afflicted, and like the ſhip in the Goſpel, which was covered with waves, Matth. 8.24. would think they were far from bleſſedneſſe. Saint Paul brings a Catalogue of his ſufferings, 2 Cor. 11.24, 25, 26. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I ſtoned, thrice I ſuffered ſhipwrack, &c. And thoſe Chriſtians of the firſt magnitude, of whom the world was not worthy, had trial of cruel mockings and ſcourgings; they were ſawn aſunder, they were ſlaine with the ſword, Heb. 11.36, 37. What? and were all theſe during the time of their ſufferings bleſſed? A carnal man would think, If this be to be bleſſed, God deliver him from it.
But, however ſence and reaſon would give their Vote, our Saviour Chriſt pronounceth the godly man bleſſed, though a Mourner, though a Martyr, yet bleſſed, Job on the dunghil was bleſſed Job. The Saints are bleſſed, when they are curſed. Shimei did curſe David, 2 Sam. 16.5. He came forth and curſed him; yet when he was curſed David, he was bleſſed David. The Saints though they are bruiſed, yet they are bleſſed. Not only they ſhall be bleſſed, but they are ſo, Pſal. 119.1. bleſſed are the undefiled. Pſal. 3.8. Thy bleſsing is upon thy people.
Queſt. How are the Saints already bleſſed?
Anſ. 1. In that they are enriched with heavenly bleſſings, Epheſ. 1.3. They are foreign, partakers of the Divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. not by an incorporation into the Divine eſſence, but by a transformation into the Divine likeneſſe. This is beatitudo inchoata, bleſſedneſſe begun; as the new-borne babe is ſaid to have life in it aſwell as he who is fully grown: So the Saints who are partakers of the Divine nature, have an inchoative bleſſedneſſe, though they have not arrived yet at perfection. Believers have Semen manens, The ſeed of God in them, 1 John 3.9. And this is a ſeed of bleſſedneſſe. The Flower of glory grows out of the ſeed of grace; grace and glory differ, not in kind, but degree, the one is the root, the other the fruit; grace is glory in the dawning; and glory grace in the meridian; and in this ſence that aſſertion of Auſtin is true, Beati ſumus fide, & ſpe; grace is the firſt link of the chaine of bleſſedneſſe; now he that hath the firſt link of the chaine in his hand, hath the whole chaine. The Saints have the Spirit of God in them, 2 Tim. 1.14. The Holy Ghoſt which dwelleth in us. How can the bleſſed Spirit be in a man and he not bleſſed? a godly mans heart is a Paradiſe, planted with the choiceſt fruit, and God himſelf walks in the midſt of this Paradiſe, and muſt he not needs be bleſſed?
2. The Saints are already bleſſed, becauſe their ſins are not imputed to them. Pſal. 32.2. Bleſſed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. Gods not imputing iniquity, ſignifies Gods making of ſin not to be; 'tis as if the man had never ſinned; the debt-book is cancel'd in Chriſts blood; and if the debtor owe never ſo much, yet if the creditor croſs the book, it is as if he had never owed any thing. Gods not imputing ſin, is, that God will never call for the debt; or if it ſhould be called for, it ſhall be hid out of ſight. Jer. 50.20. In thoſe days the iniquity of Iſrael ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none; and the ſins of Judah, and they ſhall not be found. Now ſuch a man who hath not ſin imputed to him, is bleſſed; and the reaſon is, becauſe if ſin be not imputed to a man, then the curſe is taken away; and if the curſe be taken away, then he muſt needs be bleſſed.
3. The Saints are already bleſſed, becauſe they are in Covenant with God. This is clear, by comparing two Scriptures; Jer. 31.33. I will be their God. and Pſal. 144.15. Happy is that people whoſe God is the Lord: This is the crowning bleſſing, to have the Lord for our God; impoſſible it is to imagine that God ſhould be our God, and we not bleſſed. This ſweet word, I will be your God, implies,
1. Propriety, that all that is in God ſhall be ours; his love ours, his Spirit ours, his mercy ours.
2. It implies all Relations. 1. Of a Father: 2 Cor. 6.18. I will be a Father unto you. The ſons of a Prince are happy; how bleſſed are the Saints who are of the true blood Royal? 2. It implies the relation of an Husband, Iſa. 54.5. Thy Maker is thy husband. The Spouſe being contracted to her husband, is happy, by having an intereſt in all he hath. The Saints being contracted by faith are bleſſed, though the ſolemnity of the Marriage be kept for heaven. 3. It implies terms of friendſhip. They who are in Covenant with God, are Favourites of heaven. Abraham my friend, Iſa. 41.8. 'Tis counted a Subjects happineſs to be in favour with his Prince, though he may live a while from Court; how happy muſt he needs be who is Gods Favourite?
4. The Saints are already bleſſed, becauſe they have a Reverſion of heaven; as on the contrary, he who hath hell in Reverſion, is ſaid to be already condemned. John 3.18. He that believeth not is condemned already. He is as ſure to be condemned, as if he were condemned already. So he who hath heaven in Reverſion, may be ſaid to be already bleſſed; a man that hath the Reverſion of an houſe, after a ſhort Leaſe is run out, he looks upon it as his already; this houſe (ſaith he) is mine: So a believer hath a Reverſion of heaven after the Leaſe of life is run out, and he can ſay at preſent, Chriſt is mine, and glory is mine; he hath jus ad rem, a title to heaven, and he is a bleſſed man that hath a title to ſhew; nay, faith turns the Reverſion into a Poſſeſſion.
5. The Saints are already bleſſed, becauſe they have Primitias, the firſt fruits of bleſſedneſs here: We read of the earneſt of the Spirit, and the ſeal, 2 Cor. 1.22. and the firſt fruits, Rom. 8.23. Heaven is already begun in a believer. Rom. 14.17. The Kingdome of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt. This Kingdome is in a believers heart: Luk. 17.21. The people of God have a prelibation, and taſte of bleſſedneſs here. As Iſrael taſted a bunch of grapes before they were actually poſſeſſed of Canaan: So the children of God have thoſe ſecret incomes of the Spirit, thoſe ſmiles of Chriſts face, thoſe kiſſes of his lips, thoſe love-tokens that are as bunches of grapes, and they think themſelves ſometimes in heaven. Paul was let down in a basket, Acts 9.25. Oftentimes the Comforter is let down to the ſoul in an Ordinance, and now the ſoul is in the Suburbs of Hieruſalem above; a Chriſtian ſees heaven by faith, and taſts it by joy, and what is this but bleſſedneſs?
6. The Saints may be ſaid in this life to be bleſſed, becauſe all things tend to make them bleſſed. Rom. 8.28. All things work for good to them that love God: We ſay to him that hath every thing falling out for the beſt, You are an happy man; the Saints are very happy, for all things hauehave a tendency to their good; proſperity doth them good, adverſity doth them good; nay, ſin turns to their good; every trip makes them more watchful; their maladies are their medicines; are not they happy perſons, that have every wind blowing them to the right Port?
7. A Saint may be ſaid to be bleſſed, becauſe part of him is already bleſſed; he is bleſſed in his head; Chriſt his head is in glory; Chriſt and believers make one body myſtical, their head is gotten into heaven.
Uſe 1. Inform. Branch 1. See the difference between Uſe 1 a wicked man and a godly;Inform. let a wicked man have never ſo many comforts, ſtill he is curſed; let a godly man have Branch 1 never ſo many croſſes, ſtill he is bleſſed; let a wicked man have the candle of God ſhining on him, Job 29.3. let his way be ſo ſmooth that he meets with no rubs; let him have ſucceſs, yet ſtill there is a curſe entailed upon him; you may read the ſinners Inventory: Deut. 28.16, 17, 18. He is not more full of ſin than he is of a curſe; though perhaps he bleſſeth himſelf in his wickedneſs, yet he is heir to Gods curſe; all the curſes of the Bible are his portion, and at the day of death this portion is ſure to be paid; but a godly man in the midſt of all his miſeries is bleſſed; he may be under the croſs, but not under a curſe.
Branch 2. It ſhews the priviledge of a believer; he Branch 2 not only ſhall be bleſſed, but he is bleſſed; bleſſedneſs is begun in him: Pſal. 115.15. You are bleſsed of the Lord: Let the condition of the Righteous be never ſo ſad, yet it is bleſſed; he is bleſſed in affliction: Pſal. 94. Bleſſed is he whom thou chaſteneſt: Bleſſed in poverty: James 2.5. Poor in the world, rich in faith. Bleſſed in diſgrace: 1 Pet. 4.14. The Spirit of God, and of glory reſteth upon you. This may be a cordial to the fainting Chriſtian! he is bleſsed in life and death, Satan cannot ſupplant him of the bleſſing.
Branch 3 Branch 3. How may this take away murmuring and melancholy from a child of God? Wilt thou repine and be ſad when thou art bleſsed? Eſau wept becauſe he wanted the bleſſing. Gen. 27.38. Bleſs me, even me alſo O my Father, and Eſau lift up his voice and wept. But ſhall a child of God be immoderately caſt down, when he hath the bleſſing? Adam ſin'd in the midſt of Paradiſe; how evil is it to be bleſſed, and yet murmure?
Branch 4 Branch 4. What an encouragement is this to godlineſs? we are all ambitious of a bleſſing, then let us eſpouſe Religion. Pſal. 112.1. Bleſſed is the man that feareth the Lord. But you will ſay, this way is everywhere ſpoken againſt; 'tis no matter, ſeeing this is the way to get a bleſſing: Suppoſe a Rich man ſhould adopt another for his heir, and others ſhould reproach him, he cares not, as long as he is heir to the Eſtate: So, what though others may reproach thee for thy Religion, as long as it entails a bleſſing upon thee; the ſame day thou becomeſt godly, thou becomeſt bleſſed.