7oh. 16. 20. Fames 1. 12, So as this Promiſe and Declaration ® m_— Blefſedneſs, is not to be extended ro all Mourners, bur only © wenſs PIC ſuch as God harh made ſo, or who in Dury have made the -Onineſs la ſelves ſo, obeying ſome Command of God ; for Sympati1!% © Men © wich God's Glory, or with his aftliited People, Rome. 12. 15: he Mleratle, wh Teſtifying their Repenrance for their Sins; tor chere 153 _ a W{1re, a
%
F 97,11,
| 1p V.
-., which is 2 mecr natural effett of Paſſion, and a Worldly Sor- _ which worketh unto death, as well as a Godly Sorrow working Re- Pont ance to Salvation, 2 Cor. 7, 10.
5 Bleſſed * re the meek, for they ſhall inherir
che Earth. |
Men count the Hefors of the World Happy, whom none
\ -rovoke, bur they muſt expett as good as they bring 3 P_ F for an Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth. Burt 1 tell you theſe = = truly Happy, they are Tortured with their own. Paſſi- wot . their Hand 1s againſt every one, ſo every Man's Hand ic 2cainſt rhem 3 beſides, thar there is a God, who will revenge -- Wrongs they do. Bur the Meek., who can be angry, bur re- yas cheir Wrath in Obedience to the Will of God, and will Roc be angry, unleſs they can be angry and nor fin : Nor will eaiily be provoked by others, bur rather uſe ſoft word's to pacifie 1/+.4;þ, and give place to the Paſſions of others ; theſe are the Bloſſed Men : For tho' ochers may by their Sword, and their Bow, CONOUET a £reat deal of Earth to rheir will and Power, yer they will never quietly and comfortably inherit or pofleſs it ; they are Poſſoſſors mals fidei, forcible Poſlelſors, and they will enjoy whar chey have, as rapacious Birds enjoy theirs unquietly ; every one hach his Gun ready Charged and Cocke againſt chem : Bur thoſe who are of meek and quier Spirits, tho' they may not take {6 deep Root in the Earch, as others more boiſterous, yet rhere will be no Worm at rhe Roor of what chey have, and they ſhal! :y what God giveth them with more quier and certainty, and
nn will provide for them : Verily they ſhall be fed, Pſal. 37.
ONS 3 A
*" prelihd wn they which do hunger and thirſt after
Ki-hreouſneſs, for they ſhall be filled. _
You ſee many Men and Women Hungring and Thirſting after ſenſual Satista&tions, Or after ſenſible Enjyyments : Theſe are un- happy miſerable Men 3 they otren Hunger and Thirſt, and are nor jasfed. Bur I will ſhew you a more excellent Way, a more excellent Obje& of your Hunger and Thirſ?,. that is, Righteouſneſs, both a Righreouſneſs wherein you may ſtand before God, which 53s in me, Fer. 23. 6. and is revealed from Faith to Faith, Rom, 1. 17. and the Righteouſneſs of an Holy Lite. Thoſe are Bleſſed Men, who firſt ſeek the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Righteouſneſs thereof 3 God will theſe Men with what they deſire, 1/a. 55. 1,2. Luk. 1. 53. There are fome who. underſtand this Text, of an Hungring after the clearing of their Innocency towards Men, which is natural to jaſt and innocent Perſons talſly accu- ſed and traduced, and they have a Promiſe of being filled, Pſal. 37. 6. Bur I ſee no reaſon to conclude this rhe Sente of this Text,
7 Bleſſed are the merciful, for they ſhall obtain
mercy. The Men of the World bleſs themſelves, if they can take
© Care of themſelves, let others do what they -will, and as well as » they can: But I tell you, that thoſe alone are the Bleſſed Men, © who are touched with a true ſence and feeling of che Wants and > NMiſeries of others ; and rhat not our of a meer Gocdneſs and * Tendernefs of Nature, but our of a true Obedience to the Will of God, and a Senſe of his Love to them, and Faith in his Promiſes; Z and moved trom theſe Principles, do nor only pity and compaſſio- ” pate chem, and wiſh them well, bur extend their helping Hand ” tothem, ſuirably co their Miſeries : For theſe Men ſþall obtain
ttercy ; and that nor only from Men, it they come into Strairs
; and Diſtreſs, bur from the Hand of God, P/ſal. 37. 26. Pſal. 112.
5. He doth nor ſay they thall merit Mercy at God's Hand, bur they ſhall be Mercified, they ſhall obtain Mercy.
$ Bleſſed are the * pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee
' (od.
The Men of the World bleſs thoſe who appear Pure and Holy
I tMen, and pur on a Vizard and Mack of Purity, tho* they be * bur painted Sepulchres, and their Hearts be as Cages of all un-
clean Birds ; Bur choſe alone are Bleſied, who being. waſhed from their filchineſs by my Blood, are of a ſincere and upright Heart, tho' they be not legally pure, and free from all Sin; yer are fo pure, as thar God will accept them, the benr of cheir Hearrs being ater Holineſs ; who have not an Heart, and an Heart, no double- nels of Mind, who are Perſons in whom 1s no Guile. For tho”
E no mortal Eye can ſee and comprehend the Eflence of God, yer
theſe Men ſhall by an Eye of Faith ſee and enjsy God in this Lite, tho'in a Glaſs more darkly, and in the Life to come, Face to Face,
and 4 he is, 1 Cor. 13. 12. Heb. 12.14. I Joh, 3. 2.
9 Bleſſed are the peace-makers, tor they {hall be called the children of God. The World bleiſerh che boifterous unquiert Parry of ir, that
© Can never be ſtill, bur are continually -%:inking of more Worlds = Tt Conquer, and blowing up the ©:41s of War, Diviſun and Se-
dition, Bur they are Blefled indeed, who ſtudy ro be quier, leeking Peace, and purſuirz it ; and are ſo far frum ſowing che S20ds of Difcord, or blowing thoſe Coals, chat their grear ſtudy
' $29 make Peace berween God and Man, and berwizt a Man
Ws his Neighbour ; doing this in Obedience ro God, and cur
of a Principle of Love 'te God and Men : For thoſe that do fo, hall approve themſelves like rmto God, ro be Iis Children ; and 19 they ſhall be called. ( To be called, and to be, is much the
| lime; ſo whar Z/ſes ſaid, Gen. 21. 12. is interprered by Paul,
#M.9.7,%, So whar is faid by Matthew, Matth. 21. 12. is in- rrpret-1 by Luk. 19. 45. What was f:id by Sc. Fbn, chap. 1. 13.
3 p ime-preted, 1 702. 3.1.) for Gcd is the God of Peace, 1 Cor. S--/ + 33,
w—_ =
= -
10 Bleſſed are they who are perſecuted for righ- tonſneſs fake, tor theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. ... Men of the World judge thoſe Men very unhappy and "<0, Whom their Rulers make the Objects of their Wrath
140, and purſue violently co rhe loſs of their E/kates, Li-
St. M ATTHE WW.