labour if wee left it to God but hee seeing that wee will neither referre it to his justicâ— nor to his commaundements nor to his promises being unwilling to endure a companion in any of his works hee suffereth us to try our uttermost which is most commonly the cause of our ruine Let us then breake off this discourse which would never end if wee should punctually follow it and let us remember that revenge is our Masters owne dish which none can touch without incurring his indignation And let us imitating our heavenly Father forgive our enemies for if hee should take revenge of all the offences which wee at every moment commit against his sacred Majestie hee would then reduce us to that nothing from whence we came or would inflict upon us eternall paines and punishments since the least offence committed against an infinite goodnesse deserveth an infinite paine and torment Let us then follow Saint Lukes admonition Be mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull and presently after wee shall heare that blessed recompence which we shall receive for it to wit Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie Wee have already shewed how God recompenseth the mercifull yea in this life with blessings favours and graces spirituall and temporall giving unto them a hundred times more then they have given to the poore and giving them consolation in their distresse as they also have suffered with their neighbour in his affliction But let us consider the third fruit of charitable workes which is the highest degree of honour unto which the mercifull shall ascend to wit eternall blessednesse and withall we will also examine the cause wherefore the faithfull receive graces spirituall temporall and eternall which doeth clearely enough appeare in our Text Blessed are the meâ—cifull for they shall obtaine mercie The onely and perfect felicity of man both in this life and in that to come consisteth simply and soly in the possession of the favour of God which the wicked cruell and impious shall never be partakers of but only the Saints the bountifull and mercifull shall pitch their teâ—ts there the reason why the one are put backe from this infinite good and that the others shall bee received and cheriâ—hed therein for ever is because the first have lived in crueltie rigour and tyrannie and shall therefore be thus punished but the second having beene gracious bountifuâ—l and meeke they shall obtaine mercy according to that saying of Christ With what measure you mete it shall bee measured unto you againe In these words to obtaine mercie wee have many very remarkable circumstances for God will shew himselfe such unto us as wee shall shew our selues to our neighbours if wee give a crumme of bread to the poore languishing at our doores hee will call us into his royall Pallace hee will make us sit downe at his Table he will fill us with the dainties of his house and will make us drinke abundantly in the rivâ—r of his delights if wee beare with griefe our neighbours affliction if wee dresse his wounds and powre oyle on them hee will comfort uâ— in our sorrowes hee will wipe off the teares from our eyes and will fill our hearts with joy and gladnesse if wee forgive our brethren their offences when either maliciously or through infirmity they have offended us hee promiseth and assureth us to be so bountifull and mercifull to us that hâ—e will drive our sinnes away from before his face hee will scatter our misdeedes like a cloud dispersed by the parching beames of the Sunne and in this part shall wee finde the center where the fulnesse of our felicitie resteth and resideth This forgivenesse of our sinnes is that which covereth us from the divine justice that giveth into our hands the shield of assurance which is impenetrable by the revenging shot of his just judgements that maketh us walke voyd of feare towards the throne of grace and that without the least doubting for since God is with us who shall be against us shall the world why it is vanquished shall hell why it is fettered and shackled Shall death why it is dead shall sinne why it is prevented and pardoned Finally shall the flesh why it is crucified Wee may therefore say and conclude with the Apostle Saint Paul O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory now thanks be to God that hath given us victory through his Sonne Iesus Christ. From this word obtaine wee will also derive and draw this remarkable doctrine for he presupposeth asking seeing wee cannot obtaine a thing before wee have demaunded it which teacheth us our duties towards God acknowledging our selues poore weake and miserable both in body and soule subject in body to thousands of sicknesses weaknesses and necessities troubled in minde with a world of businesse crosses and afflictions and so laden in soule with sinnes misdeedes and iniquities that they are more in number then the sand that is on the Sea shore But the onely remedy to these sicknesses is to have our recourse to Gods mercie which is the sacâ—ed anchor of our hopes the haven of our salvation and the eternall residence of our incomparable and incomprehensible felicities And let us hold for certaine and infallible that wee shall never bee refused by his sacred goodnesse which calleth out aloud unto us Math. 11. â—8 come unto me all ye that are troubled â—nd â—eâ—vie laden and I will ease you take my yoake upon you for it is â—ight and ye shall finde rest to your soules his yoake is nothing else but the affliction weakenesse and necessity of the poore that is the yoake he commandeth us to beare that is to 〈◊〉 we â—ust take off the loade of misery and calamity from the poore to lade it upon our owne shoulders and wee shall finde that his yoake is easie and his burthen light because he will then augment our strength and will make us so able to beare it that we should be sorrowfull ever to cast it off againe As a King findeth the waight of a crowne but small when it is upon his head by reason of the wealth honour and power that follow the heavinesse of this burthen as hee would never leave his Kingdome his power and his Empire for the waight of a Sâ—epter seeing they make him honourable to his Subjects and feared of Strangers so that faithfull man which hath compassed and environed his forehead with the crowne of love to his neighbour that hath adorned his hand with the Scepter of charity to the needy and miserable hee without doubt shall finde rest in his soule which is the fulnesse of all felicity Now since such great and admirable effects since so excellent profits and advantages proceede from our mercie charity and bounty to our neighbour since in the practise of it wee finde our felicity which consisteth in the love which God beareth unto us in the confirmation of the pardon for our offences since againe God assureth us
idle by reason of the spirit of grace dwelling in our soules who inspires continually in us holy and religious thoughts There is but one heart in man and yet his shape and forme is triangular a figure bearing proportion to his object that is God one in Essence and three in persons So our soules should be adorned with these three beautiful vertues Faith hope and Charity He is open at the top and that way he receiveth his nourishment Which teacheth us that our soules should alwayes be open to proclaime the praises of our Creator and Redeemer that nourisheth them with the holy and wholsoâ—e meat of his sacred word sent dowâ—â— from heaven The least angle or corâ—eâ— is turned downewards to shew us that 〈◊〉 least care should bee for earthly things It is againe not hayrie to teach us that our soule which is hiâ— hostesse must be voyd of the foolish and light imaginations of the weake and unconstant considerations of this world that so she may hope and ayme at nothing but heaven her blessed Countrey wherein it is impossible to enter before our heart after Moses his example have pulled off the Shooes of our corruption and worldly affection that so wee may come neare this burning bush this fearefull fire Gods divine justice The Oracle of Apollo being once enquired what was the most pleasingst thing of God after his ordinary manner hee answered ambiguously and obscurely Dimidium sphaerae sphaeram cum principe Romae An answer most true though it came from the father of lies for a C is the halfe of a Sphere and O is a Sphere and the beginning of the word Rome is an R which letters put together make COR that is the heart and questionlesse it is the most pleasingst gift that can bee offered unto God and which no man can justly refuse him The poore may say I cannot give almes the sicke I cannot goe to Church I can neither watch nor pray but none can say I cannot loâ—e God for thy others defects may be excused by â—hy poverty or sicknesse but to refuse God with 〈◊〉 heart it cannot be excused but by malice as S. Augusâ—ine very learnedly saith Let us remember thâ—â— how charitable so ever our actions be if our hearâ— doe not goe before to enlighten them all of them will tumble downe together into the obscure darkness of the deepe Our actions are of no value without the heart but the heart may bee good without the actions God had respect to Abel and afterwards to his offering the good Thiefe to obtaine mercy gave nothing but his heart Marie Magdalene but her teares and Saint Peter but sighes and lamentations proceeding from the depth of his soule Now that this heart may be pleasing and acceptable to God it must be cleare bright and shining to the end that as in a glasse God may see his owne image and likenesse after which he at the first created it and when it is once cleane and pure then right so and in that manner we must keepe it in the same glorious estate for Non minor est virtuâ— quam quaerere parta tueri And to that end we must imitate the Bees which to hinder the drones and spiders from comming into their Hives to corrupt or devoure their honey stop the entries of them with bitter and stinging hearbs as good Husbandmen who enclose their grounds lest passengers or the wild beasts should spoile them Even so should wee alwayes keepe the passages of our senses of our hearts and of our thoughts fenced with the feare of God which is a bitter Rue and Worm-wood that the devill cannot endure to tast or relish Marke and observe with me the care and diligence which is used to conserve Christall and China Dishes what paines are taken to keepe them cleane bright and shining because they are deare and rare And what can wee finde in this world more precious and rare then our heart then let us with a diligent care and carefull sollicitude seeke the cleâ—nenesse and purity thereof following the Apostles counsell Let every one possesse his vessell with sanctifiâ—ation and honour 1. Thess. 4.4 When a vessell is cleft or crackt it is unfit to containe any liquid thing Now the wicked heart is a crackt vessell saith Eccles. chap. 21. A broken heart threatneth death to a living creature as a Ship split and torne with the violence of the waves threatneth undoubted death ruine and shipwrack so that heart that is not well united to God that is broken and shattered by the force of worldly affections threatneth and fore-telleth an infallible ruine and destruction To fill a vessell in a Well or in a Fountaine we must needs bend it downwards so must we humble our heart to fill it with heavenly graces I have inclined my care and I have received wisedome saith the wise man Sap. 61. Againe we know that none caâ— fill a vessell with any good and wholesome liquor wherein there is some corrupted before he first empty it and make it very cleane If we defire to fill our hearts with the love and other graces of God wee must first expell and exempt the love and delights of this world that have beene so long resident there and then when wee have done those things we shall be sure fully to enjoy the inestimable effects of this divine promise Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see GOD. In this second part wee have demonstrated unto us the reason why Christ calleth the pure in heart Blessed it is saith he because they shall see GOD. This conjunction for joyning those two sentences sheweth and marketh out unto us the reason of this felicity and happinesse that cannot receive a name enough emphaticall and significant to represent to our senses and to our understandings the least beame the least spark the least drop of that inexhaustible Ocean of that devouring fire of that Sunne of righteousnesse whose brightnesse if we should undertake to contemplate it would strike us blinde whose immense depth if wee should search it would swallow us up whose burning heat if wee approach it would convert us to ashes and would make us pay deere for our curiosity The Poets faine that the Giants attempting to clime up to heaven were thunder-stricken as they were heaping Olympus and Pelion upon Ossa one mountaine upon another A fable derived from that truth taught us in the Scripture touching the building of the Tower of Babell whose Builders were shamefully confounded the Allegorie of this truth the morality of this fable sets forth unto us the curiosity of them who thinking to pierce too farre into Gods secrets are cast downe into a deepe Abisse of confusion by their audacious presumption Empedocles desiring to know the cause why mount AEtna did cast forth such flames was swallowed and devoured by them â—od indeed depresseth and dejecteth the proud designâ—s of those that are so rash as to discourse of that which is altogether ineffable and
wrath is like the roaring of a Lyon and against which who can subsist and that his mildnesse is like the morning dewe When the Sunne passeth through the Zodiack and is entered into the signe of Leo we endure unsufferable heat so when wrath is joyned with power and some likelihood of reason it produceth strange effects The Lyon is a beast of an exceeding hot complexion which causeth in his mouth so strong an infection and stinke that when hee hath devoured the halfe of his prey that which he leaveth is suddenly putrified and corrupted this eternall fire is so violent in this beast that it is commonly the cause of his death happening by the corruption of his bowels Is not this a lively Embleme and representation of the cholerick man whose slandering tongue is so venomous and stinking that it corrupteth and infecteth his neighbours good name if he touch it never so little in a word wrath is a black and burned humour that not onely corrupteth the body but also killeth the soule In the law of Moses those birds that had crooked clawes anâ— lived by prey were not to be eaten nor sacrificed under the shadow of this figure let us light this torch of truth that all that suffer themselues to be carried away by wrath that gape after revenge and hatred are uncleane before god and unworthy to be offered to him in sacrifice If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the Altar and goe thy way be reconciled to thy brother saith our Saviour Math. 5.23 And the royall Prophet sayes Bloodie men are abomination to the Lord Psal. 5.7 Hitherto wee have seene the horrour and mischiefes of warre with some of the fruits she commonly beareth to wit cruelty eldest daughter of this terrible monster now let us contemplate a while the picture of peace her contrary and let us tast with delectation the sweetnesse and excellencie of the inestimable fruites which she beareth propagates in the hearts of peacemakers which are so great that St. August saith Tantum est pacis bonuÌ„ ut in rebus terrenis nihil gratius soleat audiri nihil desiderabilius concupisci nihil postremo possit melius inveniri Peace is so great a good upon the earth that no pleasanter thing can be heard nothing more delightfull desired and nothing better found Saint Bernard in the 9. Serm. on the Lords Supper speaketh thus of it The peace of this world is in the which whilest we dwell we vanquish our enemies wee love one another and judge not of those things that are hidden from us that peace which shall bee in the world to come shall be when wee shall raigne without enemies where one shall not be of contrary aduice to the other in a word where all things shall bee knowne and open to every one and endeth thus Iesus Christ is this true peace because hee hath reconciled us to God his Father by the inestimable price of his blood Saint Augustine in the Sermon of the word of the Lord speaketh thus of it Pax est serenitas mentis tranquillitas animi simplicitas cordis vinculum amoris consortium charitatis baec est quae simultates tollit bella compesâ—it iras comprimit superbos calcat humiles amat discordes cedat inimicos concordat cunctis est placida nescit extolli nescit inflari hanc qui acceperit teneat qui perdiderit repetat qui amiserit exquirat quoniam qui in cadem non â—rit inventus a patre abdicatur a Filio exhaerâ—datur à Spiritu Sancto alienus efficitur necad haereditatem Domini poterit venire qui testimonium pacis noluerit observare These be golden words deserving well to be knowne and to be exactly obserued Peace saith hee is a calmenesse of the understanding a tranquillity of the minde simplicity of the heart the bond of peace the practise of charity it is peace that taketh away quarels endeth warres appeaseth wrath treadeth the proud under foote loves the humble paci fieth the quarelsome agreeth the enemies which is gracious to all which is not high minded nor proud which whosoever hath received let him conserue it who so hath lost it let him seeke and recover it for hee that shall not be found in it is disclaimed by the Father disinherited by the Sonne alienated from the Holy Ghost nor shall hee ever attaine to the Lords inheritance that would not obserue the bonds and testimonie of peace Now we haue heard these two pillars of the Church of God let us hearken to himselfâ— speaking by the mouth of his chosen vessell Coloss 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body and be ye thankfull And Philip. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding keepe your hearts and mindes through Iesus Christ. And that which should most bind us to love this Peace is the soring or head founâ—aine from whence it sloweth for as the warre of sinne proceedeth from the wicked one so the peace of our consciences commeth from the Father of eternity from the King of mercy as wee read 1. Thessal 5.23 The very God of peacâ— sanctiâ—ie you wholly This peace of conscience is a marke and an effect of our iustification by faith as wee reade Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through â—â—r Lord Iesus Christ. All these places should induce and incite us to the practise of peace since the recompence promised to it is so excellent In a word let us shut the gate of peace with that saying of Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace is the greatest good can happen to men and warre the greatest hurt Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God This word peacemaker is diversly interpreted by Authorâ— for some hold that those are they which live justly and who by their actions never provoke the divine Iustice. Others as August hold that those are meant which possesse a very peaceable conscience that is that are not agitated by the troubles of sinne Others beleeve that those are they that are not Authors of quarrels and dissentions Others understand it of those that forgive freely the injuries and wrongs done unto them as Hilarius The last and most likely to be the best opinion of the which number are Chrysostome Euthymius and Theophylacte is that the true peace-makers are those that are themselues and in themselues peaceable and pacified and that besides that try their uttermost endevours and power to compound differences and to introduce peace where dessention disorder raigne And this interpretation commeth nearer to the Greeke word of our Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quasi pacemfacientes aut conciliantes Those that compound quarrels and this interpretation is also very convenient to the charge and duty which was enjoyned the Apostles to whom Iesus Christ spake these words who were to
drop as the hony combe hony and milke are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon Wee should passe â—oo often over the same steps and path if we should here againe speake of the admirable and inimitable mildnesse and tranquillity of our good Master and Saviour Iesus Christ whose birth preacheth unto us humility his life peace and his death compassion Let us then strive to imitate him as much as wee can possible in our youth being very humble in our viril age peaceable and in our old age pitifull and in all the course of our life milde bountifull and loving following Davids counsell Love peace and seeke it for God with a favourable and gracious eye beholds him that is studious of peace and he heareth his most humble prayers in the tiâ—e of his affliction Psalm 34.16 Behold great and divine profits faire aâ—d admirable rewards and recompences that the faithfull get by seeking after peace with God and by having procured all the meanes of agreement with their neighbours both in things that concerne them and in things needfull to the union and concord of all our brethren Let us now heare that gracious and favourable voyce shewing unto us the profit and recompence which wee must without doubt expect for having beene peacemakers it is Iesus Christ himselfe who is not a man that hee should lye nor the Sonne of man that he should repent when he saith in our text Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called â—hâ— children of God He doth not onely say they shall be blessed after their death but they are so already because that he makes them know in their soules the delight he takes in it and the goods which they shall receive which is eternall peace Blessed then are the seete of those that bring tidings of peace Isaiah 52.7 This particle For sheweth the reason of their blessednesâ—e and not the cause for if all the peacemakers werâ— the children of God by conâ—equence many Turkes and Pagans should be such because they are peacemakers But the tree must be first good before it can beare good fruit so wee must first be the children of God before wee can be true peacemakers for those that are peacemakers not being the children of God have already received their reward that is they have received the praise and applause of the world which they were peacemakers â—o obtaine but all that is nothing but a maske and false apparition of that true peace which God recommendeth unto us In this reason of Christs why the peacemakers shall be called the children of God wee must note and obserue a double Hebraisme the one in the word Children the other in the verbe they shall be called vocabuntur The first Hebraisme is in the word Filij Children which in the holy tongue signifieth comformâ—e and like as Math. 5.44.45 Love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you that ye may â—e the children that is like to your Father which is in heaven The other Hebraisme is in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kara that is erunt or vocabuntur they shall be called which is turned erunt they â—hall be where of wee have an example Genes 21.12 God speaking to Abraham saith Iâ— Isaac shall thy seâ—de be called that is shall thy seede be Of which words Saint â—aul is an irreprehensible interprâ—â—er Rom. 9.7.8 Neither because they are the seedâ— of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seedâ— be called that is they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise arâ— counted for the seed The Prophet Isaiah 36.7 useth the same phrase My house shall be called an house of â—rayer for all people And Saint Luke interpreting these words chap. 19.46 saith It is written My house is the housâ— of prayer but ye have made it a denne of theeves and indeede this word shall be called seemeth to meâ— much more emphaticall and comprehâ—ndiâ—g morâ— then the word to be onely becausâ— this to be called est in rerum natura is in the nature of the things and besides that it is knowne and published of every man therefore Blessed â—re the peaâ—emakers â—or they shall not onely be the children of God but also shall be knowne aâ—d acknowledged for such even by their greatest enemies who beâ—ore thought them to be foolish and pusâ—llanimous but then they shâ—ll be forcâ—d to confesse that they are the true children of God and to speake like the wicked Wisedomeâ—he â—he 5. Chap. Then saith she shall the just appeare in safeâ—y before the face of them that have â—ormented him and that shall have rejected his labourâ— who sâ—eing him â—hall be seased with horrible feare and shall â—ee frighted to see him beyond their â—xpectation saved then changing their opinions sighing for griefe shall be in their hearts they will say among themselues Behold this is he of whom sometimes we laughed and made proverbs of dishonour We fooles thought his life madnesse and his death infamie and how is hee counted among the children of God and hath his portion among the Saints Blessed then are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God This word childe of God is diversly taken in Scripture and according to the Hebrew phrase this word Sonne signifieth him that is vowed and ordained to any thing so we reade Saint Math. 9.15 The children of the Bridechamber that is those that are ordained for the wedding cannot mourne as long as the Bridegroome is with them And Saint Iohn 17 1â— While I waâ— with them in the world I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Sonne of perdition that is he that was or dained to destruction but this kind of speech toucheth not our text But let us say that this word Sonne of God is commonly aâ—tributed in Scripture either to Iesus Christ as being the naturall Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantiall and coeternall with his Father of the same will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and same power with him being both true God and true man the divine nature neither confounding nor destroying the humane and the humanity not being mingled and changed into the Godhead both natures remaining entire and perfect make but one person He I say is called the Sonne of God by the acknowledgement and confession of the Father himselfe Math. 17.5 When Iesus Christ tooke with him Peter Iames and Iohn and brought them up into an high mountaine and being transfigured before them they heard a voyce from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him We read also the same words in the 3. Chap. 17. ver of the same Evangelist The Father and