But may we not justly enquire, who told them this? That some parts of this discourse, concerned only the apostles? Or the Christians of the apostolic age? Or the ministers of Christ? Bare assertions are not a sufficient proof, to establish a point of so great importance. Has then our Lord himself taught us; that some parts of his discourse, do not concern all mankind? Without doubt, had it been so, he would have told us; he could not have omitted so necessary an information. But has he told us so? Where? In the discourse itself? No: here is not the least intimation of it. Has he said so elsewhere? In any other of his discourses? Not one word so much as glancingthis way, can we find in any thing he ever spoke, either to the multitudes or to his disciples. Has any of the apostles, or other inspired writers, left such an instruction upon record? No such thing. No assertion of this kind is to be found in all the oracles of God. Who then are the men who are so much wiser than God? Wise, so far above that is written?
6. Perhaps they will say, “That the reason of the thing requires such a restriction to be made.” If it does, it must be on one of these two accounts; because without such a restriction, the discourse would either be apparently absurd, or would contradict some other scripture. But this is not the case. It will plainly appear, when we come to examine the several particulars, that there is no absurdity at all in applying all which our Lord hath here delivered, to all mankind. Neither will it infer any contradiction to any thing else he has delivered, nor to any other scripture whatever. Nay, it will farther appear, that either all the parts of this discourse are to be applied to men in general, or no part; seeing they are all connected together, all joined as the stones in an arch, of which you cannot take one away, without destroying the whole fabrick.
7. *We may, lastly, observe, how our Lord teaches here. And surely, as at all times, so particularly at this he speaks as never man spake. Not as the holy men of old; altho’ they alsospoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Not as Peter or James, or John or Paul. They were indeed wise master-builders in his church. But still in this, in the degrees of heavenly wisdom, the servant is not as his Lord. No, nor even as himself, at any other time, or on any other occasion. It does not appear, that it was ever his design, at any other time or place, to lay down at once the whole plan of his religion, to give us a full prospect of Christianity, to describe at large the nature of that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Particular branches of this he has indeed described, on a thousand different occasions. But never besides here, did he give, of set purpose, a general view of the whole. Nay, we have nothing else of this kind in all the Bible: unless one should except that short sketch of holiness, delivered by God in those ten words or commandments, to Moses, on mount Sinai. But even here how wide a difference is there between one and the other? Even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth, 2 Cor. iii. 10.
8. Above all, with what amazing love does the Son of God, here reveal his Father’s will to man! He does not bring us again to the mount that burned with fire, nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest. He does not speak as when he thundered out of heaven; when the Highest gave his thunder, hail-stones and coals of fire.He now addresses us with his still, small voice. Blessed or happy are the poor in spirit. Happy are the mourners, the meek; those that hunger after righteousness; the merciful, the pure in heart: happy in the end and in the way; happy in this life, and in life everlasting! As if he had said, Who is he that lusteth to live, and would fain see good days? Behold, I shew you the thing which your soul longeth for; see the way you have so long sought in vain! The way of pleasantness; the path to calm, joyous peace, to heaven below and heaven above!
9. *At the same time with what authority does he teach! Well might they say, Not as the Scribes. Observe the manner, (but it cannot be expressed in words) the air, with which he speaks! Not as Moses, the servant of God; not as Abraham, his friend; not as any of the prophets; nor as any of the sons of men. It is something more than human; more than can agree to any created being. It speaks the Creator of all,—a God, a God appears! Yea, ὁ ὢν, the being of beings, Jehovah, the self-existent, the supreme, the God who is over all, blessed for ever!
10. This divine discourse, delivered in the most excellent method, every subsequent part illustrating those that precede, is commonly, and not improperly divided, into three principal branches: the first, contained in the fifth, the second in the sixth, and the third in the seventh chapter. In the first, the sum of all true religion is laid down in eight particulars, whichare explained and guarded against the false glosses of man, in the following parts of the fifth chapter. In the second are rules for that right intention, which we are to preserve in our all outward actions; unmixt with worldly desires, or anxious cares for even the necessaries of life. In the third, are cautions against the main hindrances of religion, closed with an application of the whole.
I. 1. Our Lord, first, lays down the sum of all true religion in eight particulars, which he explains and guards against the false glosses of men to the end of the fifth chapter.
Some have supposed that he designed in these, to point out the several stages of the Christian course; the steps which a Christian successively takes in his journey to the promised land; others, that all the particulars here set down, belong at all times to every Christian: And why may we not allow both the one and the other? What inconsistency is there between them? It is undoubtedly true, that both poverty of spirit and every other temper which is here mentioned, are at all times found, in a greater or less degree, in every real Christian. And it is equally true, that real Christianity always begins in poverty of spirit, and goes on in the order here set down till the man of God is made perfect. We begin at the lowest of these gifts of God; yet so as not to relinquish this, when we arecalled of God, to come up higher: but, whereunto we have already attained, we hold fast, while we press on to what is yet before, to the highest blessings of God in Christ Jesus.
2. The foundation of all is poverty of spirit: here therefore our Lord begins: Blessed, saith he, are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It may not improbably be supposed, that our Lord looking on those who were round about him, and observing that not many rich were there, but rather the poor of the world, took occasion from thence, to make a transition from temporal to spiritual things. Blessed, saith he (or happy; so the word should be rendered, both in this and the following verses) are the poor in spirit. He does not say, they that are poor, as to outward circumstances; it being not impossible that some of these may be as far from happiness as a monarch upon his throne: but the poor in spirit, they who, whatever their outward circumstances are, have that disposition of heart, which is the first step to all real, substantial happiness, either in this world or that which is to come.