1718. many times fweetly opened to praife the Lord. 'Tis true, we have an Adverfary, that would be filling us with many Things, fleshly, worldly, and Satanical; but we are to shut up our Hearts against him, and to keep out all thofe Things, and to ftand open to Chrift, and empty before him; and if we find this our Adverfary too hard for us, we are to fly, and cry to the. Lord for Succour and Help, who is a God, not only afar off, but alfo near at hand, and a prefent Help in the needful Time, as many of his Servants and Children have experienced and witneffed him. Wherefore, to be truly hungry and thirty after Chrift and his Righteoufnefs, intitles us to his gracious Promife, who fays, they shall be filled. 32, 33, 34. Verle 7. Bleed are the Merciful: For they fall obtain Mercy. It is highly neceffary for Mortals to fhew Mercy, in all their Words and Actions one to another; and alfo to the Creatures, which God hath made for the Ufe of Man; 'tis ufually faid, that a merciful Man is merciful to his Beaft, which generally is true; and if Men are merciful to their Beafts, how much more ought they to be merciful one to another. Where Mercy is to be extended, it ought not to be done Matt. 18. fparingly, fince thereby (according to Chrift's bleffed Doctrine) we are to obtain Mercy. That Servant that fhewed no Mercy to his Fellow, had no Mercy fhewed unto him from his Lord. It is alfo recorded, Micah 6. In the Name of the Lord, he hath skewn unto thee, O Man, what is Good, that thou shouldft do justly, love Mercy, and walk bumbly with thy God; by which it appears, that we are not just in the Sight of God, if we are cruel and unmerciful one to another: And we ought not only to be merciful, but to love it; which, if we are truly humble, we shall cer tainly do; Mercy will leffen, and not magnify, Weaknefs, Failings, or fmall trivial Things one in another:, And fometimes, as the Cafe may require, fome larger larger Things; and yet there is Room for seasonable 1718. Reproof and Correction: But Mercy must be mixed with Juftice, elfe the Correction may end in Tyranny. We ought to be gentle to all Men, which is a true Token of true Gentility: So to be truly merciful, is to be bleffed, and to obtain Mercy. Verfe 8. Bleed are the Pure in Heart: For they fhall fee God. By which we may understand, that we are to take Care of our Hearts, and to keep a ftrict Watch over them; and not admit unclean or unchafte Thoughts, or finful Defires, to have an Entrance therein. And if at unawares they should at any time enter, we must not entertain nor love them, but turn them out; for we, in this, fhould be like our heavenly Fathers Habak t of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity with any Allow 13. ance or Approbation: Otherwife it will hinder us from feeing God, and from the fweet Enjoyment of his most precious Prefence, and beholding the only Begotten of the Father, and the Fulnefs of his Grace and Truth, which we cannot fee if our Hearts are impure: An Inftance of which, we have in the Scribes and Pharifees, tho' they were outwardly Righ Matt. 23. teous and clean, yet within were very impure, fo that 25, &c. they could not fee God, tho' he was in Christ reconcling the World to himfelf: Notwithstanding their nice difcerning Eyes, yet they could not fee him, for the Impurity of their Hearts; which was fo great, that they murdered the Juft One, their Hearts being full of Deceit and Hypocrify. Make Clean the Infide, that Mar. 23. the Outfide may be clean alfo, fays Chrift: From 26. whence it appears, that a true Chriftian must be clean, both within and without alfo. The true Beginning of the Work of Purity and Sanctity, muft be firft within; and being Innocent and Pure in Heart, we shall then fee the Glory of the Father, the lovely Beauty of the Son, and the Power of the Holy Ghost, or Spirit. 171 Matt 82, 4. Mica To. Bleed are the Peace-makers for they shall be Ts Peace-making is excellent Work, and a bleffed what Pity it is, that there is not more fuch Women in the World, who would fet themselves by to it, which if they did, in a right Spirit, God would certainly profper the Work in their Hands, and plentifully reward them with his own Peace, which rath the common Understanding of the natural Man. If our ingenious Men, our Men and Women of Skill, and good natural Parts, would take a little Pains, nay, when the Cafe requires it, a great Deal, the Almighty would richly reward them. This Work is not too mean even for Princes, and Nobles; no, not even the greatest Monarchs on Earth, without it be too mean for them to be called the Children of God. And if the Children of God are Peace-makers, what, and whofe Children are they, who break the Peace of Nations, Communities, and Families? Wherefore, we fhould feek Peace with all Men, and enfue it, or fue for it, by our continual feeking of it,, being a precious Jewel, when found; and tho' this Office may feem a little unthankful in the Beginning, or at first, yet in the End it brings forth the peaceable Fruits of Righteoufnefs, as many fo labouring have witneffed. And Chrift, to encourage the Work, fays, They shall be called the Children of God; which are Words of the King of Kings; and if the Princes of this World would promote this Work among themfelves, it would fave them a vaft Expence of Treasure, and of Blood; and as these Peace-makers are to be called the Children of God, they who are truly com cerned herein, are not only fo called, but are fo Deed, and in Truth. Verse 10. Blessed are they who are perfecuted for Rig teousness Sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Perfecution may be confidered in relation to Calum ny and Reproach, and in Imprisonments, Confine ment nents, or the like, or taking away Life or Goods on 1718. religious Account, for confcientious Scruples, &c. What fad Work hath there been on this Account n the World, not among Turks and Jews only, but mong Profeffors of Chrift and Chriftianity, which indeed a great Reproach to that holy Name. Perecution for Righteoufnefs-Sake, is not fit tor Turks r Jews, much lefs for the Profeffors of our meek ord; his Difpenfation and Gofpel being abfolutely the Reverse to it, which is a fhameful Sin to all Men, in Nations: But however, the Perfecuted have this Comfort in the Midft of all their Sufferings, they are leffed of Chrift their Lord; who himfelt fuffered for em, and are promited by him,the Kingdom of Heaven. By which Doctrine, it may be fafely conuded, that the Members of his true Church never erfecuted any, though they have been often perfeited by many, as the large and voluminous Books nd Tracts (of perfecuting for Religion) now extant, plainly makes appear; by which the Eyes of many e open to fee the Uglinefs of it; and a Spirit of Toderation begins to grow and fpring a little in the arth, in divers Parts thereof. It were to be defired, that all Chriftians Modera- Phillip 4. on might more and more encreafe, and might appear 5. to all Men; becaufe God is at hand, who wii jafy the Innocent (whom he knows better than any an, because he fees their Hearts) and he will conmn none but the Guilty. How fhall the Jews be verted, or the Turks convinced to, and of the rity of the Chriftian Religion, while its Protefors tearing and rending one another to Pieces: Had not been for the Immoderation and Perfecution ong Profeffors of Chrift in Christendom, to called, it robable Chriftianity would have made a far greater grefs in all the four Quarters of the World long ore this Time, than it hath now done. Perfecution h been propofed by the Immoderate, to lay Heats G and 1718. 1Pet. 3 324 Verfe 9. Bleffed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God. This Peace-making is excellent Work, and a blessed Calling; what Pity it is, that there is not more fuch Workmen in the World, who would fet themselves heartily to it, which if they did, in a right Spirit, God would certainly profper the Work in their Hands, and plentifully reward them with his own Peace, which paffeth the common Understanding of the natural Man. If our ingenious Men, our Men and Women of Skill, and good natural Parts, would take a little Pains, nay, when the Cafe requires it, a great Deal, the Almighty would richly reward them. This Work is not too mean even for Princes, and Nobles; no, not even the greatest Monarchs on Earth, without it be too mean for them to be called the Children of God. And if the Children of God are Peace-makers, what, and whofe Children are they, who break the Peace of Nations, Communities, and Families? Wherefore, we fhould feek Peace with all Men, and enfue it, or fue for it, by our continual feeking of it,, being a precious Jewel, when found; and tho' this Office may feem a little unthankful in the Beginning, or at first, yet in the End it brings forth the peaceable Fruits of Righteoufnefs, as many fo labouring have witneffed. And Chrift, to encourage the Work, fays, They shall be called the Children of God; which are Words of the King of Kings; and if the Princes of this World would promote this Work among themfelves, it would fave them a vast Expence of Treasure, and of Blood; and as thefe Peace-makers are to be called the Children of God, they who are truly concerned herein, are not only fo called, but are fo in Deed, and in Truth. Verfe 10. Bleffed are they who are perfecuted for Rigb teoufnefs Sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Perfecution may be confidered in relation to Calumny and Reproach, and in Imprisonments, Confine ments, |