The Christian mans teares and Christs comforts. Delivered at a fast the seventh of Octob. An[n]o. 1624. By Gilbert Primerose minister of the French Church of London.

CHAP. II.

1. Iesus Christ curseth them which laugh, &c and cal∣leth them blessed which weepe.

2. Three necessarie pro∣perties required in blessednes.

3. They cannot be found,

but in God alone.

4. Our blessednesse is the vision or fruition of God.

5. What men are not bles∣sed.

6. Who are blessed.

I. SEe now & iudge, that God hath not said without a pregnant cause, to such men,1 1.1 My thoughts are not your thoughts, nei∣ther are your wayes my wayes: for as the hea∣vens are higher than the earth, so are my wayes higher than your wayes, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For our Lord Iesus Christ in the

Gospel of S. Luke, cur∣seth them whom they doe blesse: and cryeth,m 1.2 Woe unto you that are rich: woe unto you that are full: wo unto you that laugh now: On the o∣ther part, hee blesseth them whom they curse, saying,n 1.3 Blessed bee yee poore: for yours is the kingdome of God: blessed are ye that hunger now; for ye shall be filled: and in my text, Blessed are ye that weepe now: for ye shall laugh: or as the words are in S. Mat∣thew; Blessed are they that mourne, for they

shall be comforted.

These sentences are paradoxes and giddie conceits to the world: but to the Church, they are Maximes of truth, and propositions more firme than the heaven, whicho 1.4 is strong as a molten looking-glasse; and more immoveable than the earth, whichp 1.5 God hath founded upon her bases, that it should not be remooved for ever. For they were concei∣ved in the breast of God the Father, who is wisedome it selfe: and were pronounced by

the Sonne of God, who is the substantiall word of the Father, evenq 1.6 the true God, and eternall life. Let us then be deaf to the hoggish sayings of men: but let us, I pray you, let us this day, and all the dayes of our lives, listen seri∣ously to our Lord Ie∣sus Christ, saying, that those which weepe and mourne, are blessed: and shewing, that their wee∣ping shall be turned in∣to joy, because they shal be comforted. O then give care to the wise∣dome of God, teaching

you by me this day what persons are bles∣sed: that thereafter he may cheere up your hearts with the most comfortable doctrine of the comforts where∣in their blessednes con∣sisteth.

II. Blessednesse is to bee considered eyther in the obiect, or in the fruition and enioying of it: The obiect of it, is all good things that a god∣ly mans heart can de∣sire: By good things, un∣derstand not any of those visible creatures of God which we now

enioy: forr 1.7 the king∣dome of God, the posses∣sing wherof is our bles∣sednesse, is not meat and drinke, that is, it consi∣steth not in any out∣ward thing: but is righ∣teousnesse, and peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost, pro∣ceeding from things more excellent; as it is written,s 1.8 Eye hath not seene, nor eare heard, nei∣ther have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. This then is their first propertie, that they are not of this world.

Moreover, they must be eternall and exempt from all alteration and corruption: wee must not, saith the Apostle,t 1.9 Looke at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seene, are temporall: but the things which are not seene, are eternall: for if wee did seeke our blessednesse in tempo∣rall things subiect to corruption; they com∣ming to decay, to waxe old, and to rot, our bles∣sednes should faile with them.

Thirdly, reason it selfe teacheth us, that to make up true & per∣fect blessednes, all good things must ioyne toge∣ther: for though a man be inriched with them all saving one, so long as that one is lacking to his desire, hee is not throughly blessed: for in a blessed man, there is nothing void, no part emptie: all his desires are satisfied, and so full, that he saith, It is enough.

III. Now where shall we finde all good things? where else but in God, who as hee is

the soveraigne God, so hee is the soveraigne good? as hee isu 1.10 the GOD of gods, andx 1.11 God alone; so he is the good of goods, andy 1.12 there is none good but he: In him are all goods, to sa∣tisfie all our desires: the goods which are in him, are like unto him∣selfe.a 1.13 With him there is no variablenesse, nei∣ther shadow of turning: he isb 1.14 the high and lofty One that inhabiteth e∣ternitie; to whom Da∣vid said with most hum∣ble supplication, Thou wilt shew mee the path of

life:c 1.15 In thy presence is fulnes of ioy, at thy right hand are pleasures for e∣vermore. And againe,d 1.16 When I awake, I will be satisfied with thy likenes.

IV. God, who is all goodnesse it selfe, ise 1.17 al∣so blessednesse it selfe: he is blessednesse by his owne essence.* 1.18 Mans bles∣sednes commeth from his by participation,* 1.19 even so farre, as according to our capablenesse, wee are filled with his infi∣nite goodnesse. He bor∣roweth nothing from any creature, yea tho all creatures were brought

to the first nothing, whereout of they were taken, as hee was from ever, so hee should bee blessed for ever. Wee borrow all from him: and our blessednesse is nothing but the enioy∣ing of him, which the Scripture calleth, The vision of God: according to the comfortable say∣ing of our Saviour,f 1.20 Blessed are the poore in heart, for they shall see God.

O blessed blessednes! when shall we see thee? where shall wee enioy thee, that wee may bee

blessed in thee?g 1.21 Oh blessed blessednesse of them that see thee! In thee they see all good∣nesse: in thee they en∣joy all good things: they are filled with thee; and thou beeing with them, they are ful∣ly consummated by thee, who art to all thy Elect,h 1.22 their perfect & universall good, satisfy∣ing all their desires. O blessed blessednes, w^ch dwellest in them whom thou blessest, without interruption, and who art never weary of dwelling in them, dwell

in us who are heere be∣fore thee:i 1.23 for thou hast made us to goe to thee: and our heart findeth no rest, till it rest in thee. Let us all speake so to our God, that hee hea∣ring our prayers, may fill us with his blessed∣nesse, and so we may be blessed in him.

V. Yee have heard what blessednesse is: thereby yee may iudge who is blessed:k 1.24 Hee who hath not that which he desireth, whatsoever it be, is not blessed: nei∣ther is hee blessed, who hath that which hee lo∣veth,

if it bee hurtfull: nor hee also who loveth not that which hee hath, how good soever it be: for hee who coveteth that which he cannot obtain, is grieved:* 1.25 and hee who hath obtained that which he should not covet,* 1.26 is de∣ceived: and hee who co∣veteth not that which should be obtained is sick.* 1.27 None of these can have place in the soule of man without miserie: now miserie and blessednesse cannot dwell together in one mā. Therfore none of those men are blessed.

VI. Who then are

blessed? not theyl 1.28 who live at their owne will: for to will that which is not decent, is a most mi∣serable thing. Other∣waies many wicked mē should bee blessed. Form 1.29 the wicked boasteth of his harts desire, and bles∣seth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth.

Hee onely is blessed,n 1.30 who hath all that his heart can desire, and de∣sireth nothing amisse. Such shall be they that weep and mourne now, as Iesus Christ saith in my text.

Notes

• 1 1.1

  Esa. 55.8.
• m 1.2

  Luk. 6.24.
• n 1.3

  Luk. 6.21.
• o 1.4

  Iob 37.18.
• p 1.5

  Psal. 104 5.
• q 1.6

  1. Ioh. 5.20.
• r 1.7

  Rom. 14.17.
• s 1.8

  1. Cor. 2.9.
• t 1.9

  2. Cor. 4.18.
• u 1.10

  Deut. 10.17.
• x 1.11

  Psal. 8.10.
• y 1.12

  Mat. 19.17.
• a 1.13

  Iam. 1.17
• b 1.14

  Esa. 57.15.
• c 1.15

  Psal. 16.11.
• d 1.16

  Psal. 17.11.
• e 1.17

  Boêt. 3. de Consolat. Pros. 10.
• * 1.18

  Per essenti∣am.
• * 1.19

  Per partici∣pationem.
• f 1.20

  Mat. 5.8.
• g 1.21

  B••••t. ibid. Pros. 3. Bea∣titudo est sta∣tus omnium bonorum ag∣gregatione perfectus.
• h 1.22

  Thom. 12a. q. 2. art. 8. Concl. Beati∣tudo est bo∣num perfe∣ctum quod totaliter qui∣etat appeti∣tum.
• i 1.23

  Aug. Con∣fess. lib. 1. cap. 1. Quia fecisti not ad te: Et in∣quietum est cornostrum, domae requi∣es••at in to.
• k 1.24

  Idem de morib. Eccl. Cath. cap. 3.
• * 1.25

  Cruciatur.
• * 1.26

  Fallitur:
• * 1.27

  Aegrotat.
• l 1.28

  Ciecro. Aiunt esse beatos, quil vivunt ut ip∣si velint, &c. Velle enim quod non de∣ceat, id ip∣sum miseri∣mum est.
• m 1.29

  Psal. 10 3.
• n 1.30

  Aug. de Trinit. lib. 13. cap. 5. Beatus non est, nisi qui & habet omnia qua vult, & ni∣hil vuls mal••