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VERS. 6. [Vers. 6] Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are they that hunger, &c.] This verse containes the fourth beatitude, wherein I shall but onely propound one general question, and that is this;
What is meant here by hungring and thir∣sting? [Quest. 1]
It may either be taken Literally, or Morally, [Answ.] or Spiritually.
First, hunger and thirst may here bee taken
Literaliter, for naturall hunger and thirst; And thus Saint Luke seemes to meane (Luk. 6.21.) when he sayth, Blessed are yee which now hunger, that is, which through povertie hunger and thirst in the world: thus Saint Paul sayth, even unto this present houre we both hunger and thirstf 1.1.
Someg 1.2 vehemently inveigh against this expo∣sition, thinking it not enough to say, that this is not the principall thing that is aimed at, or un∣derstood in these words; but this is not meant at all in this place. And they bring these three reasons, or arguments, for the confirming of their assertion, and dislike of our present interpre∣tation. The first is this.
[Obiect. 1] The poore, who are hungry and thirsty in the world, are not filled, or satisfied; and there∣fore a naturall hunger and thirst cannot here bee meant.
[Answ 1] First, the Antecedent is false: for we see some∣times the hungry are filled, and the poore plenti∣fully relieved, as might be instanced in Iacob, Io∣seph, and Iob: yea there is a direct generall pro∣mise made unto the faithfull, both in this life, and the life to comeh 1.3; and a speciall particular pro∣mise of the poynt in controversie: Behold (sayth the Lord) my servants shall eate, and yee shall bee hungry, my servants shall drinke, and ye shall bee thirsty, &ci 1.4.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, it is an absurd argument, The poore that hunger, are not now filled; therefore they never shall bee, The poore are oppressed; there∣fore they never shall be delivered: There are no starres seene at twelve of the clocke at noone; therefore there shall none bee seene, at twelve of the clocke at night. How absurd this argument is, let every novice judge.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly, Calvin (whom Stapleton here op∣poseth) doth not say, jam saturandos, but posthàc, not they that now hunger and thirst, shall in∣stantly bee filled, but hereafter: to wit, either first, by allaying and abating the appetite, as a Martyr sayd, If his enemies tooke from him bread, God would take from him hunger. Or secondly, by peace of conscience, affording them such in∣ternall joy and comfort, that their povertie and hunger pincheth them not. Or thirdly, by the crowne of eternall life bestowed upon them; and thus the hunger of Lazarus was satisfied.
[Obiect. 2] Secondly, he argues, All these promises pro∣nounced by Christ, are spirituall, therefore lite∣rall hunger cannot here be understood.
[Answ.] This reasoning is as absurd as the former: the reward is not temporall, therefore it is not given temporally to the poore, this followes not.
[Obiect. 3] Thirdly, hee objects againe, Esurientes (appe∣tentes) temporalia, non beati, miseri potius: Those that hunger after (that is desire) temporal things, are not blessed, but rather miserable; and there∣fore by hunger and thirst a literall lacke cannot be understood.
[Answ. 1] First, he doth grosly abuse & corrupt Calvin, who doth not speak, de appetētibus, of those that desire temporall things; but de carentibus, of those that want and stand in need of temporall things.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, I give one generall answere more unto the thing objected; that is, that this place may be understood of a literall hunger & thirst, which appeares evidently by comparing two verses together: Saint Luke (chap. 6.21 verse) sayth, Blessed are yee that hunger now: and by an Antithesis, vers. 25. sayth, Woe unto you that are full: What is the meaning of this? Doth our Saviour denounce a woe against them that are full of the workes of righteousnesse? Certainly no such thing, but those that abound in temporall possessions: for there is a double Fulnesse, the first terrene and earthly in this life; the second spirituall, in the life to come: Woe bee unto those (sayth Christ) that seeke the first, for they shall lose the second (vers. 25.) and blessed are those that have not the first, for they shall have the second (vers. 21.) and howsoever they may (by reason of their povertie and want) seeme miserable unto others, yet they are no∣thing lesse, they being indeed truly blessed.
Are all blessed that are pinched with poverty [Quest. 2] in this life?
No, but onely those, [Answ.] who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse sake; there are many men, that are miserably poore, and poore miserable men, who hunger and thirst for want, but not for righte∣ousnesse, being impoverished, either by idlenesse, or wastfulnesse, and therfore have no promise at all of blessednesse: But happinesse is pronounced and promised to the righteous man, who will not unjustly enrich himselfe; who will not for wealth forsake his God, to runne after the world, or the divell, by the use of wicked meanes, but will rather be as poore, as Lazarus. Certainely, the poore man that walketh, and thus continu∣eth in his integrity is a happy and a blessed mank 1.5. And thus much for the literall interpretation of these words.
Secondly, by hungring and thirsting may bee meant a morall hunger and thirst, which is, when men hunger for just judgement to be exe∣cuted, they being unjustly injured or scandali∣zedl 1.6, and cannot obtaine justice, according to the equity of their cause: To these our Saviour saith, Blessed are thy that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, that is, blessed are those, that by wrongs and injuries, are deprived of their right in this life, and so are constrained to hunger and thirst after that which is their owne, waiting with patience to obtaine the same. Now this morall hunger after righteousnesse is two-fold, viz. Either for our selves, or for others. First, the morall hunger after righteousnesse, is when being injuried and wronged, we desire to be just∣ly dealt withal; or if wee bee slandred, that the truth may be brought to light, that so we may be acquitted of the crime laid unto our charge. Secondly, the morall hunger after righteous∣nesse may, and ought to be for our brethren as well as our selves; for we should be zealous for o∣thers, when wee see them oppressed in their e∣states, or punished in their bodies, or wronged in their good names, for righteousnesse sake, as that holy Prophet out of his godly zeale unto those who were oppressed, cryes out unto God, Oh Lord, how long shall I cry, yea cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save; wherefore hol∣dest
thou thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man, that is more righteous then himselfem 1.7.
[Quest. 3] Why should we thus zealously hunger, that just judgement may be executed for the reliefe of o∣thers, is it not enough for us that wee are not wronged?
[Answ. 1] First, Christians ought so to put on the bowels of compassion, that they might bee as sensible of their brethrens miseries, as though they were their owne: we are taught to weepe with those that weepe, and to rejoyce with them, that doe rejoycen 1.8, yea to remember them that are in bonds, as though we were bound with them, and them that suffer ad∣versity, as though we were under the rodo 1.9.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, our love unto those that suffer for righteousnesse sake (that is for Gods sake, and in a good cause) is an argument of our love unto God, 1 Joh. 4.20. And without this love unto them, we cannot love God, and therefore by all meanes we should expresse our zealous love and affection unto them.
[Quest. 4] How farre must this zeale of ours be extended in the behalfe of the righteous, who are unjust∣ly wronged and injured?
[Answ. 1] First, if thou be a publike man, that is a Ma∣gistrate, then thou must avenge their cause, and helpe them against their oppressours, and punish their backbiters and slanderers.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, if thou be a private man, then ne ul∣tra crepidam, thou must goe no further, then thy calling will warrant thee; that is, first thou must grieve in thy heart for their wrongs, and oppres∣sions. Secondly, thou must pray for them unto God, that he would arise to defend them, and to plead their cause, against all their enemies. Thirdly, thou must shew thy zealous love and affection unto them, by thy words, that is by speaking for them when they are abused or scandalized, and by urging the Magistrate with all modest importunity, to execute just judge∣ment for them upon their enemies. And thus much for the Morall sense of these words.
Thirdly, there is Fames spiritualis, a spirituall hunger and thirst: having elswhere to handle this, I here will but onely touch it: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: First, these words may spiritually be expounded thus: Blessed are those that are grieved with the iniquities of the times, and mourne for the sins of the world, and withall doe in heart and soule long for the amendment and reformation there∣of. Secondly, by righteousnesse we may well in the first place understand the righteousnesse of Faith, whereby a sinner is justified through faith in Christ, and so standes righteous before God, having the pardon of all his sinnes sealed unto him: Wee may in the second place by righte∣ousnesse understand righteousnesse of workes, whereby a man is sanctified and made holy, ha∣ving Gods Image renewed in him by the Spirit of grace, which was lost by the fall of our first parents: And this appeares by these places. Isa. 55.1. 1 Joh. 7.37. Rev. 21.6. All which places are one in substance, for by waters we must un∣derstand righteousnes, which is that spirituall grace of God, the fountaine of all blessings, whereby sinners are justified and sanctifiedp 1.10.
1 Cor. 4.11.
Staplet. Antid.
1 Tim. 4.8.
Esa 65.13.
Pro. 19.1.
Muscul. s
Habak. 1.2 13.
Rom. 12 15.
Heb. 13 3.
Perkins. s.