Matthew 5:1-161And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:1‑16)
Part 7
The Fifth Beatitude
“Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.” Verse 7.
We now enter on what may be called the second section of the Beatitudes. They are evidently divided into four and three—a division not uncommon in Scripture. The first four are characterized by righteousness, or that which is due to God: the last three by grace, or the activities of grace toward others. There is great moral beauty, order, and instruction, in these two classes. The division is no doubt divine, and may well engage thy thoughts, O my soul, in happiest meditation.
When the sinner is first awakened, brought into the presence of God, sees his true condition there, and learns the vanity of what man is, there must be humbling and breaking down. He will now side with God, and maintain His cause against himself. Repentance is real. He is content to be nothing. Thus we see that the first blessedness is poverty of spirit, and introduces the soul to the other blessings. We will now look at the first of the last three.
“Blessed are the merciful.” No word within the compass of our language has a sweeter sound than mercy, and no other word could bring the character of God more fully before thy mind. This leads to thy deepest joy, and thy richest blessings—dwelling on the character of God. He is “the Father of mercies.” Mercy is not merely a resource of God, but He is its source— “the Father of mercies.” He is the well-spring of all the pity, compassion, tenderness, kindness, and charity, whether temporal or spiritual, which flow through this world of misery. And this mercy, blessed be His name, is from everlasting and to everlasting—without beginning, before time; and when time is past, without end.
But in the meantime, on this “narrow neck of land,” this world of sin, between the incomprehensible past and future, mercy flows as a mighty river, and unites, as it were, the ocean of eternity. There is no interruption to His mercy: it is the active principle of His being in this world of sin and misery.
“For His mercy endureth forever.”
Who can speak of the transcendent blessedness of such a truth in such a scene of sorrow as this world is! But for the ceaseless flow of His mercies, it could only be like that place where His mercies are clean gone, and where He will be favorable no more forever. When the ear of mercy is closed, and the arm of mercy is withdrawn, nothing remains but the agonies of despair. But now He delights in mercy, and will delight in it.
God only can say, “I will, I will,” and He only has a right to say so. No creature can say, “I will” —God only! but His “I wills” are mercy and compassion, and are all ours in Christ Jesus forever.
Satan may deny it; the poor human heart may doubt it; but the word of the Lord standeth firm and sure, it cannot be broken.
“How shall I meet those eyes?
Mine on Himself I cast,
And own myself the Saviour’s prize;
Mercy from first to last.”
But tell me, my soul, is this rich, tender, everlasting mercy free to all who cry to God for it? Most surely. Are none now who hear of His mercy excluded? Only those who exclude themselves. The door of mercy now stands wide open, and the ear of mercy patiently waits to hear the cry, and quicker far than the electric spark is heaven’s answer. Take a well-known example, and remember that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.
When the poor blind beggar (Luke 18), heard that short sermon,
“Jesus of Nazareth passeth by, he cried, saying, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”
What was His answer? Could He say, I have no mercy for thee? Impossible. That would have been to deny the character of God, and the whole truth of the Bible. The fullness of divine mercy was his from the moment of his heart’s first utterance. The faithless multitude might rebuke the blind man, and seek to drive him back; but not Jesus. The moment the cry for mercy fell upon His ear, He stood still; and the vast procession stood still, and, if it had been necessary, the spheres too would have stood still. All must give place to this service of mercy.
“And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto Him: and when he was come near, He asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee, And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee” (Luke 18:40-4240And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. (Luke 18:40‑42)).
Surely this is mercy, full and free; and such mercy is free to all.
And these things are written, remember, that thou mayest believe. The same cry will bring the same blessing today.
And here learn also, as a believer, how to show mercy. Give not thy alms to the poor as thou wouldst throw a bone to a dog. With what grace Jesus bends over the poor man, and asks, as if He were his servant,
“What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” Far from taking a place of manifest superiority, and causing the poor man to feel as if in a far distant place, He gave him to know and feel that He was dealing with him in love and grace, and drew the heart of the helpless one entirely to Himself.
The Christian must not only be merciful—most merciful, always merciful—but he must learn to show mercy after the manner of his Lord and Master. The way of the world is to patronize, and to be esteemed as benefactors; and many will give for the sake of this honor. But not so those on whom the Lord lays His hand and pronounces blessed.
Learn, then, I pray thee, from this narrative both the freeness and the style of divine mercy. He who cries to God for mercy, though physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually poor and blind—the weakest or most degraded of mankind—is instantly answered by Him, “who is rich in mercy.” God never has said, and never will say to the cry of the dependent heart, I have no mercy for thee. Hence the absolute certainty of God’s mercy to everyone who feels his need, and looks to Him to meet it. There is nothing either in the heart or in the circumstances of the sinner that can hinder the flowing spring of mercy, if he only bows at the feet of Jesus in dependence on Him. But there is no possibility of salvation to a single soul, save through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, His blessed Son.
“Ho! all ye heavy laden, come!
Here’s pardon, comfort, rest, and home,
Ye wanderers from a Father’s face,
Return, accept His proffered grace,
“Ye tempted ones, there’s refuge nigh,
‘Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.’
But if you still His call refuse,
And all His wondrous love abuse,
“Soon will He sadly from you turn,
Your bitter prayer for pardon spurn.
‘Too late! too late!’ will be the cry—
‘Jesus of Nazareth has passed by.’”
(Continued from page 302)
(To be continued)