The Beatitudes - Thomas Watson
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Having spoken
of the general notion of blessedness, I come next to consider the subjects of
this blessedness, and these our Saviour has deciphered to be the poor in
spirit, the mourners, etc. But before I touch upon these, I shall attempt a
little preface or paraphrase upon this sermon of the beatitudes.
1. Observe
the divinity in this sermon, which goes beyond all philosophy. The philosophers
use to say that one contrary expels another; but here one contrary begets
another. Poverty is wont to expel riches, but here poverty begets riches, for
how rich are they that have a kingdom! Mourning is wont to expel joy, but here
mourning begets joy: `they shall be comforted'. Water is wont to quench the flame but the water of tears kindles the flame of joy.
Persecution is wont to expel happiness, but here it makes happy: `Blessed are
they that are persecuted'. These are the sacred paradoxes in our Saviour's sermon.
2. Observe
how Christ's doctrine and the opinion of carnal men differ. They think,
`Blessed are the rich.' The world would count him blessed who could have Midas,
wish, that all he touched might be turned into gold. But Christ says, `Blessed
are the poor in spirit'. The world thinks, Blessed are
they on the pinnacle; but Christ pronounces them blessed who are in the valley.
Christ's reckonings and the world's do not agree.
3. Observe
the nature of true religion. Poverty leads the van, and persecution brings up
the rear. Every true saint (says Luther) is heir to the cross! Some there are
who would be thought religious, displaying Christ's colours
by a glorious profession, but to be `poor in spirit' and `persecuted', they
cannot take down this bitter pill. They would wear Christ's jewels, but waive
his cross. These are strangers to religion.
4. Observe
the certain connection between grace and its reward. They who are `poor in
spirit' shall have the `kingdom of God'. They are as sure to go to heaven, as
if they were in heaven already. Our Saviour would encourage men to religion by
sweetening commands with promises. He ties duty and reward together. As in the
body the veins carry the blood, and the arteries the spirits, so one part of
these verses carries duty, and the other part carries reward. As that scholar
of Apelles painted Helena richly drawn in costly and glorious apparel, hung all
over with orient pearl, and precious stones; so our Lord Christ, having set
down several qualifications of a Christian, `poor in spirit', `pure in heart',
etc.' draws these heavenly virtues in their fair colours
of blessedness, and sets the magnificent crown of reward upon them, that by
this brilliance, he might the more set forth their unparalleled beauty, and
entice holy love.
5. Observe
hence the concatenation of the graces: poor in spirit, meek, merciful, etc.
Where there is one grace there is all. As they say of the cardinal virtues that
they are strung together, so we may say of the graces of the spirit, they are
linked and chained together. He that has poverty of spirit is a mourner. He
that is a mourner is meek. He that is meek is merciful, etc. The Spirit of God
plants in the heart an habit of all the graces. The
new creature has all the parts and lineaments, as in the body there is a
composition of all the elements and a mixture of all the humours.
The graces of the Spirit are like a row of pearls which hang together upon the
string of religion and serve to adorn Christ's bride. This I note, to show you
a difference between a hypocrite and a true child of God. The hypocrite
flatters himself with a pretence of grace, but in the
meantime he does not have an habit of all the graces.
He does not have poverty of spirit, nor purity of heart, whereas a child of God
has all the graces in his heart, at least radically though not gradually. These
things being premised, I come in particular to those
heavenly dispositions of soul to which Christ has affixed blessedness. And the
first is Poverty of Spirit: `Blessed are the poor in spirit'.
Chrysostom
and Theophylact are of opinion that this was the
first sermon that ever Christ made, therefore it may challenge our best
attention. `Blessed are the poor in spirit'. Our Lord Christ being to raise an high and stately fabric of blessedness, lays the
foundation of it low, in poverty of spirit. But all poverty is not blessed. I
shall use a fourfold distinction.
1. I
distinguish between `poor in estate', and `poor in spirit'. There are the
Devil's poor, poor and wicked, whose clothes are not more torn than their
conscience. There are some whose poverty is their sin,
who through improvidence or excess have brought themselves to want. These may
be poor in estate but not poor in spirit.
2. I
distinguish between 'spiritually poor' and `poor in spirit'. He who is without
grace is spiritually poor, but he is not poor in spirit; he does not know his own
beggary. `Thou knowest not that thou art poor'. {Re
3:17} He is in the worst sense poor who has no sense of his poverty.
3. I
distinguish between `poor-spirited' and `poor in spirit'. They are said to be
poor-spirited who have mean, base spirits, who act below themselves. As they
are men; such are those misers, who having great estates, yet can hardly afford
themselves bread; who live sneakingly, and are ready
to wish their own throats cut, because they are forced
to spend something in satisfying nature's demands. This Solomon calls an evil
under the sun. `There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, a man to whom
God has given riches, so that he wanteth nothing for
his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof'.
{Ec 6:2} Religion makes no man
a niggard. Though it teaches prudence, yet not sordidness.
Then there
are those who act below themselves as they are Christians, while they sinfully
comply and prostitute themselves to the humours of
others; a base kind of metal that will take any stamp. They will for a piece of
silver part with the jewel of a good conscience. They will be of the state
religion. They will dance to the devil's pipe, if their superior commands them.
These are poor-spirited but not poor in spirit.
4. I
distinguish between poor in an evangelical sense and poor in a popish sense.
The papists give a wrong gloss upon the text. By `poor in spirit', they
understand those who, renouncing their estates, vow a voluntary poverty, living
retiredly in their monasteries. But Christ never
meant these. He does not pronounce them blessed who make themselves poor,
leaving their estates and callings, but such as are evangelically poor.
Well then,
what are we to understand by `poor in spirit'? The Greek word for `poor' is not
only taken in a strict sense for those who live upon alms, but in a more large sense, for those who are destitute as well of
inward as outward comfort. `Poor in spirit, then signifies those who are brought
to the sense of their sins, and seeing no goodness in themselves, despair in
themselves and sue wholly to the mercy of God in Christ. Poverty of spirit is a
kind of self-annihilation. Such an expression I find in Calvin. The poor in
spirit (says he) are they who see nothing in themselves, but
fly to mercy for sanctuary. Such an one was the publican: `God be merciful to
me a sinner'. {Lu 18:13} Of this temper was St Paul:
`That I may be found in Christ, not having mine own righteousness'. {Php 3:9} These are the poor which are
invited as guests to wisdom's banquet. {Pr
7:3,Pr 7:4}
Here several
questions may be propounded.
(i) Why does Christ here begin with poverty of spirit? Why
is this put in the forefront? I answer, Christ does it to show that poverty of
spirit is the very basis and foundation of all the other graces that follow.
You may as well expect fruit to grow without a root, as the other graces without
this. Till a man be poor in spirit, he cannot mourn. Poverty of spirit is like
the fire under the still, which makes the water drop from the eyes. When a man
sees his own defects and deformities and looks upon himself as undone, then he
mourns after Christ. `The springs run in the valleys'.
{Ps 104:10} When the heart becomes a
valley and lies low by poverty of spirit, now the springs of holy mourning run
there. Till a man be poor in spirit, he cannot `hunger and thirst after
righteousness'. He must first be sensible of want before he can hunger. Therefore
Christ begins with poverty of spirit because this ushers in all the rest.
(ii) The
second question is, what is the difference between poverty of spirit and
humility? These are so alike that they have been taken one for the other.
Chrysostom, by `poverty of spirit', understands humility. Yet I think there is
some difference. They differ as the cause and the effect. Tertullian says, none
are poor in spirit but the humble. He seems to make humility the cause of
poverty of spirit. I rather think poverty of spirit is the cause of humility,
for when a man sees his want of Christ, and how he lives on the alms of free
grace, this makes him humble. He that is sensible of his own vacuity and
indigence, hangs his head in humility with the violet. Humility is the sweet
spice that grows from poverty of spirit.
(iii) What is
the difference between poverty of spirit and self-denial? I answer, in some
things they agree, in some things they differ. In some things they agree; for
the poor in spirit is an absolute self-denier. He renounces all opinion of
himself. He acknowledges his dependence upon Christ and free grace. But in some
things they differ. The self-denier parts with the
world for Christ, the poor in spirit parts with himself for Christ, i.e. his
own righteousness. The poor in spirit sees himself nothing without Christ; the
self-denier will leave himself nothing for Christ. And thus I have shown what
poverty of spirit is.
The words
thus opened present us with this truth: that Christians must be poor in spirit;
or thus, poverty of spirit is the jewel which Christians must wear. As the best
creature was made out of nothing, namely, light; so
when a man sees himself nothing, out of this nothing God makes a most beautiful
creature. It is God's usual method to make a man poor in spirit, and then fill
him with the graces of the Spirit. As we deal with a watch, we take it first to
pieces, and then set all the wheels and pins in order, so the Lord first takes
a man all to pieces, shows him his undone condition, and then sets him in
frame.
The reasons
are:
1. Till we
are poor in spirit we are not capable of receiving grace. He who is swollen
with an opinion of self-excellency and self-sufficiency, is not fit for Christ.
He is full already. If the hand be full of pebbles, it cannot receive gold. The
glass is first emptied before you pour in wine. God first empties a man of
himself, before he pours in the precious wine of his grace. None but the poor
in spirit are within Christ's commission. `The Spirit of the Lord God is upon
me; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted', {Isa
61:1} that is, such as are broken in the sense of their
unworthiness.
2. Till we
are poor in spirit, Christ is never precious. Before we see our own wants, we
never see Christ's worth. Poverty of spirit is salt and seasoning, the sauce
which makes Christ relish sweet to the soul. Mercy is most welcome to the poor
in spirit. He who sees himself clad in filthy rags, {Zec 3:4,Zec
3:5} what will he give for change of raiment, the righteousness of
Christ! What will he give to have the fair mitre of
salvation set upon his head! When a man sees himself almost wounded to death,
how precious will the balm of Christ's blood be to him! When he sees himself
deep in arrears with God, and is so far from paying
the debt that he cannot sum up the debt, how glad would he be of a surety! `The
pearl of price' is only precious to the poor in spirit. He that wants bread and
is ready to starve, will have it whatever it cost. He will lay his garment to
pledge; bread he must have or he is undone. So to him
that is poor in spirit, that sees his want of Christ, how precious is a
Saviour! Christ is Christ and grace is grace to him! He will do anything for
the bread of life. Therefore will God have the soul thus qualified, to raise
the price of his market, to enhance the value and estimate of the Lord Jesus.
3. Till we
are poor in spirit we cannot go to heaven. `Theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. This tunes and prepares us for heaven. By nature a man is
big with self-confidence, and the gate of heaven is so strait that he cannot
enter. Now poverty of spirit lessens the soul; it pares off its superfluity,
and now he is fit to enter in at the 'strait gate'. The great cable cannot go
through the eye of the needle, but let it be untwisted and made into small
threads, and then it may. Poverty of spirit untwists the great cable. It makes
a man little in his own eyes and now an entrance shall be made unto him, `richly
into the everlasting Kingdom'. {2Pe 1:11}
Through this temple of poverty, we must go into the temple of glory.
It shows
wherein a Christian's riches consist, namely in poverty of spirit. Some think
if they can fill their bags with gold, then they are rich. But they who are
poor in spirit are the rich men. They are rich in poverty. This poverty
entitles them to a kingdom. How poor are they that think themselves rich! How
rich are they that see themselves poor! I call it the `jewel of poverty'. There
are some paradoxes in religion that the world cannot understand; for a man to
become a fool that he may be wise; {1Co
3:18} to save his life by losing it; {Mt
16:25} and by being poor to be rich. Reason laughs at it, but
`Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom'. Then this poverty is to be
striven for more than all riches. Under these rags is hid cloth of gold. Out of
this carcass comes honey.
If blessed
are the poor in spirit, then by the rule of contraries, cursed are the proud in
spirit. {Pr 16:5}
There is a generation of men who commit idolatry with themselves; no such idol
as self! They admire their own parts, moralities, self-righteousness; and upon
this stock graft the hope of their salvation. There are many too good to go to
heaven. They have commodities enough of their own growth, and they scorn to
live upon the borrow, or to be beholden to Christ. These bladders the Devil has
blown up with pride, and they are swelled in their own conceit; but it is like
the swelling of a dropsy man whose bigness is his disease. Thus it was with
that proud justiciary: `The Pharisee stood and prayed, God, I thank thee that I
am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this
publican; I fast twice in the week, I give tithes...'. {Lu
18:11} Here was a man setting up the topsail of pride; but the
publican, who was poor in spirit, stood afar off and would not lift up so much
as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying, `God be merciful to
me a sinner.' This man carried away the garland. `I tell you' (says Christ)
`this man went down to his house justified rather than the other'. St Paul,
before his conversion, thought himself in a very good condition, `touching the
law, blameless'. {Php 3:6} He thought to have built a
tower of his own righteousness, the top whereof should have reached to heaven;
but, at last, God showed him there was a crack in the foundation, and then he
gets into the `rock of ages'. `That I may be found in him'. {Php
3:9} There is not a more dangerous precipice than
self-righteousness. This was Laodicea's temper: `Because thou sayest I am rich and I have need of nothing...'. {Re
3:17} She thought she wanted nothing when indeed she had nothing.
How many does this damn! We see some ships that have escaped the rocks, yet are cast away upon the sands; so some who have
escaped the rocks of gross sins, yet are cast away upon the sands of
self-righteousness; and how hard is it to convince such men of their danger!
They will not believe but that they may be helped out
of their dungeon with these rotten rags. They cannot be persuaded their case is
so bad as others would make it. Christ tells them they are blind, but they are
like Seneca's maid, who was born blind, but she would not believe it. The
house, says she, is dark, but I am not blind. Christ tells them they are naked,
and offers his white robe to cover them, but they are of a different
persuasion; and because they are blind, they cannot see themselves naked. How
many have perished by being their own saviours! O
that this might drive the proud sinner out of himself! A man never comes to
himself till he comes out of himself. And no man can come out, till first
Christ comes in.
If poverty of
spirit be so necessary, how shall I know that I am poor in spirit? By the
blessed effects of this poverty, which are:
1. He that is
poor in spirit is weaned from himself. `My soul is even as a weaned child'. {Ps 131:2} It is hard for a man to be
weaned from himself. The vine catches hold of everything that is near, to stay
itself upon. There is some bough or other a man would be catching hold of to
rest upon. How hard is it to be brought quite off himself! The poor in spirit
are divorced from themselves; they see they must go to hell without Christ. `My
soul is even as a weaned child'.
2. He that is
poor in spirit is a Christ-admirer. He has high thoughts of Christ. He sees
himself naked and flies to Christ that in his garments he may obtain the
blessing. He sees himself wounded, and as the wounded deer runs to the water,
so he thirsts for Christ's blood, the water of life. Lord, says he, give me
Christ or I die. Conscience is turned into a fiery serpent and has stung him; now
all the world for a brazen serpent! He sees himself in a state of death; and
how precious is one leaf of the tree of life, which is both for food and
medicine! The poor in spirit sees all his riches lie in Christ, `wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification..'. In every exigency he
flies to this magazine and storehouse. He adores the all-fullness in Christ.
They say of
the oil in Rheims, though they are continually almost spending it, yet it never
wastes. And such is Christ's blood; it can never be emptied. He that is poor in
spirit has recourse still to this fountain. He sets an
high value and appreciation upon Christ. He hides himself in Christ's wounds.
He bathes himself in his blood. He wraps himself in his robe. He sees a
spiritual dearth and famine at home, but he makes out to Christ. `Show me the
Lord (says he) and it sufficeth'.
3. He that is
poor in spirit is ever complaining of his spiritual estate. He is much like a
poor man who is ever telling you of his wants; he has nothing to help himself
with; he is ready to starve. So it is with him that is poor in spirit. He is
ever complaining of his wants, saying, I want a broken heart, a thankful heart.
He makes himself the most indigent creature. Though he dares not deny the work
of grace (which were a bearing false witness again the Spirit), yet he mourns
he has no more grace. This is the difference between an
hypocrite and a child of God. The hypocrite is ever telling what he has. A
child of God complains of what he lacks. The one is glad he is so good, the
other grieves he is so bad. The poor in spirit goes from ordinance to ordinance
for a supply of his wants; he would fain have his stock increased. Try by this
if you are poor in spirit. While others complain they want children, or they
want estates, do you complain you want grace? This is a good sign. `There is
that maketh himself poor yet hath great riches'. {Pr
13:7} Some beggars have died rich. The poor in spirit, who
have lain all their lives at the gate of mercy and have lived upon the alms of
free grace, have died rich in faith, heirs to a kingdom.
4. He that is
poor in spirit is lowly in heart. Rich men are commonly proud and scornful, but
the poor are submissive. The poor in spirit roll themselves in the dust in the
sense of their unworthiness. `I abhor myself in dust'. {Job
42:6} He who is poor in spirit looks at another's excellencies and
his own infirmities. He denies not only his sins but his duties. The more grace
he has, the more humble he is, because he now sees
himself a greater debtor to God. If he can do any duty, he acknowledges it is
Christ's strength more than his own. {Php
4:13} As the ship gets to the haven more by the benefit of the wind
than the sail, so when a Christian makes any swift progress, it is more by the
wind of God's Spirit than the sail of his own endeavour.
The poor in spirit, when he acts most like a saint, confesses himself `the
chief of sinners'. He blushes more at the defect of
his graces than others do at the excess of their sins. He dares not say he has
prayed or wept. He lives, yet not he, but Christ lives in him. {Ga 2:20} He labours,
yet not he, but the grace of God. {1Co 15:10}
5. He who is
poor in spirit is much in prayer. He sees how short he is of the standard of
holiness, therefore begs for more grace; Lord, more faith, more conformity to
Christ. A poor man is ever begging. You may know by this one that is poor in
spirit. He is ever begging for a spiritual alms. He
knocks at heaven-gate; he sends up sighs; he pours out tears; he will not away
from the gate till he have his dole. God loves a
modest boldness in prayer; such shall not be non-suited.
6. The poor
in spirit is content to take Christ upon his own terms. The proud sinner will
article and indent with Christ. He will have Christ and his pleasure, Christ
and his covetousness. But he that is poor in spirit sees himself lost without
Christ, and he is willing to have him upon his own terms, a Prince as well as a
Saviour: `Jesus my Lord'. {Php 3:8}
A castle that has long been besieged and is ready to be taken will deliver up
on any terms to save their lives. He whose heart has been a garrison for the
devil, and has held out long in opposition against Christ, when once God has
brought him to poverty of spirit, and he sees himself damned without Christ,
let God propound what articles he will, he will readily subscribe to them.
`Lord, what wilt thou have me to do'. {Ac
9:6} He that is poor in spirit will do anything that he may have
Christ. He will behead his beloved sin. He will, with Peter, cast himself upon
the water to come to Christ.
7. He that is
poor in spirit is an exalter of free grace. None so magnify mercy as the poor
in spirit. The poor are very thankful. When Paul had tasted mercy, how
thankfully does he adore free grace! `The grace of our Lord was exceeding
abundant'. {1Ti 1:14} It was super-exuberant. He
sets the crown of his salvation upon the head of free grace. As a man that is
condemned and has a pardon sent him, how greatly he proclaims the goodness and
clemency of his prince! So St Paul displays free grace in its orient colours. He interlines all his epistles with free grace. As
a vessel that has been perfumed makes the wine taste of it, so St Paul, who was
a vessel perfumed with mercy, makes all his epistles to taste of this perfume
of free grace. They who are poor in spirit, bless God for the least crumb that
falls from the table of free grace. Labour for
poverty of spirit. Christ begins with this, and we must begin here if ever we
be saved. Poverty of spirit is the foundation stone on which God lays the
superstructure of glory.
There are
four things may persuade Christians to be poor in spirit.
1. This
poverty is your riches. You may have the world's riches, and yet be poor. You
cannot have this poverty without being made rich. Poverty of spirit entitles
you to all Christ's riches.
2. This
poverty is your nobility. God looks upon you as persons of honour.
He that is vile in his own eyes is precious in God's eyes. The way to rise is
to fall. God esteems the valley highest.
3. Poverty of
spirit sweetly quiets the soul. When a man is brought off from himself to rest
on Christ, what a blessed calm is in the heart! I am poor but `my God shall
supply all my need'. {Php 4:19} I am unworthy
but Christ is worthy. I am indigent, Christ is infinite. `Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I'. {Ps 61:2} A man is safe upon a rock.
When the soul goes out of itself and centres upon the
rock, Christ, now it is firmly settled upon its basis. This is the way to
comfort. You will be wounded in spirit till you come to be poor in spirit.
4. Poverty of
spirit paves a causeway for blessedness. `Blessed are the poor in spirit.' Are you poor in spirit? You are blessed persons. Happy for you
that ever you were born! If you ask, Wherein does this
blessedness appear? read the next words, `Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven'.