Eleventhly, a godly man may argue thus. They which truly hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed, and ⟨p. 33⟩shall be filled, Mat. 5.6.1 (Or they that are hungering and thirsting, as the Greek runs, being the participle of the present tense, intimating, that where ever this is the present disposition of mens souls, they are blessed: He that sees an absolute necessity of the righteousness of Christ to justify him, and to enable him to stand boldly before the throne of God; he that sees his own righteousness to be but as filthy rags, Isa. 64.4. to be but as dross and dung, Phil. 3.7, 8. He that sees the Lord Jesus Christ, with all his riches and righteousness, clearly and freely offered to poor sinners in the everlasting Gospel; he that in the Gospel-glass sees Christ to be made sin for them, that knew no sin, that they may be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5, 21. He that in the same glass sees Christ to be made wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, to all those that are sincerely willing to make a venture of their immortal souls, and eternal estates, upon him and his righteousness; and he that sees the righteousness of Christ to be a most perfect, pure, complete, spotless, matchless,2 infinite righteousness, and under these apprehensions and persuasions, is carried out in earnest and unsatisfied hungerings and thirstings, to be made a partaker of this righteousness, and to be assured of this righteousness, and to put on this righteousness as a royal robe, Isa. 61.10. he is the blessed soul; and he that hungers and thirsts after the righteousness of Christ imparted, as well as after the righteousness of Christ imputed, after the righteousness of sanctification, as well as after the righteousness of justification, he is a blessed soul, and shall at last be filled. The righteousness of sanctification, or inherent righteousness, lies in the spirits infusing into the soul those holy principles, divine qualities, or supernatural graces that the Apostle mentions in that, Gal. 5.22, 23. These habits of grace which are severally distinguished by the names of faith, love, hope, meekness, &c. are nothing else but the new nature or new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, Eph. 4.24. He that hungers and thirsts after the righteousness of sanctification, out of a deep serious sense.
Eleventhly, a godly man may argue thus. They which truly hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed, and ⟨p. 33⟩shall be filled, Mat. 5.6.1 (Or they that are hungring and thirsting, as the Greek runs, being the participle of the present tense, intimating, that where ever this is the present disposition of mens souls, they are blessed: He that sees an absolute necessity of the righteousness of Christ to justifie him, and to inable him to stand boldly before the throne of God; he that sees his own righteousness to be but as filthy rags, Isa. 64.4. to be but as dross and dung, Phil. 3.7, 8. He that sees the Lord Jesus Christ, with all his riches and righteousness, clearly and freely offered to poor sinners in the everlasting Gospel; he that in the Gospel-glass sees Christ to be made sin for them, that knew no sin, that they may be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5, 21. He that in the same glass sees Christ to be made wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, to all those that are sincerely willing to make a venter of their immortal souls, and eternal estates, upon him and his righteousness; and he that sees the righteousness of Christ to be a most perfect, pure, compleat, spotless, matchless,2 infinite righteousness, and under these apprehensions and perswasions, is carried out in earnest and unsatisfied hungerings and thirstings, to be made a partaker of this righteousness, and to be assured of this righteousness, and to put on this righteousness as a royal robe, Isa. 61.10. he is the blessed soul; and he that hungers and thirsts after the righteousness of Christ imparted, as well as after the righteousness of Christ imputed, after the righteousness of sanctification, as well as after the righteousness of justification, he is a blessed soul, and shall at last be filled. The righteousness of sanctification, or inherent righteousness, lyes in the spirits infusing into the soul those holy principles, divine qualities, or supernatural graces that the Apostle mentions in that, Gal. 5.22, 23
- 1They are not therefore blessed because they hunger and thirst, but because they shall be filled; blessedness will be in fullness, not in hunger; but hunger must go before filling, that we may not loath the loaves. Aug. de verbis Domini, Serm. 5.They are not therefore blessed because they hunger and thirst, but because they shall be filled; blessedness will be in fulness, not in hunger; but hunger must go before filling, that we may not loath the loaves. Aug. de verbis Domini, Serm. 5.
- 2Some take hungering and thirsting here literally, comparing of it with Luke 6.21 Others understand the words morally, by hungering and thirsting they understand a moral hunger and thirst, which is when men hunger and thirst for justice and judgment to be rightly executed. Psal. 119.5, 10, 20, 131. Judg. 15.18. 1 Chron. 11.18. Psal. 42.1, 2.Some take hungering and thirsting here litterally, comparing of it with Luke 6.21 Others understand the words morally, by hungering and thirsting they understand a moral hunger and thirst, which is when men hunger and thirst for justice and judgment to be rightly executed. Psal. 119.5, 10, 20, 131. Judg. 15.18. 1 Chron. 11.18. Psal. 42.1, 2.
