Chapter 2

Showing, that there is a blessedness in reversion.

Matthew 5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Having done with the occasion, I come now, fourthly, to the sermon itself; Blessed are the poor in spirit. Christ does not begin his Sermon on the Mount, as the law was delivered on the Mount, with commands and threats; the trumpet sounding, the fire flaming, the earth quaking, and the hearts of the Israelites too for fear; but our Savior (whose lips dropped as the honeycomb) begins with promises and blessings: So sweet and ravishing was the doctrine of this heavenly teacher, that like music, it was able to charm the most savage natures, yes, to draw hearts of stone to him. To begin then with this first word, Blessed.

If there be any blessedness in knowledge, it must needs be in the knowledge of blessedness. For the illustration of this, I shall lay down two aphorisms or conclusions.

1. That there is a blessedness in reversion.

2. That the godly are in some sense already blessed:

1. That there is a blessedness in reversion: The people of God meet with many knotty difficulties, and sinking discouragements in the way of religion; their march is not only tedious, but dangerous, and their hearts are ready to despond: It will not be amiss therefore to set the crown of blessedness before them, to animate their courage, and to inflame their zeal. How many scriptures bring this olive-branch in their mouth, the tidings of blessedness to believers! Matthew 24:46: Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing. Matthew 25:34: Come you blessed of my Father. Blessedness is the perfection of a rational creature; it is the whetstone of a Christian's industry; the height of his ambition; the flower of his joy; blessedness is the desire of all men. Aquinas calls it the ultimate end; this is the white every man aims to hit; to this center all the lines are drawn.

Answer. Millions of men mistake both the nature of blessedness, and the way to it: Some of the learned have set down two hundred eighty-eight several opinions about blessedness, and all have shot wide of the mark. I shall show wherein it does not consist, and then wherein it does consist.

1. Wherein blessedness does not consist: It does not lie in the acquisition of worldly things; happiness cannot by any art of chemistry be extracted here: Christ does not say, Blessed are the rich, or blessed are the noble; yet too many idolize these things: Man by the fall has not only lost his crown, but his head. How ready is he to terminate his happiness in external things? Which makes me call to mind that definition which some of the heathen philosophers gave of blessedness; that it was to have a sufficiency of subsistence, and to thrive well in the world: And are there not many who go for Christians, that seem to be of this philosophical opinion? If they have but worldly accommodations, they are ready to sing a requiem to their souls, and say with that brutish fool in the gospel, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years, take your ease (Luke 12:19). Alas, the tree of blessedness does not grow in an earthly paradise. Has not God cursed the ground for sin (Genesis 3:17)? Yet many are digging for felicity here, as if they would fetch a blessing out of a curse; a man may as well think to extract oil out of a flint, or fire out of water, as blessedness out of these terrestrial things.

King Solomon arrived at more than any man; he was the most magnificent prince that ever held the scepter. 1. For his parentage; he sprang from the royal line; not only that line of which many kings came, but of which Christ himself came. Jesus Christ was of Solomon's line and race; so that for heraldry and nobility none could show a fairer coat of arms. 2. For the situation of his palace; it was in Jerusalem, the princess and paragon of the earth. Jerusalem for its renown, was called the city of God; it was the most famous metropolis in the world, Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord (Psalm 122:4). 3. For wealth; his crown was hung full of jewels; he had treasures of gold and pearl, and gave silver as stones (1 Kings 10:27). 4. For worldly joy, he had the flower and quintessence of all delights; sumptuous fare, stately edifices, vineyards, fishponds, all sorts of music to enchant and ravish the senses with joy; if there were any rarity, it was a present for King Solomon's court; thus did he bathe himself in the perfumed waters of pleasure. 5. For wisdom, he was the oracle of his time; when the Queen of Sheba came to pose him with hard questions, he gave a solution to all her doubts (1 Kings 10:3). He had a key of knowledge to unlock nature's dark cabinet; so that if wisdom had been lost, it might have been found here, and the whole world might have lit their understanding at Solomon's lamp. He was an earthly angel; so that a carnal eye surveying his glory, would have been ready to imagine that Solomon had entered into that paradise out of which Adam was once driven, or that he had found another as good; never did the world cast a more smiling aspect upon any man; yet when he comes to give in his impartial verdict, he tells us that the world has vanity written upon its frontispiece; and all those golden delights he enjoyed, were but a painted felicity, a glorious misery (Ecclesiastes 2:8). And behold all was vanity. Blessedness is too noble and delicate a plant to dwell in nature's soil.

That blessedness does not lie in externals, I shall prove by these five demonstrations.

1. Those things which are not commensurate to the desires of the soul, can never make a man blessed; but transitory things are not commensurate to the desires of the soul; therefore they cannot render him blessed; nothing on earth can satisfy. Ecclesiastes 5:10: He that loves silver, shall not be satisfied with silver; riches are unsatisfying.

1. Because they are not real; the world is called a fashion (1 Corinthians 7:31). The word [in non-Latin alphabet], signifies a mathematical figure, sometimes a show or apparition. Riches are but tinned over; they are like alchemy, which glisters a little in our eyes, but at death all this alchemy will be worn off. Riches are but sugared lies, pleasant impostures; like a gilded cover, which has not one leaf of true comfort bound up in it.

2. Because they are not suitable: The soul is a spiritual thing, riches are of an earthly extract, and how can these fill a spiritual substance? A man may as well fill his chest with grace, as his heart with gold; if a man were crowned with all the delights of the world, nay, if God should build him a house among the stars, yet the restless eye of his unsatisfied mind would be looking still higher, he would be peering beyond the heavens for some hidden rarities which he thinks he has not yet attained to; so unquenchable is the thirst of the soul, till it comes to bathe in the river of life, and to center upon true blessedness.

2. That which cannot quiet the heart in a storm, cannot entitle a man to blessedness; but earthly things accumulated, cannot rock the troubled heart quiet, therefore they cannot make one blessed. If the Spirit be wounded, can the creature pour in wine and oil into these wounds? If God sets on conscience, and it flies in a man's face, can worldly comforts take off this angry fury? Is there any harp to drive away the evil Spirit? Outward things can no more cure the agony of conscience, than a silk stocking can cure a gouty leg. When Saul was sorely distressed (1 Samuel 28:15), could all the jewels of his crown comfort him? If God be angry, whose fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him (Nahum 1:6), can a wedge of gold be a screen to keep off this fire? Ezekiel 7:19: They shall cast their silver in the streets; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. King Belshazzar was carousing; he drank wine in the golden vessels of the temple (Daniel 5:3), but when the fingers of a man's hand appeared, his countenance was changed (verse 6); his wine grew sour, his feast was spoiled with that dish which was served in upon the wall. The things of the world will no more keep out trouble of spirit, than a paper screen will keep out a bullet.

3. That which is but for a season, cannot make one blessed; but all things under the sun are but [in non-Latin alphabet] for a season, therefore they cannot enrich with blessedness: Sublunary delights are like those meats which we say are for a while in season, and then presently grow stale, and are out of request: The world passes away (1 John 2:17). Worldly delights are winged; they may be compared to a flock of birds in the garden, that stay a little while, but when you come near to them, they take their flight and are gone. So riches make themselves wings, they fly away as an eagle towards heaven (Proverbs 23:5). They are like a meteor that blazes, but spends and annihilates; they are like a castle made of snow, lying under the torrid beams of the sun: Austin said of himself, When any preferment smiled upon him, he was afraid to accept of it, lest it should on a sudden give him the slip. Outward comforts are as Plato says, like tennis-balls, which are bandied up and down from one to another; had we the longest lease of worldly comforts, it would soon be run out: Riches and honor are still fleeing, they pass away like a swift stream, or like a ship that is going full sail. While they are with us, they are going away from us; they are like a posy of flowers, which withers while you are smelling it; like ice, which melts away while it is in your hand. The world (says Bernard) cries out, I will leave you, and be gone; it takes its salute and farewell together.

4. Those things which do more vex than comfort, cannot make a man blessed; but such are all things under the sun, therefore they cannot have blessedness affixed to them: As riches are compared to wind (Hosea 12:1), to show their vanity; so to thorns (Matthew 13:17), to show their vexation: Thorns are not more apt to tear our garments, than riches are to tear our hearts; they are thorns in the gathering, they prick with care; and as they pierce the head with care of getting, so they wound the heart with fear of losing; God will have our sweetest wine run to dregs, yes, and taste of a musty cask too, that we may not think this is the wine of paradise.

5. Those things which (if we have nothing else) will make us cursed, cannot make us blessed; but the sole enjoyment of worldly things will make us cursed; therefore it is far from making us blessed: Riches are kept for the hurt of the owner (Ecclesiastes 5:13). Riches to the wicked, are fuel for pride: Ezekiel 28:5: Your heart is lifted up because of your riches; and fuel for lust: Jeremiah 5:7: When I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery. Riches are a snare: 1 Timothy 6:9: But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition. How many have pulled down their souls to build up an estate! A ship may be so loaded with gold that it sinks; many a man's gold has sunk him to hell. The rich sinner seals up money in his bag, and God seals up a curse with it. Habakkuk 2:6: Woe to him that loads himself with thick clay. Austin says, that Judas for money sold his salvation, and the Pharisees bought their damnation; so that happiness is not to be fetched out of the earth; they who go to the creature for blessedness, go to the wrong box.

Use 1. If there is such blessedness not in externals, then let us not place our blessedness here; this is to seek the living among the dead; as the angel told Mary concerning Christ, He is not here, he is risen (Matthew 28:6). So I may say of blessedness, it is not here, it is risen, it is in a higher region: How do men thirst after the world, as if the pearl of blessedness did hang upon an earthly crown? O says one, if I had but such an estate, then I should be happy! Had I but such a comfort, then I should sit down satisfied? Well, God gives him that comfort, and lets him suck out the very juice and spirits of it; but alas, it falls short of his expectation, it cannot fill the longing of his soul, which still cries Give, give (Proverbs 30:15). Just like a sick man, if says he, I had but such a food, I could eat it; and when he has it, his stomach is bad, and he can hardly endure to taste it; God has put not only an emptiness, but bitterness into the creature, and it is good for us that there is no perfection here, that we may raise our thoughts higher, to more noble and generous delights. Could we distil, and draw out the quintessence of the creature, we should say as once the Emperor Severus, who grew from a mean estate to be head of the greatest empire in the world, I have run through all conditions, yet could never find full contentment.

Use 2. To such as are cut short in their allowance, whose cup does not overflow, but their tears; Be not too much troubled; remember these outward comforts cannot make you blessed; you might live rich, and die cursed; you might treasure up an estate, and God might treasure up wrath: Be not perplexed about those things, the want of which cannot make you miserable, nor the enjoyment make you blessed.

Having shown wherein blessedness does not consist, I shall next show wherein it does consist. Blessedness does stand in the fruition of the chief good. 1. It consists in fruition; there must not be only possession, but fruition. A man may possess an estate, yet not enjoy it; he may have the dominion of it, but not the comfort; as when he is in a lethargy, or under the predominance of melancholy; but in true blessedness there must be a sensible enjoyment of that which the soul does possess. 2. Blessedness lies in the fruition of the chief good; it is not every good that makes a man blessed, but it must be the supreme good, and that is God. Psalm 144:15: Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. God is the rest of the soul, here the soul does rest: Psalm 116:7. Now that only in which the soul does acquiesce and rest, can make it blessed. The globe or circle, as is observed in mathematics, is of all others the most perfect figure, because the last point of the figure ends in that first point where it began: So when the soul meets in God, from where it sprang as its first original, then it is completely blessed. That which makes a man blessed, must have six qualifications or ingredients in it, and these are found nowhere, but in God the chief good.

1. In true blessedness there must be superiority; that which fills with blessedness, must be such a good as is better than a man's self. If you would ennoble a piece of silver, it must be by putting something to it which is better than silver, as by putting gold or pearl to it: So that which does ennoble the soul, and enrich it with blessedness, must be by adding something to it which is more excellent than the soul, and that is God; the world is below the soul; it is but the soul's footstool; therefore cannot crown it with happiness.

2. Another ingredient is delightfulness; that which brings blessedness, must have a delicious taste in it, such as the soul is infinitely ravished with; there must be in it spirits of delight, and quintessence of joy; and where can the soul suck those pure comforts which do amaze it with wonder, and crown it with delight, but in God? The love of God is a honeycomb, which drops such infinite sweetness, and satisfaction into the soul, as is unspeakable, and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). A kiss from God's mouth puts the soul into a divine ecstasy, so that now it cries out, It is good to be here.

3. The third ingredient into blessedness, is plenty; that which makes a man blessed, must not be too scanty; it is a full draught which quenches the soul's thirst; and where shall we find plenty but in deity? Psalm 36:8: You shall make him drink of the river of your pleasures, not drops but rivers. The soul bathes itself, and is laid as it were steeped in the water of life; the river of paradise overflows, and empties its silver streams into the souls of the blessed.

4. In true blessedness there must be variety: Plenty without variety is apt to nauseate; in God there is [in non-Latin alphabet] all fullness (Colossians 1:19). What can the soul want, but it may be had in the chief good? God is good in whom all good things are; he is a sun, a shield, a portion, a fountain, a rock of strength, a horn of salvation; In God there is a complication of all excellencies; there are every moment fresh beauties and delights springing from God.

5. To make up blessedness there must be perfection; the joy must be perfect, the glory perfect. Hebrews 12:23: Spirits of just men made perfect. Goodness consists in integrality; if there be the least defect, it destroys the nature of blessedness; as the least symptom of a disease takes away the right temperature of the body.

6. True blessedness must have eternity stamped upon it. Blessedness is a fixed thing, it admits of no change or alteration. God says of every child of his, I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed: As the sunshine of blessedness is without clouds, so it never sets. John 10:28: I give unto them eternal life. 1 Thessalonians 4:17: And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Eternity is the highest link of the chain of blessedness: Thus we have seen that this diamond of blessedness is only to be found in the Rock of Ages. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

Use 1. If there is such blessedness in reversion, be convinced of the truth of this, set it down as an article of your faith. We live in times wherein many are grown atheists, they have run through all opinions; and now of professors they are turned epicures; they have drunk in so much of the poison of error, that they are quite intoxicated, and fallen asleep, and begin to dream there is no such thing as a state of blessedness after this life; and this opinion is to them above the Bible. When men have the spiritual staggers, it sadly presages they will die. Oh it is a dangerous thing to hesitate and waver about fundamentals; like Pythagoras, who doubted whether there was a God or no! So, whether there be a blessedness or no. Doubting of principles, is the next way to the denying of principles. Let it be a maxim with every good Christian, There is a blessedness in reversion, there remains a rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9).

Use 2. Revolve this truth often in your mind; there are many truths that swim in the brain, which do not sink into the heart, and those do us no good: Chew the cud: Let a Christian think seriously with himself, There is a blessedness attainable, and I am capable of enjoying it, if I do not lay bars in the way, and block up my own happiness. Though within I see nothing but guilt, without nothing but curses; yet there is a blessedness to be had, and to be had for me too in the use of means.

The serious meditation of this will be a forcible argument to make the sinner break off his sins by repentance, and work hard till he find the golden mine of blessedness; I say, it would be the break-neck of sin; how would a man offer violence to himself by mortification, and to heaven by supplication, that at last he may arrive at a state of blessedness. What, is there a crown of blessedness to be set upon my head? A crown hung with the jewels of honor, delight, magnificence; a crown reached out by God himself; and shall I by sin hazard this? Can the pleasure of sin counterbalance the loss of blessedness? What more powerful motive to repentance than this: Sin will deceive me of the blessing! If a man knew certainly that a king would settle all his crown revenues on him after such a term of years, would he offend that regal majesty, and cause him to reverse and alter his will? There is a blessedness promised to all that live godly: 1 John 2:25: This is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life. We are not excluded, but may come in for a child's part; now shall we by living in sin provoke God, and forfeit this blessedness? O what madness is this! Well may the Apostle call them foolish and hurtful lusts (1 Timothy 6:9), because every lust does what in it lies to cut off the entail of mercy, and block up the way to happiness; every sin may be compared to the flaming sword, which keeps the heavenly paradise that the sinner cannot enter.

Use 3. Let us so conduct ourselves, that we may express to others that we do believe a blessedness to come; and that is by seeking after an interest in God; for the beams of blessedness shine only from his face; it is our union with God the chief good that makes us blessed: Oh let us never rest till we can say, This God is our God forever and ever (Psalm 48:14). Most men think because God has blessed them with an estate, therefore they are blessed; alas, God often gives these things in anger: He grants in anger what he refuses in favor: He loads his enemies with gold and silver; as Plutarch reports of Tarpeia a vestal nun, who bargained with the enemy to betray the Capitol of Rome to them, in case she might have the golden bracelets on their left hands, which they promised; and being entered into the Capitol, they threw not only their golden bracelets, but their shields too upon her, through the weight of which she was pressed to death. God often lets men have the golden bracelets, the weight of which sinks them into hell: Oh let us aspire to things above, get our eyes fixed, and our hearts united to God the supreme good; this is to pursue blessedness as in a chase.

2. Let us proclaim to the world that we do believe a blessedness to come, by living blessed lives; walk as becomes the heirs of blessedness; A blessed crown, and a cursed life will never agree. Many tell us they are bound for heaven, but they steer their course a quite contrary way; the devil is their pilot, and they sail hellward; as if a man should say he were going a voyage to the east, but sails quite westward. The drunkard will tell you he hopes for blessedness, but he sails another way; you must go weeping to heaven, not reeling. The unclean person talks of blessedness, but he is fallen into that deep ditch (Proverbs 23:27), where he is sooner likely to find hell, than heaven. A beast may as well be made an angel, as an unclean person in his leprosy enter into the paradise of God. The covetous person (of whom it may be said, He is a worm, and no man (Psalm 22:6), he is ever creeping in the earth, yet) he would lay a claim to blessedness; but can earth ascend? Shall a lump of clay be made a bright star in the firmament of glory? Be assured they shall never be blessed, who bless themselves in their sins; if says God (Deuteronomy 29:19): the sinner blesses himself, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst; the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven. A man can no more extract blessedness out of sin, than he can suck health out of poison. O let us lead blessed lives, and so declare plainly that we seek a country (Hebrews 11:14).

Use 4. To you that have any good hope through grace that you have a title to blessedness, let me say as the Levites did to the people (Nehemiah 9:5): Stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever. What infinite cause have you to be thankful that the lot of free grace is fallen upon you! Though you had forfeited all, yet God has provided a haven of happiness, and he is carrying you there upon the sea of Christ's blood, the gale of his Spirit blowing your sails; you are in a better condition through Christ, than when you had the robes of innocency upon you; God has raised you a step higher by your fall. How many has God passed by, and looked upon you? Millions there are who shall lie forever under the bitter vials of God's curses, whereas he will bring you into his banqueting house, and pour out the flagons of wine, and feast you eternally with the delicacies of heaven. O adore free grace, triumph in this love of God; spend and be spent for the Lord; dedicate yourselves to him in a way of resignation, and lay out yourselves for him in a way of gratitude; never think you can do enough for that God who will shortly set you ashore on the land of promise.

Showing that there is a blessedness yet to come.

Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit."

Having dealt with the occasion, I come now to the fourth element: the sermon itself. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Christ does not open His Sermon on the Mount the way the law was delivered on the mount — with commands and threats, with the trumpet sounding, fire blazing, the earth shaking, and the hearts of the Israelites trembling with fear. Instead, our Savior — whose lips dropped sweetness like a honeycomb — begins with promises and blessings. The teaching of this heavenly teacher was so sweet and captivating that, like music, it could charm the most hardened hearts and draw even hearts of stone to Him. Let us begin, then, with the first word: Blessed.

If there is any knowledge worth having, it is the knowledge of true blessedness. To explore this, I will lay down two principles.

1. There is a blessedness that is coming — a blessedness held in reserve.

2. The godly are in some sense already blessed.

1. There is a blessedness held in reserve. God's people face many hard obstacles and discouraging trials along the way of faith. Their journey is not only long and tiring but dangerous, and their hearts are prone to despair. It is fitting, therefore, to set the crown of blessedness before them — to strengthen their courage and kindle their zeal. How many Scriptures carry this olive branch in their mouths — the good news of blessedness for believers! Matthew 24:46: "Blessed is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he comes." Matthew 25:34: "Come, you who are blessed by My Father." Blessedness is the fullness of a rational creature's existence. It is the sharpening stone of a Christian's diligence, the height of his ambition, the flower of his joy. Every person desires blessedness. Aquinas calls it the ultimate end — the target every person is aiming for, the center point to which all lines are drawn.

Millions of people are mistaken both about what blessedness is and about how to reach it. Some scholars have catalogued two hundred eighty-eight different opinions about blessedness — and every one of them has missed the mark. I will show first where blessedness does not lie, and then where it does.

1. Where blessedness does not lie: It is not found in the acquisition of worldly things. Happiness cannot be extracted from this world by any method. Christ does not say "blessed are the rich" or "blessed are the noble" — yet far too many people idolize these things. Through the fall, a man has lost not only his crown but his mind. How quickly he tries to find his happiness in external things! This calls to mind the definition some pagan philosophers gave of blessedness: having enough to live on and thriving well in the world. And are there not many who call themselves Christians who seem to hold this same philosophical opinion? If they have worldly comfort and provision, they are ready to sing themselves a lullaby and say with that foolish man in the parable: "Soul, you have many goods stored up for many years. Take your ease" (Luke 12:19). But the tree of blessedness does not grow in an earthly garden. Has not God cursed the ground because of sin (Genesis 3:17)? Yet many keep digging here for happiness, as if they could extract a blessing from a curse. A man might as well try to draw oil from a flint or fire from water as to find blessedness in earthly things.

King Solomon attained more than any man. He was the most magnificent king who ever held a scepter. 1. His lineage: He came from the royal line — not only the line from which many kings descended, but the line from which Christ Himself came. Jesus Christ was of Solomon's own line and family, so that in terms of ancestry and nobility, no one could display a finer heritage. 2. His palace: It stood in Jerusalem, the most renowned city on earth. Jerusalem was so celebrated that it was called the city of God — the most famous capital in the world. "There the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord" (Psalm 122:4). 3. His wealth: His crown was loaded with jewels. He had treasuries of gold and precious stones, and made silver as common as street-side rocks (1 Kings 10:27). 4. His worldly pleasures: He enjoyed the best and fullest assortment of delights — lavish feasts, magnificent buildings, vineyards, fish ponds, and every kind of music to enchant and overwhelm the senses with pleasure. If a rare thing existed anywhere, it was fitting for King Solomon's court. He bathed himself in the perfumed waters of pleasure. 5. His wisdom: He was the oracle of his age. When the Queen of Sheba came to test him with hard questions, he answered all of them (1 Kings 10:3). He held a key of knowledge that could unlock the hidden cabinet of nature. If wisdom had ever been lost, it could have been found in him, and the whole world could have lit its understanding at Solomon's lamp. He was an earthly angel. Anyone looking at his glory with worldly eyes would have been tempted to think Solomon had returned to the paradise from which Adam was driven — or had found another just as good. The world never smiled more generously on any man. Yet when Solomon gives his honest verdict, he tells us that the world has "vanity" written across its face, and that all those golden pleasures he enjoyed were nothing but a painted happiness — a glorious misery (Ecclesiastes 2:8). "Behold, all was vanity." Blessedness is too noble and delicate a plant to grow in the soil of this world.

That blessedness does not lie in outward things, I will demonstrate with five arguments.

1. Whatever cannot match the desires of the soul can never make a person blessed. Temporal things cannot match the soul's desires. Therefore they cannot make anyone blessed. Nothing on earth can satisfy. Ecclesiastes 5:10: "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money." Riches cannot satisfy.

1. Because they are not real. The world is called a "fashion" (1 Corinthians 7:31). The Greek word signifies a mathematical figure — sometimes a show or apparition. Riches are only plated over. They are like cheap metal that glitters in the eye for a moment, but at death all that shine is stripped away. Riches are sweetened lies, pleasant illusions — like a gilded cover that has not a single page of true comfort bound inside it.

2. Because they are not suitable. The soul is a spiritual thing; riches come from the earth. How can earthly things fill what is spiritual? A man might as well try to fill a chest with grace as fill his heart with gold. Even if a man were given every pleasure the world offers — even if God built him a mansion among the stars — the restless eye of his unsatisfied mind would still be searching higher. He would be peering beyond the heavens for some hidden treasure he has not yet found. The soul's thirst is unquenchable until it drinks from the river of life and finds its rest in true blessedness.

2. Whatever cannot quiet the heart in a storm cannot lay claim to blessedness. Earthly things, no matter how many you pile up, cannot calm a troubled heart. Therefore they cannot make anyone blessed. If the spirit is wounded, can worldly things pour wine and oil into those wounds? If God stirs the conscience and it rises up against a person, can worldly comforts silence that fury? Is there any music to drive away an angry conscience? Outward things can no more heal the anguish of conscience than a silk stocking can cure a gouty leg. When Saul was in deep distress (1 Samuel 28:15), could all the jewels of his crown bring him comfort? If God's wrath is poured out like fire, and rocks are thrown down before Him (Nahum 1:6), can a bar of gold serve as a shield against that fire? Ezekiel 7:19: "They will throw their silver into the streets; their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them on the day of the Lord's wrath." King Belshazzar was feasting and drinking wine from the golden vessels of the temple (Daniel 5:3). But when the fingers of a human hand appeared on the wall, his face went pale (verse 6). His wine turned sour, and his banquet was ruined by that uninvited message written on the wall. The things of this world will no more keep out spiritual trouble than a paper wall will stop a bullet.

3. Whatever lasts only for a season cannot make anyone blessed. Everything under the sun lasts only for a season. Therefore nothing under the sun can enrich us with blessedness. Earthly pleasures are like foods that are in season for a short while, then quickly go stale and are wanted no more. "The world is passing away" (1 John 2:17). Worldly delights have wings. They are like a flock of birds in a garden that stay for a little while — but when you move toward them, they fly off and are gone. In the same way, riches make wings for themselves and fly away like an eagle toward the sky (Proverbs 23:5). They are like a shooting star that blazes and then burns out. They are like a castle built of snow sitting under the scorching sun. Augustine said of himself that whenever advancement smiled on him, he was afraid to accept it for fear it would suddenly slip away from him. Outward comforts are, as Plato says, like tennis balls that are knocked from one player to another. Even if we had the longest possible lease on worldly comforts, it would soon expire. Riches and honor are always departing — they pass like a swift current or a ship sailing at full speed. While they are with us, they are already leaving us. They are like a bouquet of flowers that withers while you are still smelling it — like ice that melts in your hand. "The world," says Bernard, "cries out: I am leaving you. It takes its greeting and its farewell at the same time."

4. Whatever brings more trouble than comfort cannot make anyone blessed. Everything under the sun brings more trouble than comfort. Therefore nothing under the sun can truly be called blessed. Just as riches are compared to wind (Hosea 12:1) to show their emptiness, they are also compared to thorns (Matthew 13:22) to show their pain. Thorns are no more certain to tear our clothing than riches are to tear our hearts. They are thorns in the gathering — they prick with anxiety as we reach for them. And just as they pierce the mind with worry over getting them, they wound the heart with fear of losing them. God ensures that our sweetest wine turns to dregs — and even tastes of a sour cask — so that we will not mistake this world for paradise.

5. Whatever, if we have nothing else, would make us cursed cannot make us blessed. Having only worldly things would make us cursed. Therefore worldly things are far from making us blessed. "Riches are kept for the hurt of their owner" (Ecclesiastes 5:13). To the wicked, riches are fuel for pride. Ezekiel 28:5: "Your heart is lifted up because of your riches." They are also fuel for lust. Jeremiah 5:7: "When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery." Riches are a snare. 1 Timothy 6:9: "But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge men into ruin and destruction." How many have destroyed their souls in the process of building up an estate! A ship can be loaded with so much gold that it sinks. Many a man's gold has sunk him to hell. The rich sinner seals money into his bags, and God seals a curse with it. Habakkuk 2:6: "Woe to him who increases what is not his — how long — and makes himself rich with debts." Augustine observed that Judas sold his salvation for money, and the Pharisees bought their damnation with it. Happiness cannot be dug out of the earth. Those who go to created things for blessedness are looking in the wrong place.

Use 1: Since blessedness is not found in outward things, let us stop looking for it there. To do so is to seek the living among the dead. As the angel told Mary about Christ: "He is not here; He has risen" (Matthew 28:6). So I can say of blessedness: it is not here — it has risen to a higher realm. How people thirst after the world, as if the pearl of blessedness hung from an earthly crown! "Oh," someone says, "if only I had that kind of wealth, then I would be happy!" "If only I had that comfort, then I could sit down satisfied." God gives the person that comfort and lets them drink every last drop of it. But it disappoints them — it cannot fill the longing of the soul, which still cries out "Give, give" (Proverbs 30:15). It is like a sick man who says, "If only I had that food, I could eat it." When he gets it, his stomach rebels and he can barely taste it. God has placed not only emptiness but bitterness into created things. And it is good for us that there is no perfection here — it forces us to lift our thoughts higher, toward nobler and more satisfying delights. If we could distill the very essence of all created things, we would have to say what Emperor Severus once said — a man who rose from humble origins to rule the greatest empire in the world: "I have passed through every condition, and I have never found full contentment."

Use 2: For those who have little — whose cup overflows not with blessing but with tears — do not be too troubled. Remember, outward comforts cannot make you blessed. You could live rich and die cursed. You could pile up an estate while God piles up wrath. Do not be anxious about things whose absence cannot make you truly miserable, or whose presence cannot make you truly blessed.

Having shown where blessedness does not lie, I will now show where it does. Blessedness consists in enjoying the chief good. 1. It consists in enjoyment — not merely possession, but real enjoyment. A man may possess an estate without truly enjoying it. He may have ownership but not the pleasure of it — as when he is in a stupor or overwhelmed by depression. But in true blessedness, there must be a genuine experience of what the soul possesses. 2. Blessedness lies in the enjoyment of the chief good. Not every good thing makes a person blessed — it must be the supreme good, and that is God. Psalm 144:15: "Happy are the people whose God is the Lord." God is the resting place of the soul, where the soul truly rests (Psalm 116:7). Only that in which the soul truly finds rest can make it blessed. The circle, as mathematicians observe, is the most perfect of all shapes, because its last point meets the first point where it began. In the same way, when the soul returns to God — from whom it originally sprang — it is completely blessed. Whatever makes a person truly blessed must have six qualities, and these are found nowhere but in God, the chief good.

1. True blessedness requires superiority. Whatever fills us with blessedness must be a good that is greater than ourselves. To ennoble a piece of silver, you must combine it with something better than silver — such as gold or pearl. In the same way, whatever ennobles the soul and fills it with blessedness must be something more excellent than the soul itself, and that is God. The world is beneath the soul — it is merely the soul's footstool. It cannot crown the soul with happiness.

2. Another necessary quality is delight. Whatever brings blessedness must have in it a sweetness that utterly captivates the soul — something filled with the essence of joy. Where else can the soul draw those pure pleasures that overwhelm it with wonder and fill it with delight, except in God? The love of God is a honeycomb that drops infinite sweetness and satisfaction into the soul, "unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). A single touch of God's favor puts the soul into a holy rapture, so that it cries out: "It is good to be here."

3. The third quality of blessedness is abundance. Whatever makes someone blessed must not be scarce — it is a full draft that quenches the soul's thirst. And where is abundance found except in God? Psalm 36:8: "You give them drink from the river of Your delights" — not drops, but rivers. The soul bathes itself and lies soaking in the water of life. The river of paradise overflows and pours its streams into the souls of the blessed.

4. True blessedness requires variety. Abundance without variety grows tedious. In God there is all fullness (Colossians 1:19). What could the soul desire that is not found in the chief good? God is good, and all good things are found in Him. He is a sun, a shield, a portion, a fountain, a rock of strength, a horn of salvation. In God every perfection is gathered together, and fresh beauties and delights spring from Him at every moment.

5. Blessedness requires perfection. The joy must be perfect; the glory must be perfect. Hebrews 12:23: "The spirits of the righteous made perfect." Goodness requires completeness. The smallest defect destroys the nature of blessedness, just as the slightest trace of disease disturbs the body's health.

6. True blessedness must have eternity stamped upon it. Blessedness is fixed — it admits no change or end. God says of every one of His children: "I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed." Just as the sunshine of blessedness has no clouds, so it also has no sunset. John 10:28: "And I give eternal life to them." 1 Thessalonians 4:17: "And so we will always be with the Lord." Eternity is the highest link in the chain of blessedness. This diamond of blessedness, then, is found only in the Rock of Ages. "Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord."

Use 1: Since there is a blessedness held in reserve, settle this as an article of your faith. We live in a time when many have slid into atheism. They have passed through one opinion after another, and from being professing Christians they have become practical hedonists. They have absorbed so much of the poison of error that they are completely intoxicated, have fallen asleep spiritually, and have begun to dream that there is no such thing as a state of blessedness after this life. This opinion has become more authoritative to them than the Bible itself. When people develop spiritual vertigo, it is a dangerous sign that they are dying. It is a grave thing to waver about foundational truths — like Pythagoras, who doubted whether God even existed. Some now doubt whether there is any blessedness at all. To begin doubting first principles is the next step toward denying them entirely. Let it be a settled conviction of every true Christian: there is a blessedness held in reserve. "There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9).

Use 2: Turn this truth over often in your mind. Many truths float around in the mind without ever sinking into the heart — and those do us no good. Chew on it slowly. Let a Christian think seriously: there is a blessedness within reach, and I am capable of enjoying it — if I do not set up barriers and block my own path to happiness. Even though within I see nothing but guilt, and around me I see nothing but trouble — there is a blessedness available, and it is available for me, through the proper use of means.

Seriously meditating on this truth is a powerful argument to move a sinner to break from sin through repentance and press hard until he finds the golden treasure of blessedness. I say it would be the death blow of sin. How eagerly a man would fight against himself through self-denial, and press toward heaven through prayer, if he were truly persuaded he could arrive at blessedness! Is there really a crown of blessedness about to be placed on my head? A crown hung with the jewels of honor, delight, and magnificence — a crown held out by God Himself — and shall I risk it for sin? Can the pleasure of sin ever compensate for the loss of blessedness? What more powerful motive to repentance could there be than this: sin will rob me of the blessing! If a man knew for certain that a king would transfer all his royal wealth to him after a certain number of years, would he offend that king and cause him to revoke his will? Blessedness is promised to all who live godly lives. 1 John 2:25: "This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life." We are not excluded — we may enter as children and receive our share. Shall we then live in sin, provoke God, and forfeit this blessedness? What madness this is! The Apostle was right to call them "foolish and harmful desires" (1 Timothy 6:9), because every sinful desire does its best to cut off the inheritance of mercy and block the path to happiness. Every sin is like the flaming sword that keeps the sinner out of the heavenly paradise.

Use 3: Let us live in such a way that shows others we genuinely believe in a blessedness to come. We do this by seeking to know God — for the light of blessedness shines only from His face. It is our union with God, the chief good, that makes us blessed. Let us never rest until we can say: "This God is our God forever and ever" (Psalm 48:14). Most people think that because God has blessed them with property, they are therefore blessed. But God often gives these things in anger. He grants in anger what He withholds in favor. He loads His enemies with gold and silver. Plutarch tells the story of Tarpeia, a vestal virgin who made a deal with the enemy to betray the Capitol of Rome to them, on condition that she receive the golden bracelets on their left arms. When they entered the Capitol, they threw not only their golden bracelets but also their shields upon her — and she was crushed to death under the weight. God often lets people have the golden bracelets — and the weight of them sinks those people into hell. Let us set our hearts on things above. Let us fix our eyes and unite our hearts to God the supreme good. This is what it means to pursue blessedness with all you have.

2. Let us also declare to the world that we believe in a blessedness to come by living blessed lives. Walk as heirs of blessedness are meant to walk. A crown of blessedness and a life of sin will never fit together. Many people say they are headed for heaven but are steering a completely opposite course. The devil is their pilot and they are sailing toward hell — like someone who says he is sailing east but is heading due west. The drunkard will tell you he hopes for blessedness, but he is sailing another way. You must go to heaven weeping over sin, not reeling from drink. The immoral person talks of blessedness, but he has fallen into that deep pit (Proverbs 23:27) where he is far more likely to find hell than heaven. An animal might sooner be made into an angel than an unrepentant immoral person be allowed to enter God's paradise. The greedy person — of whom it may be said he is "a worm and not a man" (Psalm 22:6), always crawling along the ground — still wants to lay claim to blessedness. But can earth ascend? Shall a clump of clay be made into a bright star in the sky of glory? Know this: those who congratulate themselves in their sins will never be blessed. For God says (Deuteronomy 29:19): if a sinner blesses himself, saying "I will have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart" — adding drunkenness to thirst — the Lord will not forgive him. Rather, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. A person can no more extract blessedness from sin than suck health from poison. Let us lead blessed lives and so make it plain that we are seeking a better country (Hebrews 11:14).

Use 4: To you who have good hope through grace that you have a claim to blessedness — let me say with the Levites to the people (Nehemiah 9:5): "Stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever." What infinite reason you have to be grateful that the lot of free grace has fallen upon you! Though you had forfeited everything, God has prepared a haven of happiness and is carrying you there on the sea of Christ's blood, with the wind of His Spirit filling your sails. You are in a better condition through Christ than you were when you wore the robes of innocence. God has lifted you a step higher by your fall. How many has God passed over in choosing to look upon you? Millions will lie forever under the bitter bowls of God's curses, while He will bring you into His banqueting hall, pour out cups of wine, and feast you eternally with the delights of heaven. Adore free grace. Rejoice in God's love. Spend yourself fully for the Lord. Offer yourself to Him in surrender, and pour yourself out for Him in gratitude. Never think you can do too much for the God who will shortly bring you safely to shore on the land of promise.