Chapter 3

Showing that the godly are in some sense already blessed.

I proceed now to the second aphorism, or conclusion, that the godly are in some sense already blessed. The saints are blessed not only when they are comprehensores, but while they are viatores. They are blessed before they are crowned. This seems a paradox to flesh and blood; what — reproached, and maligned, yet blessed! A man that looks upon the children of God with a carnal eye, and sees how they are afflicted, and like the ship in the Gospel which was covered with waves (Matthew 8:24), would think they were far from blessedness. Saint Paul brings a catalogue of his sufferings (2 Corinthians 11:24–26): Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, etc. And those Christians of the first magnitude, of whom the world was not worthy, had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings; they were sawn asunder, they were slain with the sword (Hebrews 11:36–37). What? and were all these during the time of their sufferings blessed? A carnal man would think, If this be to be blessed, God deliver him from it.

But, however sense and reason would give their vote, our Savior Christ pronounces the godly man blessed, though a mourner, though a martyr, yet blessed. Job on the dunghill was blessed Job. The saints are blessed when they are cursed; Shimei did curse David (2 Samuel 16:5), yet when he was cursed David, he was blessed David. The saints though they are bruised, yet they are blessed. Not only they shall be blessed, but they are so: Psalm 119:1, Blessed are the undefiled; Psalm 3:8, Thy blessing is upon thy people.

Question. How are the saints already blessed?

Answer 1. In that they are enriched with heavenly blessings (Ephesians 1:3). They are partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), not by an incorporation into the divine essence, but by a transformation into the divine likeness. This is beatitudo inchoata, blessedness begun; as the newborn babe is said to have life in it as well as he who is fully grown. So the saints who are partakers of the divine nature have an inchoative blessedness, though they have not arrived yet at perfection. Believers have the seed of God in them (1 John 3:9), and this is a seed of blessedness. The flower of glory grows out of the seed of grace; grace and glory differ not in kind but degree; the one is the root, the other the fruit; grace is glory in the dawning, and glory is grace in the meridian. The saints have the Spirit of God in them (2 Timothy 1:14): The Holy Ghost which dwells in us. How can the blessed Spirit be in a man and he not be blessed? A godly man's heart is a paradise planted with the choicest fruit, and God himself walks in the midst of this paradise — must he not be blessed?

2. The saints are already blessed, because their sins are not imputed to them (Psalm 32:2). God's not imputing iniquity signifies God's making sin as if it were not; it is as if the man had never sinned; the debt-book is cancelled in Christ's blood. God's not imputing sin means he will never call for the debt; or if it should be called for, it shall be hidden out of sight. Jeremiah 50:20: In those days the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found. Now such a man who has not sin imputed to him is blessed; because if sin be not imputed, then the curse is taken away; and if the curse is taken away, then he must needs be blessed.

3. The saints are already blessed, because they are in covenant with God. This is clear by comparing two scriptures: Jeremiah 31:33, I will be their God; and Psalm 144:15, Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. This is the crowning blessing, to have the Lord for our God; it is impossible that God should be our God and we not be blessed. This sweet word, I will be your God, implies:

1. Propriety, that all that is in God shall be ours: his love ours, his Spirit ours, his mercy ours.

2. It implies all relations. First, the relation of a Father: 2 Corinthians 6:18, I will be a Father unto you. The sons of a prince are happy; how blessed are the saints who are of the true blood royal? Second, it implies the relation of a husband: Isaiah 54:5, Thy Maker is thy husband. The spouse being contracted to her husband is happy by having an interest in all he has; the saints being contracted by faith are blessed, though the solemnity of the marriage be kept for heaven. Third, it implies terms of friendship: they who are in covenant with God are favorites of heaven. Abraham my friend (Isaiah 41:8). It is counted a subject's happiness to be in favor with his prince, though he may live a while from court; how happy must he needs be who is God's favorite?

4. The saints are already blessed, because they have a reversion of heaven. As on the contrary, he who has hell in reversion is said to be already condemned: John 3:18, He that believes not is condemned already. So he who has heaven in reversion may be said to be already blessed. A man that has the reversion of a house after a short lease is run out looks upon it as his already: This house, he says, is mine. So a believer has a reversion of heaven after the lease of life is run out, and he can say at present, Christ is mine, and glory is mine. He has a title to heaven, and he is a blessed man that has a title to show; nay, faith turns the reversion into a possession.

5. The saints are already blessed, because they have the first fruits of blessedness here. We read of the earnest of the Spirit and the seal (2 Corinthians 1:22), and the first fruits (Romans 8:23). Heaven is already begun in a believer: Romans 14:17, The kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. This kingdom is in a believer's heart: Luke 17:21. The people of God have a prelibation and taste of blessedness here. As Israel tasted a bunch of grapes before they were actually possessed of Canaan, so the children of God have those secret incomes of the Spirit, those smiles of Christ's face, those kisses of his lips, those love-tokens that are as bunches of grapes. Often the Comforter is let down to the soul in an ordinance, and now the soul is in the suburbs of the Jerusalem above. A Christian sees heaven by faith, and tastes it by joy — and what is this but blessedness?

6. The saints may be said in this life to be blessed, because all things tend to make them blessed. Romans 8:28: All things work for good to them that love God. We say to him that has everything falling out for the best, You are a happy man. The saints are very happy, for all things have a tendency to their good; prosperity does them good, adversity does them good; nay, sin turns to their good. Every trip makes them more watchful; their maladies are their medicines. Are not they happy persons, that have every wind blowing them to the right port?

7. A saint may be said to be blessed, because part of him is already blessed; he is blessed in his head; Christ his head is in glory; Christ and believers make one mystical body, and their head is gotten into heaven.

Use 1. Branch 1. See the difference between a wicked man and a godly man. Let a wicked man have never so many comforts, still he is cursed; let a godly man have never so many crosses, still he is blessed. Let a wicked man have the candle of God shining on him (Job 29:3), let his way be so smooth that he meets with no rubs, let him have success — yet still there is a curse entailed upon him. You may read the sinner's inventory: Deuteronomy 28:16–18. He is not more full of sin than he is full of a curse; though perhaps he blesses himself in his wickedness, yet he is heir to God's curse. All the curses of the Bible are his portion, and at the day of death this portion is sure to be paid. But a godly man in the midst of all his miseries is blessed; he may be under the cross, but not under a curse.

Branch 2. It shows the privilege of a believer; he not only shall be blessed, but he is blessed; blessedness is begun in him. Psalm 115:15: You are blessed of the Lord. Let the condition of the righteous be never so sad, yet it is blessed. He is blessed in affliction: Psalm 94, Blessed is he whom you chasten. Blessed in poverty: James 2:5, Poor in the world, rich in faith. Blessed in disgrace: 1 Peter 4:14, The Spirit of God and of glory rests upon you. This may be a cordial to the fainting Christian — he is blessed in life and death; Satan cannot supplant him of the blessing.

Branch 3. How may this take away murmuring and melancholy from a child of God? Will you repine and be sad when you are blessed? Esau wept because he wanted the blessing (Genesis 27:38): Bless me, even me also, O my Father, and Esau lifted up his voice and wept. But shall a child of God be immoderately cast down, when he has the blessing? Adam sinned in the midst of Paradise; how evil is it to be blessed, and yet to murmur?

Branch 4. What an encouragement is this to godliness? We are all ambitious of a blessing, then let us espouse religion. Psalm 112:1: Blessed is the man that fears the Lord. But you will say, this way is everywhere spoken against. It is no matter, seeing this is the way to get a blessing. Suppose a rich man should adopt another for his heir, and others should reproach him — he cares not, as long as he is heir to the estate. So, what though others may reproach you for your religion, as long as it entails a blessing upon you? The same day you become godly, you become blessed.

Showing that the godly are in some sense already blessed.

I come now to the second principle: the godly are in some sense already blessed. The saints are blessed not only when they have arrived at heaven, but while they are still on the journey. They are blessed before they are crowned. To human eyes this sounds like a contradiction — reproached, despised, and yet blessed! Someone looking at God's people through worldly eyes, seeing how they suffer and how, like the boat in the Gospels that was covered by waves (Matthew 8:24), they appear to be overwhelmed, would conclude they were anything but blessed. Paul lists his sufferings (2 Corinthians 11:24-26): "Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked" — and so on. And those great Christians of the early church, "of whom the world was not worthy," experienced cruel mockings and whippings. They were sawed in two; they were killed with the sword (Hebrews 11:36-37). Were all these people blessed during the time of their sufferings? A worldly person would say: "If this is what it means to be blessed, God spare me from it."

Yet however the senses and reason might vote, our Savior Christ declares the godly person blessed — even if mourning, even if martyred, still blessed. Job on the ash heap was still blessed Job. The saints are blessed even when they are cursed. Shimei cursed David (2 Samuel 16:5), yet even while David was being cursed, he was still blessed David. The saints, though bruised, are still blessed. Not merely that they will be blessed, but that they are blessed now: Psalm 119:1, "Blessed are the blameless"; Psalm 3:8, "Your blessing is upon Your people."

Question: In what sense are the saints already blessed?

Answer 1: They are blessed in that they have been enriched with heavenly blessings (Ephesians 1:3). They are partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) — not by being absorbed into God's essence, but by being transformed into His likeness. This is blessedness begun. Just as a newborn baby is said to have life in it as fully as a grown adult, so the saints who share in the divine nature have blessedness in an initial form, even though they have not yet arrived at its fullness. Believers have the seed of God in them (1 John 3:9), and this is a seed of blessedness. The flower of glory grows from the seed of grace. Grace and glory are not different in kind — only in degree. One is the root, the other the fruit. Grace is glory in the early dawn; glory is grace at full noon. The saints have the Spirit of God dwelling in them (2 Timothy 1:14): "The Holy Spirit who dwells in us." How can the blessed Spirit live in a person and that person not be blessed? A godly person's heart is a garden planted with the finest fruit, and God Himself walks through that garden — how could such a person not be blessed?

2. The saints are already blessed because their sins are not counted against them (Psalm 32:2). God's not counting sin against a person means He treats that sin as though it never happened. It is as if the person had never sinned at all. The debt book has been cancelled in Christ's blood. God's not counting sin means He will never demand payment of the debt. And if it were ever demanded, it would be hidden from sight. Jeremiah 50:20: "In those days the iniquity of Israel will be searched for, but there will be none; and the sins of Judah will be searched for, but they will not be found." The person whose sin is not counted against him is truly blessed — because if sin is not counted, the curse is removed. And if the curse is removed, he must be blessed.

3. The saints are already blessed because they are in covenant with God. This becomes clear when two Scriptures are placed together: Jeremiah 31:33, "I will be their God"; and Psalm 144:15, "Happy are the people whose God is the Lord." Having the Lord as our God is the crowning blessing. It is impossible that God should be our God and we not be blessed. This sweet promise — "I will be your God" — implies:

1. Ownership — that all that belongs to God shall be ours: His love ours, His Spirit ours, His mercy ours.

2. It implies all the closest relationships. First, the relationship of a Father: 2 Corinthians 6:18, "I will be a Father to you." The sons of a prince are considered happy — how much more blessed are the saints, who belong to the royal family of God? Second, it implies the relationship of a husband: Isaiah 54:5, "Your Maker is your husband." The bride, betrothed to her husband, shares in all he has. The saints, betrothed to Christ by faith, are blessed — even though the full wedding celebration is reserved for heaven. Third, it implies friendship: those in covenant with God are favorites of heaven. "Abraham My friend" (Isaiah 41:8). It is considered a great honor for a subject to enjoy the favor of his king, even if he lives away from the royal court. How much greater must be the happiness of those who are God's own favorites?

4. The saints are already blessed because heaven is held in reserve for them. Consider the contrast: the one who has hell in reserve is said to be already condemned. John 3:18: "He who does not believe has been judged already." In the same way, the one who has heaven in reserve can be said to be already blessed. A man who holds the legal right to a house once a short lease expires already looks on it as his own, saying: "That house is mine." In the same way, a believer holds the right to heaven once the short lease of this life expires. Right now he can say: "Christ is mine, and glory is mine." He has a legal title to heaven — and the person with a title to show is a blessed person. Better still, faith turns what is held in reserve into a present possession.

5. The saints are already blessed because they enjoy the firstfruits of blessedness here and now. Scripture speaks of the deposit of the Spirit and the seal (2 Corinthians 1:22), and the firstfruits (Romans 8:23). Heaven has already begun in the believer. Romans 14:17: "The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." This kingdom is within the believer's heart (Luke 17:21). God's people have a foretaste of blessedness in this life. Just as Israel tasted a cluster of grapes before they ever took possession of Canaan, so God's children receive those quiet comforts of the Spirit, those smiles of Christ's face, those kisses of His presence, those gifts of love — all of which are like clusters of grapes from the promised land. Often the Comforter is poured into the soul through a means of grace, and in that moment the soul stands in the suburbs of the heavenly Jerusalem. A Christian sees heaven by faith and tastes it through joy — and what is that but blessedness?

6. The saints can be said to be blessed in this life because everything is working to make them blessed. Romans 8:28: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God." We say of a person for whom everything is turning out well: "You are a fortunate person." The saints are truly fortunate in this way, because everything is working toward their good. Prosperity does them good; adversity does them good. Even their sins work for their good in the end. Every stumble makes them more watchful; their ailments become their medicines. Are they not blessed people, for whom every wind blows them into the right harbor?

7. A saint can be said to be blessed because part of him is already blessed. He is blessed in his Head — Christ his Head is in glory. Christ and believers form one body together, and their Head has already entered heaven.

Use 1, Branch 1: See the difference between a wicked person and a godly person. No matter how many comforts a wicked person has, he is still cursed. No matter how many hardships a godly person faces, he is still blessed. A wicked person may have God's candle shining on him (Job 29:3), his path perfectly smooth with no obstacles in his way, and every venture succeeding — and yet a curse still hangs over him. You can read the sinner's inventory in Deuteronomy 28:16-18. He is no more filled with sin than he is filled with a curse. Though he may congratulate himself in his wickedness, he is heir to God's curse. All the curses of the Bible are his portion — and at the hour of death, that portion is certain to be paid out. But a godly person, in the midst of all his troubles, is blessed. He may be under the cross, but he is not under a curse.

Branch 2: This shows the privilege of the believer. He not only will be blessed — he is blessed now. Blessedness has already begun in him. Psalm 115:15: "You are blessed of the Lord." No matter how sorrowful a righteous person's condition may be, it is still a blessed condition. He is blessed in affliction: Psalm 94:12, "Blessed is the man whom You chasten." Blessed in poverty: James 2:5, "Poor in the world's eyes, but rich in faith." Blessed in disgrace: 1 Peter 4:14, "The Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." This truth is a restorative for the fainting Christian — he is blessed in life and in death, and Satan cannot steal the blessing from him.

Branch 3: How this truth should do away with grumbling and gloom in God's child. Will you complain and be miserable when you are blessed? Esau wept because he had lost the blessing (Genesis 27:38): "Bless me — me also, O my father!" And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. But should a child of God sink into deep despair when he already has the blessing? Adam sinned in the middle of paradise. How wrong it is to be blessed and yet to grumble!

Branch 4: What an encouragement this gives to godliness! We all want to be blessed — so let us embrace true religion. Psalm 112:1: "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord." But you may say: "This way of life is spoken against everywhere." It doesn't matter — because this is the path to the blessing. Imagine a wealthy man who adopts someone as his heir, and others mock that person — he doesn't care, as long as he is heir to the estate. In the same way, what does it matter if others mock you for your faith, as long as it secures a blessing for you? The day you become truly godly is the day you become truly blessed.