Chapter II.

4. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall by inheritance possess15    Hereditate possidebunt. Vulgate omits hereditate. The passage is quoted almost literally in the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, iii. 7.    Jesus passes from the precepts of the genuine righteousness to the actual practice of the same (Meyer, Weiss), from moral to religious duties (Lange), from actions to motives; having spoken to the heart before by inference, he now speaks directly (Alford). the earth:” that earth, I suppose, of which it is said in the Psalm, “Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”16    Ps. cxlii. 5.    Ps. xxxiv. 2. For it signifies a certain firmness and stability of the perpetual inheritance, where the soul, by means of a good disposition, rests, as it were, in its own place, just as the body rests on the earth, and is nourished from it with its own food, as the body from the earth. This is the very rest and life of the saints. Then, the meek are those who yield to acts of wickedness, and do not resist evil, but overcome evil with good.17    Rom. xii. 21.    Cavete facere; Vulgate, attendite ne faciatis. Let those, then, who are not meek quarrel and fight for earthly and temporal things; but “blessed are the meek, for they shall by inheritance possess the earth,” from which they cannot be driven out.18    The order in which Augustin places this Beatitude is followed in Cod. D, and approved by Lachmann, Tischendorf, Neander, and others (not Westcott and Hort). The meek not only bear provocation, but quietly submit to God’s dealings, and comply with His designs. The temporal possession promised is one of the few temporal promises in the New Testament. The inheritance of the earth is referred to “earthly good and possessions,” by Chrysostom, Euthymius, Luther, etc.; to conquest of the world by the kingdom of God, by Neander, to the actual kingdom on this earth, first in its millennial then in its blessed state, by Alford; typically to the Messiah kingdom, by Meyer; to the land of the living beyond the heavens by Gregory of Nyssa. “Humility and meekness have been proved to be a conquering principle in the world’s history” (Tholuck).    In agreement with the best Greek text. (See Revised Version.) This verse is a general proposition. The three leading manifestations of righteousness and practical piety among the Jews follow,—alms-giving, prayer, fasting.

5. “Blessed are they that mourn:19    Lugentes. Greek, πενθοῦντες. The Vulgate, qui lugent, which Augustin follows, p. 7.    Matt. v. 14–16. for they shall be comforted.” Mourning is sorrow arising from the loss of things held dear; but those who are converted to God lose those things which they were accustomed to embrace as dear in this world: for they do not rejoice in those things in which they formerly rejoiced; and until the love of eternal things be in them, they are wounded by some measure of grief. Therefore they will be comforted by the Holy Spirit, who on this account chiefly is called the Paraclete, i.e. the Comforter, in order that, while losing the temporal joy, they may enjoy to the full that which is eternal.20    The mourning is a mourning over sins of their own and others (Chrysostom, etc.); too restricted, as is also Augustin’s explanation. Spiritual mourning in general (Ambrose, Jerome, Tholuck, etc.) sorrow according to God (2 Cor. vii. 10). We are helped to the meaning by comparing the woe on those that laugh (Luke vi. 22); that is, upon those who are satisfied with earthly things, and avoid the seriousness of repentance.    Gal. i. 10.

6. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Now He calls those parties, lovers of a true and indestructible good. They will therefore be filled with that food of which the Lord Himself says, “My meat is to do the will of my Father,” which is righteousness; and with that water, of which whosoever “drinketh,” as he also says, it “shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.” 21    John iv. 34, 14.    1 Cor. x. 32, 33.

7. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”22    Ipsorum miserabitur; closer to the Greek than the Vulgate ipsi misericordiam consequentur. The same thought that underlies the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, as Augustin also says, Retract. I. xix. 3.    Phil. iv. 17. He says that they are blessed who relieve the miserable, for it is paid back to them in such a way that they are freed from misery.

8. “Blessed are the pure in heart:23    Mundi corde; the Vulgate, mundo corde.    Acts otherwise noble and praiseworthy become sin when done to make an appearance before men, and get honour from them. Bad intentions vitiate pious observances. for they shall see God.” How foolish, therefore, are those who seek God with these outward eyes, since He is seen with the heart! as it is written elsewhere, “And in singleness of heart seek Him.”24    Wisd. i. 1. For that is a pure heart which is a single heart: and just as this light cannot be seen, except with pure eyes; so neither is God seen, unless that is pure by which He can be seen.25    “Pure in heart.” “Ceremonial purity does not suffice” (Bengel). The singleness of heart which has God’s will for its aim, and follows integrity with our fellow-men (Tholuck). “Shall see God:” the most infinite communion with God (Tholuck). The promise is fulfilled even here (Lange, Alford, Schaff, etc.). It concerns only the beatific vision in the spiritual body (Meyer). Not a felicity to the impure to see God (Henry). Comp. 1 John iii. 2, Rev. xxii. 4, etc. Augustin has a brilliant description of the future vision of God in City of God (this series, vol. ii. pp. 507–509).

9. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” It is the perfection of peace, where nothing offers opposition; and the children of God are peacemakers, because nothing resists God, and surely children ought to have the likeness of their father. Now, they are peacemakers in themselves who, by bringing in order all the motions of their soul, and subjecting them to reason—i.e. to the mind and spirit—and by having their carnal lusts thoroughly subdued, become a kingdom of God: in which all things are so arranged, that that which is chief and pre-eminent in man rules without resistance over the other elements, which are common to us with the beasts; and that very element which is pre-eminent in man, i.e. mind and reason, is brought under subjection to something better still, which is the truth itself, the only-begotten Son of God. For a man is not able to rule over things which are inferior, unless he subjects himself to what is superior. And this is the peace which is given on earth to men of goodwill;26    Luke ii. 14. this the life of the fully developed and perfect wise man. From a kingdom of this sort brought to a condition of thorough peace and order, the prince of this world is cast out, who rules where there is perversity and disorder.27    The “peacemakers” not only establish peace within themselves as Augustin, encouraged by the Latin word, explains, but diffuse peace around about them,—heal the alienations and discords of others, and bring about reconciliations in the world; not merely peaceful, but peacemakers. “In most kingdoms those stand highest who make war: in the Messiah’s kingdom the crowning beatitude respects those who make peace.” The expressions will be remembered, “peace of God” (Phil. iv. 7); “peace of Christ” (Col. iii. 15); “God of peace” (Rom. xv. 33), etc. “If the peacemakers are blessed, woe to the peacebreakers!” (M. Henry). When this peace has been inwardly established and confirmed, whatever persecutions he who has been cast out shall stir up from without, he only increases the glory which is according to God; being unable to shake anything in that edifice, but by the failure of his machinations making it to be known with how great strength it has been built from within outwardly. Hence there follows: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

CAPUT II.---4. Beati mites; quoniam ipsi haereditate possidebunt terram: illam credo terram, de qua in Psalmo dicitur, Spes mea es tu, portio mea in terra viventium (Psal. CXLI, 6). Significat enim quamdam soliditatem et stabilitatem haereditatis perpetuae, ubi anima per bonum affectum, tanquam loco suo requiescit, sicut corpus in terra; et inde cibo suo alitur, sicut corpus ex terra: ipsa est requies et vita sanctorum. Mites autem sunt qui cedunt improbitatibus, et non resistunt malo, sed vincunt in bono malum (Rom. XII, 21). Rixentur ergo immites, et dimicent pro terrenis et temporalibus rebus: Beati autem mites; quoniam ipsi haereditate possidebunt terram, de qua pelli non possint.

5. Beati lugentes; quoniam ipsi consolabuntur. Luctus est tristitia de amissione charorum: conversi autem ad Deum, ea quae in hoc mundo chara amplectebantur, amittunt: non enim gaudent his rebus, quibus ante gaudebant; et donec fiat in illis amor aeternorum , nonnulla moestitia sauciantur: consolabuntur ergo Spiritu sancto, qui maxime propterea paracletus nominatur, id est consolator, ut temporalem amittentes aeterna laetitia perfruantur.

6. Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt justitiam; quoniam ipsi saturabuntur. Jam istos amatores dicit veri et inconcussi boni. Illo ergo cibo saturabuntur, de quo ipse Dominus dicit, Meus cibus est ut faciam voluntatem Patris mei, quod est justitia: et illa aqua, de qua quisquis biberit, ut idem dicit, fiet in eo fons aquae salientis in vitam aeternam (Joan. IV, 34, 14).

7. Beati misericordes; quoniam ipsorum miserebitur . Beatos esse dicit qui subveniunt misseris, quoniam eis ita rependitur, ut de miseria liberentur.

8. Beati mundi corde; quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt. Quam ergo stulti sunt qui Deum istis exterioribus oculis quaerunt, cum corde videatur, sicut alibi scriptum est, Et in simplicitate cordis quaerite illum (Sap. I, 1). Hoc est enim mundum cor, quod est simplex cor: et quemadmodum lumen hoc videri non potest, nisi oculis mundis; ita nec Deus videtur, nisi mundum sit illud quo videri potest.

1233 9. Beati pacifici; quoniam ipsi filii Dei vocabuntur. In pace perfectio est, ubi nihil repugnat; et ideo filii Dei pacifici, quoniam nihil resistit Deo , et utique filii similitudinem patris habere debent. Pacifici autem in semetipsis sunt, qui omnes animi sui motus componentes et subjicientes rationi, id est menti et spiritui, carnalesque concupiscentias habentes edomitas, fiunt regnum Dei: in quo ita sunt ordinata omnia, ut id quod est in homine praecipuum et excellens, hoc imperet caeteris non reluctantibus, quae sunt nobis bestiisque communia; atque idipsum quod excellit in homine, id est mens et ratio, subjiciatur potiori, quod est ipsa veritas unigenitus Filius Dei. Neque enim imperare inferioribus potest, nisi superiori se ipse subjiciat. Et haec est pax quae datur in terra hominibus bonae voluntatis (Luc. II, 14); haec vita consummati perfectique sapientis. De hujusmodi regno pacatissimo et ordinatissimo missus est foras princeps hujus saeculi, qui perversis inordinatisque dominatur. Hac pace intrinsecus constituta atque firmata, quascumque persecutiones ille qui foras missus est, forinsecus concitaverit, auget gloriam quae secundum Deum est; non aliquid in illo aedificio labefactans, sed deficientibus machinis suis innotescere faciens quanta firmitas intus exstructa sit. Ideo sequitur: Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam; quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum.