taste what is here explained as in passing, let us conclude that in truth it is a part
CHAPTER 3: The Meek Those Who Hunger for Righteousness and the Merciful
taste what is here explained as in passing, let us conclude that in truth it is a part of the blessedness of the children of God, to be merciful. Because in fact we must think well that we need mercy. Let us take the one who has all his wishes in this world, who has everything he desires: if there are still many difficulties that will come to him.
There are no princes, kings, or great lords who have not once had terrible blows dealt to them: now they will endure in their bodies, now in their spirit: and God shows us by this, that however much they would like to make a nest above the clouds, so as not to feel any molestation, however it is necessary that they be in their rank, and that they know themselves to be mortal men and fragile creatures. If those who seem to be already lodged as in a separate paradise, nevertheless need mercy: and what will it be of us?
So, when we think carefully about this, it would certainly be to induce us to be pitiful, however much we see the miseries, scarcity and afflictions of our neighbors. If we allege on this, that the world hardly cares to have pity on those who have been pitiful: there is one thing, which is that we know that the hearts of men are in the hand of God, who bends them as he sees fit: and when there is only felony and haughtiness, malice and venom, God can nevertheless incline them to humanity. So even if men do not take into account the fact that we have shown mercy towards those who were in need, and that we have tried to provide for them: although that the world despises all this, nevertheless God will so bend their hearts, that when we are in some need, we will prove that God did not want to defraud us of our reward, saying that we will find mercy when we have done it: according to what we will see again below, that our Lord Jesus Christ will say that each one will receive in the same measure as he has done to others. And in fact, it is not without cause that James pronounces that judgment without mercy will be made to him who has not shown mercy. But we must go even further. For let us take the position that God allows there to be only ingratitude in this world, that it seems to have been wasted effort for all that we have done to help those who were in want and needed us, so much so that we will have to come before the great judge, who will not let us other way to hope in him if not through his mercy. So even if there were only all cruelty in the world, and we were wasting our time trying to do the right thing, let us think what need we have of the mercy of God. For James could not say anything more horrible to scare us than this word, Judgment without mercy. And in fact if they had us appear before the judicial seat of God, and there we were treated harshly, what would that be? It would be better that we were aborted, and that