Blessed are the merciful
And the more they are filled with the life of God, the more tenderly they will be concerned for those who are still without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12), still dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Nor shall this concern for others lose its reward. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
The word used by our Lord more immediately means the compassionate, the tender-hearted, those who, far from despising them, earnestly grieve for those who do not hunger after God. This eminent part of brotherly love is here, by a common figure, put for the whole, so that the merciful, in the full sense of the term, are those who love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:39).
1771 text
III. 1. And the more they are filled with the life of God, the more tenderly will they be concerned for those, who are still without God in the world, still dead in trespasses and sins. Nor shall this concern for others lose its reward. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.
The word used by our Lord, more immediately implies, the compassionate, the tender-hearted: those, who far from despising, earnestly grieve for those that do not hunger after God. This eminent part of brotherly love, is here (by a common figure) put for the whole: So that the merciful, in the full sense of the term, are they who love their neighbours as themselves.