The Way to True Happiness, Sermon 6
The sixth SERMON.
MATH. 5.5.
Blessed are the meeke, &c.
WEe hauehave trod two steps toward blessednesse, to wit, spirituall pouerty, and spirituall mourning. Now we are vponupon the third, which followes naturally from the two former. For when a man is once become nothing in himselfe, and hath turned the edge of his sorrow vponupon his sinnes, hee will be meekned, and carry himselfe well toward eueryevery body.
In this fifth verse, we hauehave to obserue: 1. Our Sauiours proposition: Meeke men are blessed: 2. The proofe thereof; for they shall inherit the earth: For the first, Blessed are the meeke. Meeknesse is a grace that moderates anger both, in the affection it selfe, and in the effects thereof: For, it teacheth a man, when to be angry, how to be angry, and how farre he must, and must not be angry; and hee that practically knowes when, why, and how far to be angry; he is a meeke man, and so a blessed man, which is heere proued by this, that he shall inherit the earth. Where we must remember the note of a Father, that though there be mention of earth, yet there is no exclusion of heauen: For heauen he is sure of; for earth there is no question of it, therefore the matter is heere put out of doubt by our Sauiour, that meeke men shall also inherit the earth. Obserue heere, that the blessing promised, is suited to the grace: as also in the two former; to poore ones is promised a kingdome; to mourners comfort: so here, to meeknesse, quietnesse vponupon earth. for our Sauiour preuents an obiection. Some might say, If wee should be meeke, and sit downe by such wrongs as are offered vsus, wee might soone hauehave enough of it: be throwne out of our estates, and by bearing one iniury, inuite another.
To this hee answers, that there is no such matter, for meeke ones shall inherit the earth, their meeknesse shall be no preiudice to their estates, they shall hauehave a quiet estate on earth, or at least quietnesse in their estate, yea, such a man shall hauehave the earth as an heyre, he shall hold it by the right of adoption, (as the world in the originall here vsed, signifies, as also the Hebrew word vsed, Psal. 37.11. from whence this promise seemes to be taken) he shall hauehave both right vntounto it as an heyre, and fruition also, for hee shall delight himselfe, saith the Psalmist, in the abundance of peace. Another man may delight himselfe in the abundance of cattle, in the abundance of treasure, in the abundance of friends, as Austen descant vpo the places, but the meeke man onyly delights himselfe in the abundance of peace: Meeknesse will bring his estate to his minde, or at least his minde to his estate: yea, it brings perpetuity too. For whereas brawling, lawying, &c. throwes a man out of his estate, or at least disquiets him in it; meekenesse perpetuates a mans estate, entailes it to his posterity, makes it sure to him and his, yea, entitle him to the whole earth, so that whil'st a meeke man is on earth, he is on his owne, wheresoeuer he is, he is at home: So that as wee say of a valiant man, that eueryevery place is his countrey; it is true of the meeke man, hee can liue in any soyle, dwell in any countrey, submit to any condition, and in that respect is a blessed man. We shall hauehave enough to do now, to dispatch the proposition: Blessed are the meeke; the point that from thence in few we'll commend vntounto you, is, that
Meeknesse is a grace of all men greatly to be desired, Doctr. It is much commended vntounto vsus in Scriptures, both by precept and example, Colos. 3.12. As wee'll proue our selues elect of God, holy and beloued, put on meeknesse. So, Ephes. 4.2. Walke worthy of the vocation whereunto you are called, and how? In all humblenesse of minde, Meeknesse, &c. And as by precept it is commended vntounto vsus, so also by example, and that such as is beyond all exception. Moses, when God would set him forth to the highest, he giues him this testimony, that he was the meekest man vponupon earth, he had not his fellow aliue: Dauid also professeth of himselfe, Psal. 131. that hee was meekned as a little childe. Christs example is propounded vntounto vsus by Saint Peter, 1. Epist. 2.21, 23. Who, when ee was reuiled, reuiled not againe, when he suffered, he threatned not, but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously, leauing vsus an example, that yee should follow his steps: For our sakes it was that he thus exprest himselfe in all passages of meeknesse. God himselfe hath giuen vsus of this grace in his dealing with Ionah, when hee for a thing of nought, was all on a fire, and in a great passion, God ouercomes him by meeknesse, Why Ionah, why Ionah, saith the Lord, Doth it become thee, being a prophet, to be so inordinately angry vponupon so small occasion? Yea, saith he, I am iustly angry, I will be angry, yea, would I could burst, and die with anger, &c. he chides handsmooth with God, thinkes he hath the better of him, and will stand to it, that God knowes not when a man speaks reas n, if hee would terme him vnreasonable in his passion: but, God giues him not ouer so, but ouercomes his curstnesse with meeknesse. Thus you see wee hauehave it commended vntounto vsus, by both precept, and example. We'll further Reas. 1 shew you reason for it.
And first, from the necessity of getting this grace of meeknesse, not onelyonly as wee hauehave a precept for it, but as 'tis a meanes of our happinesse: for without it, there's no blessing to be expected, 1 Pet. 3.9. Not rendering euill for euill, or reproach for reproach, but contraily, blesssing, knowing that hereunto yee are called, that yee may inherit the blessing. A man may hauehave the earth without meekenesse, but no blessing therewith: Nay, there's no heauen to be had without meeknesse: for, vnlesse you become (in this respect) like vntounto children, yee cannot enter into the kingdome of heauin, Math. 18.3. And as for the end, meeknesse is necessary, so also for the present; No acceptable seruice can be done either to God or man without meeknesse. Not to God: for we must pray in meeknesse, lifting vp pure hands without wrath, heare in meeknesse, Iames 1. Receiue with meekenesse the engrafted word, &c. come to the sacrament in meeknesse; briefely, all our carriage to God-ward, must be done in meeknesse: And as to God, so to men, we all owe meeknesse to all men; The Magistrate must execute iustice in meeknesse, the Minister must reproue, &c. with meeknesse. A man cannot keepe house without meeknesse, hee cannot rule his wife without meekenesse, correct his childe without meeknesse, order his seruants, entertaine his friends, winne his foes, g… uerne himselfe in the crosses of his calling, without meeknesse. Such is the necessity of it.
Secondly, it is no lesse honourable then necessary. Reas. 2 It is the glory of a man to passe by an infirmity, saith the Wise man: And see what God saith to you women, 1 Pet. 3.4. A meeke and quiet spirit is a thing of high price with God. Lo, the great God sets meeknesse at a great rate: It commends a man to God: it commends him also to men, euen to eueryevery mans conscience, 1 Tim. 2.9.
But thirdly, as it is honourable, so it is comfortable Reas. 3 too, for it puts a man into, and holds him in possession of all he hath, Luk 21.19. In your patience possesse your soules, patience is heere taken at large, and includes meeknesse. This makes a man to enioy himselfe, and al he hath, yea, all the world; The meeke man can sleepe and feede, when others are disquieted at bed and board, he can triumph ouer that contempt, and those indignities, which would breake a proud mans heart.
Reas. 4 Adde hereunto the in 4th place, that meeknes is wonderfull profitable, and 1. to others, who will the sooner hearken to vsus, and be ruled by us, if wee deale with them in the spirit of meeknesse. According to that of our Sauiour, Math. 11. Learne of mee, saith hee, for I am meeke. Meeknesse must be Schoole-master, if wee would hauehave others to learne of vsus, if wee would winne vponupon others: 2. Meeknesse is no lesse profitable to a mans selfe, for it safegards his person, and preserues his estate: For, who will harme you, saith Saint Peter, if you be meeke and innocent? Or if any should be found so vnreasonable, as to mischieue you, yet, who can doe it, sith God hath vndertaken your protection, he will not see meeknesse oppressed. Thus you see, by how many names meekenesse is commended vntounto vsus, as necessary, honorable, comfortable, profitable: It would be easie in such a common place to be large, but wee'll discourse no longer, but come to the application.
Vse. 1 Are meeke men happy? take wee notice of the misery of all such as are fierce and froward, curst and pettish, &c. their case must needes be miserable. But here all the question will be, who is the vnmeeke man? (giuegive me leaue to vse that word, because I can thinke of no better for the present) you shall know him thus: 1. He interprets eueryevery thing the worst way, sets the worst sense vponupon eueryevery thing, resolues all passages of men, and of God too, almost, into contempt and disdaine; hence comes wrath, for contempt is the fuell (as I may so speake) of rash and vnaduised anger. As to giuegive you an instance, or two: Such a man passeth by his neighbour, and salutes him not, the meeke man takes it the best way, and saith, perhaps he might not see me, or it may be his minde was otherwise taken vp, and busied: The vnmeeke man is ready to conclude on the other side, that it was done out of contempt, hee saw mee, but hee would not see mee, hee scornes mee, and it was his stomacke. Againe, a man makes a feast for his neighbours, hee inuites neyther the meeke nor the vnmeeke. The vnmeeke man thinkes he doth it out of contempt, hee scornes my company, hee leaues mee out, of spleene, stomacke, &c. The meeke man construes it otherwise: perhaps saith hee, I was forgot, or if not so, it may be there was some priuate reason why hee should not call me with the rest of my neighbours; howsoeuer, it is but a discourtesie at the utmost, and not any vrighteousnesse. Thus the meeke man makes the best and most fauourable construction of eueryevery thing, when the vnmeeke sets no other glosse vponupon all, then as done out of spleene, passions contempt.
Secondly, the vnmeeke man is implacable, vnappeasable irreconcileable: no mends will be taken, no confession, no satisfaction, no submission will serue turne, or be accepted, hee perpetuates his anger, eternizeth his quarrell. On the other side, the meeke man, though hee seeth and takes notice of a wrong, can be sensible of an indignity, yet he can say, who am I, but I may be wronged? Or hee can put it vp, as Dauid did, as Paul did, and as our Sauiour did; truth it is, hee is as sensible as another man of an iniury offered vntounto him, but he makes not such a brawling, such a noyse. Turne a dog vponupon a sheepe, and though it be sensible enough of the dogges tooth, yet it doth not whine, cry out, and keepe such a coyle as a Swine will doe; so stands the case here.
Thirdly, the vnmeeke person will be vnseasonably and preposterously angry: he lets in anger, where hee should keepe it out, and contrarily, he is most coole, where he should be most fiery, and shew greatest indignation. In a publike cause, where the glory of God is touched, or the common good interested, you shall hauehave him wondrous coole and mute, and oh, saith he, you must hauehave patience, and beare with small matters: but in a case that concernes his owne particular (say himselfe be touched in his penny, in his peace, in his reputation, or the like) then none so fiery, none so furious, hee is all vponupon a flame, then no penalty is thought too great, no disgrace too heauy for such a person, that hath done him such displeasure or indignity: but now the meeke man, you shall hauehave him in his owne cause coole and silent, as in Gods cause, zealous and earnest: See it in Moses, when he was censured, disparaged, reuiled, he beares it quietly, pockets it vp without distemper: But, at another time, when the cause was publike, when it concerned the glory of God, the good of the Church, &c. Then none so zealous, none so fiery as Moses, hee cannot brooke or beare it. So our Sauiour Christ, though in his own cause he was quiet, he opened not his mouth, but was dumb, as a sheepe before the shearer; yet when it came to the matters of his father, that his house was prophaned, and made a den of theeues, Iohn 2.his zeale did euen eate him vp. This then is our third note of an vnmeek man, that though for himselfe, and his owne things, he bee maruelous hot, and sharpe set, yet in the things of God, hee hath no life, nor heart to stirre for Gods cause, Gospell, or Ministers.
Fourthly, as he hath no life in businesses spirituall, and is not acquainted with spirituall meeknesse in himselfe, so neither can he endure it in others. A meeke person admires this grace in another, he reuerenceth it, and wisheth; Oh that I had such a mans patience, wisdome, meekenesse in the carriage of my businesse, and that I could behaue my selfe, as he doth: The other (the vnmeeke man) though he may be of a faire carriage, and expresse some naturall meekenesse, yet he derides that which is spirituall; and if a man will patiently put vp wrongs, and for peace sake part with his owne right sometimes, &c; hee reckons such a one, one of Gods fooles; mocks at him, and further prouokes him, as Iulian did the Christians of his time, loading them with wrongs, and bidding, blesse themselues by suffering patiently, as their master Christ had commanded them.
Fifthly, the vnmeeke man cannot beare extreamities; giuegive him great honour, hee'll be drunke with it; giuegive him great affliction, hee'll b…e mad with it. But the meek man knowes how to bee in honour and how in dishonour: how to bee rich and how to be poo…e: how to abound, and how to want. Moses could be both a moderate fauorite at Court, and a wel-contented sheepherd in the field, he could turne himselfe to any condition. 'Tis certaine, that hee that cannot beare honour with moderation, the same cannot beare contempt with patience. And by this you see who is the vnmeeke man.
Secondly, see now as the man, so is his misery. 1. he forfeits all his comforts, is dispossest of all, of himselfe; he may hauehave a great estate, but hee enioyes it not: he is hurried a long and tossed by his passions, as a chafed beare robbed of her whelps, he may hauehave many friends, but enioyes none of them. See it in Haman: hee had a wife, children, friends, familiars, &c; to entertaine him at his returne from Court, and to welcome him home: to them he could relate his greatnesse and fauour with both King and Queene, but all this was nothing to him; for there was a fellow in the Kings gate, one Mordecai that slights him, (for so he pleased to construe all to contempt of him, though Mordecai could do no lesse in duty, then refuse to doe obeysance to him being a cursed Amalekite) and therefore all this auayles me nothing, Ester 5.13.saith hee, all his honours and preferments and freinds were not worth a rush. Yea, an vnmeeke man forfeits himselfe, as we shewed …efore. A man in a passion is out o… himselfe: his wits are not his owne, h…s tongue not his owne, his eyes, hands, feet, heart, are not his owne; he is not in any fit case to pray, not in case to giuegive thankes, not in case to liue, not in case to dye, not in case to doe any thing.
Secondly, as he forfeits all his comforts, so hee exposeth himselfe to all manner of curses and miseries, Prou. 25. vlt. Hee that hath no rule ouer his owne spirit (saith Salomon) is like a city that is broken downe, and without walles. As a city that is beleagured, and begirt by an enemy, if it lye open in any place, and the walles be broken down, is in danger of surprizall: so doth the froward man lye open to all sorts of miseries. Hee is in danger of Gods wrath, for as the blessing belongs to the meeke, so all curses to the froward. Hee lyes open to the wrath of the Magistrate, to the rebukes of the Minister, to the hand of his enemy: for like Ismael, his hand is against eueryevery body, and eueryevery bodies hand against him. Hee lyes open to the rage of the creatures, to the malice of the Deuill, to whom he giues place by entertaining wrath, Ephes. 4. Let not the Sunne goe down vponupon your wrath, neitber giuegive place to the Deuill. He that lyes downe in wrath, hath the de…il… for his bed-fellow, a bad one though he be. Take notice now both of the man, and of his misery; and reflect vponupon your selues, and see whether you be not such as hath beene described: which if you bee, blesse not, but curse your selues rather in that behalfe.
Be aduised to enquire, and make narrow search Vse. 2 into your selues, whether you be of these meeke ones, vponupon whom the blessing is here put by our Sauiour. Meekenesse may bee defined a grace of the holy Spirit, that moderats anger, guiding and teaching a man, how and when, and when not to be angry. I cal it a fruit of the holy Ghost: for he is the authour and worker of meekenesse, Gal. 5.25. the fruit of the spirit is meekenesse, and hereby it is distinguished from naturall meekenesse, which proceeds from a good constitution; and from morall meekenesse, which proceedes from good education and breeding; but this spirituall meeknesse is a fruite of the spirit, and carries away the blessing. The obiect of this grace, we make to be anger, meekenesse is angers gaoler, I meane, the the passion and affection of anger on the inside: and so it is distinguished from clemency, which is busied, not about the affection, but about the effects of anger, determining whether the penalty shall bee light or smart. Besides, clemency is a grace proper to superiours toward their inferiours, but meeknesse is a grace common to all. The mediate obiect of meekenesse is contempt (the immediate obiect of anger) and so it is differenced from patience, which is busied about paine, and so is reduced to fortitude, as meekenesse is referred to temperance, and is exercised about scorn and contempt. The office and worke of meekenesse wee make, to shew how to bee angry, and when, and how farre, it is angers tuto…, it lets out and takes in anger: as occasion serues and requires: for there is a time to be angry, and it is as lawfull to be angry somtimes, as it is to reioyce or grieue, but it is meeknesses office to moderate, bound, and guide it. And so meekenesse is distinguish'd from stupidity, when for want of wit or grace a man cannot be angry, though he hauehave neuer so good reason: You see by this time, what meekenesse is, together with its authour, obiect, office, &c: Enquire now, and aske your selues, eueryevery man, how hauehave I carried my selfe in point of anger? when the cause hath beene publique, concerned a Superiour, the cōmon good, the glory of God, &c: HaueHave I then beene moued with a zeale of God, and an holy indignation? or rather hauehave I not taken on excessiuely, and been vnmeasurably moued with anger in mine owne priuate quarell? How hath mine inside been composed at such a time? Hath meeknesse sate at the sterne, guided my course, broken all the billowes of rage and distemper? And so for the out-side, hath meekenesse held my hands, tyed my tongue to the good behauiour? &c; when I was so transported with passion, what hath beene the motiue? was it Gods or mans feare? Gods or mans law? Gods or mans presence? If wee can approue our selues to God in it, well, but if vponupon examination we finde, that we hauehave transgrest the rules and bounds of meeknesse and moderation, specially, when wee hauehave beene at any time extraordinarily put to't, if then our inside hath beene enflamed, our out-side distempered; our eye sparkled, our mouth foamed, our feet stamped, &c; grow ashamed of thy selfe, & blush at the remembrance of this vnreasonable, vnmanly and brutish behauiour; that thou shouldst thus put off Christs liuery, and put on the diuels: that thou shouldest make such an vnhappy exchange of ease for paine, honour for shame; blessing for a curse; for there is not more ease, more honour, more content in meeknesse, then there is paine, shame and discontent in frowardnesse: Besides, it argues a man of greatest folly, for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles. Charge your selues therefore with extreame folly, if you hauehave beene this way guilty, lay all vponupon your selues, and cast not the blame thereof vponupon others, as it is vsuall with most men in this case to doe: I was angry, will some say, tis true, but I had reason for it, I was prouoked vntounto it, who was't long on, they would hauehave angred a Saint, &c. These and the like are the common put-offs. But let vsus fault and blame not so much others, as our owne pride, our owne folly, our owne selfe-louelove, &c; according as Saint Iames teacheth vsus, chap. 4.1. From whence (saith he) are warres and contentions among you? Some will bee apt to answer, that such a froward neighbour, such a froward wife, &c made me breake out as I did; No, saith the Apostle, it is euen your pride, your lusts, that warre in your members
Obiect. It is my nature to be fretfull and passionate:
Solu.So, now thou hadst best lay it vponupon God another while: But know that God gaue thee no such nature, thou hast made it such. And now there must bee a change wrought in thee of thy nature, in the kingdome of Christ, the wool…e and the lamb shall dwell together, the leopard and the kid, the lion and the calfe &c. And the sucking child shall play vponupon the hole of the aspe, and the weaned child shall put his hand vponupon the cockatrice hole, &c; Esay 11. God shall take away the fiercenesse and malignity of their natures, that a very child shall leade them: The worst natures shall be so meekened, that they may be led any way.
Instruction to labour for this grace of meekenesse: Vse. 3 It hath the blessing assured vntounto it, it is part of your inheritance, brings quietnesse along with it; therefore a meeke and quiet spirit are set together, 1 Pet. 3. so much meekenesse as any man hath, so much quietnesse comes to his heart, to his house, to his neighbours. Besides, you hold your estate by it (as you heard before) it is the best tenure, whatsoeuer you hauehave with meekenesse, it is blessed; if you want meeknesse, you want all; though you hauehave neuer so much: for what we commonly say of the couetous person, that he alwayes wants,—Semper auarus eget. euen that which hee hath also, the same is no lesse true of the fierce and froward, he wants what he hath, as the meeke hath what hee wants, Saint Paul through meekenesse, when hee had nothing, yet possessed all things. In a word, would you be happy both here and hereafter, get meekenesse. For meanes to attaine it, 1. you must tread Christs method. 2. vse his example. 3. labour for some of his graces, and so you shall become meeke. First (I say) you must runne Christs method, begin where he beginnes, and first with spirituall pouerty; for when a man is once empty of himselfe, and nothing in his owne eyes, then hee is in case to beare the contempt of others, when others vilifie him, hee is fitted for it; what though another man hauehave a meane esteeme, and thinke basely of him, he thinks as basely of himselfe, can lay his face in the dust, and there's an end. 2. worke thy heart to spirituall mourning, this will work meekenes: If when the heart is ready to breake with worldly sorrow, wee can turne the streame into the right channell, and set our sorrow vponupon our sin, this will make a man become as meeke as a lambe; as Paul, who when he was cursed, he prayed, and so enioyed and possest himselfe, when some other through distemper would hauehave beene beside himselfe: Thus hee that hath learned to bee poore in spirit and to mourne ouer his sinnes, will bee a meeke man. But when sinne lyes light, then reproaches and contempt lye heauy, whereas if we truly feele the weight of sinne, all indignities will be as nothing. But secondly, as we must runne Christs method here set downe, so must we vse his example, write after his coppy, learne of Christ to bee meeke, propound him to your selues for a patterne, see how hee carried himselfe vnderunder contempt and indignities: some were so small that he despised them, he endured the crosse (saith the Apostle) and despised the shame, Heb. 12.2. he passed them by, as a lion doth the barking of a dog, hee neuer turnes his eye toward him, or slackens his pace. Those that were greater, hee tooke vp and carried them to his Father, Psal. 22. so should we not once take notice of lesser iniuries: and such as are greater, present them to God, as Hezekiah did the raylings of Rabshakeh, he tooke and spred them before the Lord: so should we the wrongs that are offered vsus, though not so much to complaine of them (as Hezekiah did of Rabshakeh) but to plead for them, to pray for them.2 King 19 14. This will render vsus fit to pitty them, to louelove them, and to doe them good.
Thirdly, labour for some of Christs graces, which may make vsus meeke, as 1. holy wisdome to know our times, when to be angry, and when not. It is the discretion of a man, saith Sa…omon, to deferre his anger, to know his season, this wisedome will teach him to take his time, to pause, to sleepe on't.
2. Get temperance (which is the head, to which meekenesse is to bee referred) for if wee stand moderatly affected to outward things, if we hauehave learned, how to abound and how to want, if wee stand indifferently disposed vntounto the things of this life; then if we be crossed of our expectation, or disappointed of our hopes, there will bee no great distemper follow: therfore the Apostle in many places after meeknes subioynes temperance, Gal. 5. this being the mother and nurse of that. 3. faith must be laboured for. This 1. looks on God, as a father, who hath forgiuen me a thousand talents, and should I thinke much to remit some small matter to my brother? hee hath not contemned me, so much as I hauehave contemned God. Thus Faith reasons, and so quieteth the soule. 2. faith layes hold on the promises, wherein God hath tyed himselfe to defend the cause of his people, to keepe their name, to cleare their innocency. My name is not in the hand of man, but of God; who hath vndertaken to keepe it. Th…refore Dauid, Psal. 37. beginnes with faith, when he would perswade to meekenesse. Trust in the Lord (saith he) commit thy way, &c; hee heapes vp many Phrases to like purpose, to perswade to Faith for this will let vsus see that God will bring forth our righteousnesse, as the light; and iudgement as the noone-day. vers. 3. to 7. the more we relye vponupon God, the more meeke we shall be to beare reproaches, and to ouercome the world.