Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 5
Vers. 5.
Blessed are the meeke: for they shall inherit the earth.
This is the Third rule of Christ touching happinesse: which as the…. Rule. former, containeth two parts: first, the parties blessed: secondly, wherein this blessednes consists. For the first: The parties blessed, be the meeke. That we may know aright who be meeke, I will somewhat lay open the vertue of meekenes, and briefly handle these foure points: first, what meekenes is: secondly, what be the fruits thereof: thirdly, whereinFoure points touching meeknes. What meeknes is. it must be shewed: fourtly, the cause and ground thereof.
I. Point. Meekenes is a gift of Gods spirit, whereby a man doth moderate his affection of anger, and bridle in himselfe impatience, hatred, and desire of reuenge.
II. Point. The fruits of meekenes are principally two: First, itThe fruit of it. makes a man with a quiet and patient heart, to beare Gods iudgemēts:1 which is a worthie grace of God, and the greatest fruit of meekenes: Levit. 10. 3. When Aarons two sonnes Nadab and Abihu were burned with fire from heauen, which was a grieuous iudgement, he went to Moses to know the cause thereof, who told him, that God would be glorified in all that came neere him; which when Aaron heard, he held his peace, and was not mooued with grudging or impatience: So Dauid beeing in great distresse through the hand of God vponupon him, doth notably shew forth this grace, saying, aPsal. 39. 9.I was dumbe, and opened not my mouth, because Lord thou diddest it. Secondly, meekenes causeth2 one with a quiet minde to beare the iniuries men doe vntounto him: yea, to forgiue and forget them; and to requite good for euill, referring all reuenge to God that iudgeth righteously. When bPsal. 38. 12. 13. 14.Dauids enemies laid snares for his life, vttered sorrowes, and imagined deceit against him continually; yet by this vertue he suffered all patiently, beeing as a deafe man that heareth not, and as the dumbe which openeth not his mouth: so farre was he from priuate reuenge. And our Sauiour Christ sets forth himselfe a patterne of this vertue; saying, cMath. 11. 29.Learne of me, that I am meeke and lowly in heart: herein he left himselfe an example that we should follow his steppes, d1. Pet. 2. 23who when he was reuiled, he reuiled not againe, when he was buffeted, he threatned not, but referred all to the iudgement of him that iudgeth righteously: yea, eLuk. 23. 34.he praied for them that crucified him: So did Stephen, Act. 7. 60. Lord, lay not this sinne to their charge: so Zachariah the sonne of Iehoida, beeing stoned, saide onelyonly this; The Lord will see and require it at your hands. 2. Chron. 24. 22.
III. Point. Wherein must this meekenesse be shewed? Ans. NotWherein meeknesse must be shewed. in the matters of God, when his glorie is impeached: for therein we must hauehave zeale as hote as fire: but in the wrongs and iniuries that concerne our selues. Moses was the meekest man vponupon the earth in his time, Numb. 12. v. 3. and yet when the Israelites had made a golden calfe, in zeale to Gods glorie, fExod 32. 19. 27.hee brake the two tables of stone; & put to the sword that same day, three thousand men, of them that had so dishonoured God. Dauid also, that held his tongue at his owne wrongs, did consume away with zeale against his enemies that forgat Gods word, Psal. 119. 139. And our Sauiour Christ, who as a lambe before the shearer opened not his mouth for the wrongs done vntounto himself; did yet in rescue of his fathers glorie, make a whip of cordes, and driue the buyers out of the Temple, who made his Fathers house a denne of theeues: Math. 21. 12.
IV. Point. The cause and ground of this meekenesse, is affliction and Ground of meeknesse.pouertie of spirit, as the order of these rules declareth; where it is placed after pouertie of spirit, and mourning: and therefore Psal. 37. 11. whence these words are borrowed, the meeke person is called by a name that signifieth one afflicted; to teach vsus, that hee that is meeke indeede, is oneforeign who by affliction and distresse, hath beene brought to mourne for his offences: for hardly can he bee meeke and patient in spirit, that hath not beene acquainted with the crosse, Lamen. 3. 27, 28, 29. The Church commendeth this bearing of the cr…sse in youth, because it maketh a man to sit quietly alone, to put his mouth into the dust, and to giuegive his cheeke vntounto the nippers.
Doth blessednesse belong to meeke persons? hereby then wee areThe vse. Moderation of affections. admonished to labour for the moderation of all our affections, especially of anger, hatred, and reuenge; and to beware of all hindrances to this blessed vertue, as choller, hastinesse, grudging, impatience vnderunder wrongs, with all rayling, reuiling, chiding and brawling, and all such threatning speeches, which come too oft in practise, that wee may forgiue, but we will neuer forget: yea, in Action we must auoyd all quarrelling, fighting, contending, and going to law on eueryevery light occasion; for true meekenesse admits none of all these to take place with Gods children.Motiues to meeknesse. And to induce vsus hereunto, consider first Christs precept and example, bidding vsus gMat. 11. 29learne of him, for he is meeke and lowely. Againe,1 consider Gods owne dealing with vsus, we daiely wrong him by our offences, and yet he beares with vsus; shall we then bee so vnlike our heauenly2 Father, that we will straight reuenge the wrongs that others doe vntounto vsus? See Colloss. 3. 12, 13. As the elect of God, holy and beloued, put on the bowels of merciemercy, gentlenesse, lowelinesse of minde, meekenesse, long suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiuing one another, if any man hauehave a quarrell against another; euen as God for Christs sake forgaue you, so doe yee. Lastly, the fruition and practise of this grace hath the3 promise of blessednesse belonging to it; and therefore as we would bee happie, so we must get the spirit of meekenesse into our hearts, and expresse the vertue and power thereof in our liues.
Obiect. I. Here some will say, If I put vp all iniuries, I shall be coū ted a dastard and a foole. Ans. In this case learne of Paul, to passe little for mans iudgement, but be carefull to get and … this grace of meekenesse, and then Christ will pronounce thee …ssed, which ought more to preuaile with thee, then all mens estimatiō in the world; and so it will, vnlesse thou louelove the praise of men, more then the praise of God: Ioh. 12. 48.
Obiect. II. Again, it will be said, The more I vse to put vp wrongs, the more shall I hauehave still done vntounto me. Ans. That is onelyonly so▪ …th wicked men; for h1. Pet. 3. 13who else will wrong thee, if thou followe that which is good? Yet say they doe, thy i1. Pet. 2. 19.patient suffering, is praise-worthy with God: and, kPsal. 10. 4.he will take the matter into his hand: yea Christ Iesus, who iudgeth not by the sight of the eie, Isay, …. 4he will rebuke aright, for all the meeke of the earth.
Obiect. III. But yet thou saist, this is the way to loose all that a man hath, and to be thrust out of house and harbour. Ans. Nothing lesse: for Christ here saith, the meeke shall inherit the earth; doubt not but Christ will make good his word: and therefore if thou respect these outward things, labour to get and exercise the spirit of meekenesse.
II. Point. Wherein doth this blessednes of the meeke consist? namely, in their inheriting of the earth. And this is a great happinesse, for a man to be Lord of the whole earth. But how can this be true? sith many of Gods dearest seruants, hauehave beene strangers on this earth, thrust out of house and land, and constrained to wander in mountaines, and desarts, afflicted and miserable, yea destitute of conuenient foode and raiment, Heb. 11. 37, 38. Ans. The meeke are here called InheritorsHow the meeke inherit the earth. of the earth, not for that they alwaies hauehave the possession thereof; but first, because God giues a meete and conuenient portion of the earth,1 either to them, or to their posteritie: thus hee dealt with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, they had sufficient for themselues, and a promise of great possessions, which their posteritie did enioy. Secondly, if it fall2 out, that meeke persons die in want, or banishment; yet God giues thē contentation, which is fully answerable to the inheritance of the earth: so Paul saith of himselfe, and other Apostles, m2. Cor. 6. 10.they were as men hauing nothing, and yet possessed all things: meaning through contentation, with the peace of a good conscience. Thirdly, the meeke hauehave this inheritance,3 in regard of right, being the members of Christ, who is Lord of all. Hence Paul saith to the beleeuing Corinthians, n1. Cor. 3. 21, 22.all things are yours, whether it be Paul, or Cephas; or the world, things present▪ or things to come, all are yours, and ye Christs. Fourthly, the meeke are made kings 4by Christ, and after the last iudgement, they shall rule and raigne with him for euer… …eu. 5. 10. And in these two last respects, the meeke are more properly said to be the inheritours of the earth. Obiect. Yet here it will be said againe, that wicked and carnall men are oftentimes the greatest Lords of the earth, as Nimr…d in his time, and the TurkeA twofold right to earthly things. at this day. Answ. The right vntounto the earth is two-fold; Ciuill and Spirituall: Ciuill right is that, which stands good before men, by their lawes an… …ustomes; and in regard therof, men are called Lords of such lands,1 as they hauehave right vntounto in the Courts of men: and so the Turke at thisCiuill: day, is a mightie Lord of a great part of the whole world. Spirituall 2right is that, which is warrantable and approoued with God himselfe;Spirituall. and such right and title had Adam to all the world, before his fall, which he lost by his sinne, both from himselfe, and all his posterity: but yet in Christ, the same is recouered to all the elect. And of this right, Christ here speaketh, when hee calleth the meeke inheritours of the earth: in regard whereof, the Turke, & all vnbeleeuers and vngodly persons, are but vsurpers of those things, which otherwise ciuilly they doe lawfully possesse.
Here then is an excellent priuiledge of all the true members ofVses. Christ, that in him they be Lords of the earth: whereby first, wee may1 see how farre most men doe ouershoote themselues in seeking earthlyThe commō errour in seeking wealth. possessions; for the manner is, without all regard of Christ, to hunt after the world: but this is a preposterous course, these men set the Cart before the horses; for seeing all our right to the earth was lost by Adam, and is onelyonly recouered by Christ, doubtlesse till we hauehave part in Christ, we cannot with the comfort of a good conscience, either purchasse, or possesse any inheritance vponupon earth. In regard of certaintie, men desire to hold their lands in capite, that is, in the Prince, as beeing the best tenure; but if wee would hauehave a sure title, and hold aright in capite, wee must labour to become true members of Christ, and hold our right in him, for he is the oReu. 1. 5.Prince of the kings of the earth, and Lord of all the world: and till we be in Christ, wee shall neuer hauehave an holy and sanctified right to any worldly possessions.
Secondly, this serues for a bridle against all immoderate care for the2 world; for if wee be members of Christ, and meeke persons, then the inheritance of the earth is ours: what neede hauehave we then to carke & care so much for worldly pelfe, as most men do, who neuer thinke they hauehave enough?
Thirdly, this serues for a iust rebuke of all those that seeke to enrich3 themselues by crueltie, lying, fraud, and oppression: for if thou bee in Christ, thou hast right to the whole world; what neede then hast thou to vse vnlawfull meanes to get that which is thine ow…e? But sure it is, thou hast no part in Christ, while thou giuest thy selfe to these courses; for if thou haddest, thou wouldest bee content; with whatsoeuer God sends in the vse of lawfull meanes. Philip. 4. 11.
Lastly, hence all Gods children may learne to comfort their hearts4 against the feare of any punishment for the name of Christ; for keepe Christ sure, and whither soeuer thou art sent, thou art vponupon thine owne ground: for the whole earth is thine, and in Christ one day thou shalt possesse it, when all Tyrants shall be banished into hell. Now beeing on thine owne ground, what need hast thou to feare?