Ten Sermons, Collection of sermons · Sermon 8
The Meek shall inherit the Earth, &lc.
SERMON VIII.
PSAL. xxxvii. 11.
But the Meek shall inherit the Earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
THE doctrine of the Gospel being the doctrine of Vertue, is also by necessary consequence the doctrine of Happiness. The not apprehending of that consequence is the cause of all the misrule and misery that is in the World. For although Nature and experience taught the very Pagans so much, Nemo malus foelix, that happiness cannot consist with wickedness: Yet the great corrupter of Nature, the Devil, hath perswaded the great Herd of his followers, to seek happiness by wickedness, as the more compendious course to thrive in the World. For (say they) why should we wear out our lives in hard labour, to get a poor living by a beggarly honesty, when by cutting an Usurer's throat in his Bed, we may ransack his Trunks, and make our selves presently wealthy for all our lives? Wherefore this great and wise man David laboureth in this Psalm to perswade the World, both by precept and experience, that wickedness will not prosper, but that a great and sure reward attendeth righteousness.
But because the punishment of the wicked, and the reward of the righteous come not always so soon as our impatience looks for; therefore the Prophet exhorts us patiently to expect the Lord's leisure, and to anticipate our reward by the comforts of a clear conscience, and of a meek and contented mind, trusting in the Lord and doing good. This is the perpetual argument of that long Psalm, of which the whole drift is exprest thus: Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not thy self in any wise to do evil. For evil-doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea thou shalt diligently seek his place, and it shall not be found. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The last Verse, to which I confine my Meditation, requireth these two Considerations; The Virtue recommended, viz. Meekness; And the reward appointed to the meek, They shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
St. Basil defineth thus the virtue of Meekness: foreign. It is a right proportioned temper of the mind. That may be the definition of a naturally mild disposition, which when it comes not out of pusillanimity, or natural dejectedness of mind, may be placed amongst those which Philosophy calls semi-virtutes, half-virtues, which are not vertues yet, but fair dispositions towards vertues. But the meekness prescribed by Christ is not a natural disposition, but a Christian vertue, when the work of grace correcteth the excesses of Nature inclined to the contrary vice, or perfecteth the natural into the vertue of meekness. So Christian meekness is not a vertue born with us, but learned in Christ's School, as Christ himself tells us, Learn of me that I am meek and humble of heart, Mat. 11.29and you shall find rest unto your souls.
Meekness, when Nature is a true disciple of Grace, is the quiet temper of a mind well grounded in God's truth, and ruled by his will. When a Man hath learned so far of the nature of things, as to know the true price of those things which Men labour for, and the true danger of those which they fear and avoid; And out of that right information hath learned so to govern his passion, as never to be disorderly moved, either for or against any thing of the World. And above all things of the World, he hath laboured chiefly to learn the price of a Man's soul; Which being so high valued by the Son of God, as to give himself to be crucified to redeem it, the wise Christian seeing himself bought out of perdition by that high price, considers all other things of the world as inferiour to him, and not worthy that his noble spirit should stir with an irregular notion for any of them.
Above all things he hath studied to know the nature of God, whose image he beareth; and seeing that in God righteousness and peace meet in a perfect union, he laboureth to represent it in his docible and obsequious mind, as when a clear sky is represented by a calm water. He hath applied himself to apprehend the right and power of that great Maker and Master of all things over his creatures, especially over man his image, who therefore ought to have no will but that of his Maker and original. Whereby he gets this advantage, that keeping an even pace with God's will and providence, he hath all that he wills, because he wills all that God wills, and that God's will is his own will. Thus true meekness brings along with it magnanimity, and these two with prudence are the fertile soil for all vertues to take root and grow in.
Of this vertue of meekness learn vve the Offices, tovvards God, tovvards our selves, and tovvards our neighbours. Towards God, meekness vvill be seen in our patience under God's visitations of affliction, in submitting our reason to his doctrine, and our vvill to his vvisdom and love. Towards our selves, the office of meekness is to have alvvays the ear open for learning and further instruction. To hold the reins of our appetite, never suffering passion to run wilde, but keeping it within the tedder of piety and reason. Towards our neighbours, the duties of meekness, are gentleness, peace, giving, forgiving, returning good for evil, overcoming wrath with patience, and hatred with charity.
But of all the duties of meekness those belong most properly to our Text, that most regard God and our selves. These are a peaceable acquiescence to God's will, and contenting our selves in our condition. For this is the Prophets drift in these words, The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight himself in the abundance of peace: Not only to give them a promise of a happy change, when the wicked shall go down, and the good shall rise up, (a matter much prest in the whole Psalm) but to teach us, that in a meek and godly disposition lyeth a sufficient & contenting inheritance in the earth, and such as will delight the soul with abundance of peace, both in this world and in the world to come.
How then shall we get that ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which before God is of great price, and of a contenting nature to our soul?
The first counsel for that we will take out of the reasoning, of which our Text is part. The great and ordinary discontent is at the advancing of the wicked above the good, and more yet (if we dare speak the truth of our hearts) at the advancement of others above us; for envious persons hold them all wicked and unworthy that are advanced above them. In that temptation take instruction of our Prophet, a few lines before our Text: Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil. God will find a time to bring down the insulting proud. Leave that to him.
Before you leave that comparison, which our hearts are much set upon, of our condition with that of others, especially of the wicked; I would ask you that hope for a part in the everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, whether you would change your part in Heaven with the part of the wicked prospering in the World? Sure you would not. Then stand to your choice, and grudge not to them some wealth and jollity in this life ending in eternal perdition, like the fair River Jordan failing into the filthy Lake of Sodom. Without looking so far as the World to come, you would not change your present heavenly comforts with their treasures and their galled Consciences.
Look upon all the persons of the World good and bad; You shall hardly find any with whom, all things considered, you would make a total change. Envious persons and idle wishers would have the Wealth of such a man, the Greatness of another, the Health of another; A conceit too vain even for a Romance, and fit only for a dream; to skim out all the good for ones self, and leave all the evil for others.
But seeing that foreign, there is no pure and unmingled good; and that God in all conditions of men hath ballanced good with evil: What man can ye fix upon, whose good and evil you would have together? You would have the Wealth of such a one, but you would not have his Gout: The Greatness of another, but not his endless Vexations. A Peasant envieth his Landlord's Estate, and the Landlord his Plow-man's Health. Solon was saying, that if all men had brought their evils into a common place of exchange, every one, (all considered) would bring home again his own evil rather than to stand to an equal division.
So the first counsel comes to this, Not to take exceptions at the partage which God's providence hath made of conditions in this World; But acknowledge in silence the wisdom of God in the temper of his Justice and Mercy towards his Subjects and Creatures, of whom he disposeth according to his pleasure. And who durst say unto him, what doest thou?
The second counsel shall be to avoid pride, the great enemy to meekness and contentedness; for it makes a man incompatible with his neighbour, with his own self, and (which is worst of all) with God Almighty, who resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
For the third counsel for disposing our hearts to that meekness which is the mother of contentedness, I recommend Saint Paul's precept unto you,1 Cor.7.24 Brethren, let every one wherein he is called therein abide with God. Let every one content himself with that portion which God hath allotted to him. Yet hereby St. Paul prohibits us not to increase our portion, when we see it fairly attainable by lawful industry; for then we may presume that God calls us to it: But if you fail in the pursuit, if your condition decrease, let your desire decrease with your condition, and keep an even pace with God's providence.
To that end my fourth counsel shall be, to entertain no strong passion for any thing of this World. Strong passion is the greatest enemy to meekness, as much as the storm is to the calm. The ordinary causes of unsuccessful pursuits are eagerness in the attempt, and not knowing the thing that we labour for: Against which Origen gave this Caveat, Pondus ultra te nè leves, Strive not to lift up a weight too heavy for thee. A wise Christian finding that he is not master of the things that he would compass, will bestow his labour to become Master of himself, and carefully follow David's counsel and example, Psal. 131.1, 2. Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; Neither do I exercise my self in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a child that is weaned of his mother; My soul is even as a weaned child.
Before you have brought your heart to that meek disposition, you thall not be able to conceive how the meek shall inherit the earth. A wise man finding that he is not master of the things he would compass, shall labour to become Master of himself, till he find that it is not in outward things, but the meek disposition of his heart, that the contenting inheritance of the heart and abundance of peace consisteth.
The next words in the alledged Psalm afford the fifth and the great direction for quieting the heart,Ps. 131.3. and framing it to meekness and contentedness, Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever. Be certainly perswaded of God's power, wisdom, and fatherly care, then you cannot but possess your souls in patience, meekness, and contentedness. Suppose that God with his great liberal hand would spread all the honours and treasures of the World before you, and told you, Either choose for your selves, or let me choose for you: Were it not the right course for you to tell him, Lord, thou art soveraignly good and wise, and lovest us better than we love our selves; We beseech thee to choose for us. Now this is our case, God hath chosen for us; Let us stand to God's choice, and rest contented. This perswasion of God's loving care and wisdom will heal your hearts of the fretting of Envy, and ease them of the unquietness of Desire; for thereby you shall resolve your minds that whatsoever God with-holdeth from you, is neither necessary nor expedient for you; and that when God seeth that we need more, he will give us more; Supposing still that we do what lyeth in us to supply our wants: For the Apostle saith indeed, Cast your care upon God; but he saith not, Cast your work upon God. God forbids unbelieving carefulness, but he injoyneth diligent working, and promiseth blessing upon it, Psal. 128.2. Thou shalt eat of the labour of thy hands: Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. By the labour of the hands, which literally doth not belong to all, understand all the duties of lawful industry; For our industry ought to be a fellow-worker with God's providence. And that i… a great help to contentedness, when a man can say, I do what lyeth in me, I do what I can, Let God do what he will.
Let that conformity with God's will be the sixth counsel of meekness. It is the great receipt for contentedness, Cast your care upon God, for he careth for you; And howsoever he dispose of you, let his will ever be your will. It was the practice of Socrates, (for I will bring in a Pagan to make Christians ashamed of their unquietness and impatience under the hand of God) When any cross happened unto him, he would say, foreign, If it pleased God so, so let it be done. And Epictetus another Pagan, foreign.Arian. Epict. l. 4. c. 7 I will always like that best which cometh to pass; for I hold God's will to be better than mine. A doctrine justified by the practice of the great Master of wisdom, the Lord Jesus, who said in his agony, Father, not my will, but thy will be done.
He suffered by obeying the will of God, but that conformity to God's will brought him soon after to a full conformity to God's glory for ever. If we may have the grace to put on that conformity to God's will, whether to submit to his decree, or to obey his commands, with a meek and free heart, we shall get by vertue of Christ's merit a conformity to his glory. So I pass from the duty of meekness, to the reward of it. The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Here you have the two desirable things, plenty and peace; for peace in the Prophetical style of the Old Testament signifieth all prosperity.
It is certain that the inheritance of Heaven is promised to the meek by our Saviour, who calleth them the poor in spirit, Matth. 5.3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And he saith tvvo Verses after, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Where manifestly he had a regard to the Text of this Psalm which we now expound, and their inheritance of the Earth meets with their inheritance of Heaven. St. Peter joyneth them both, We (saith he) according to his promise, 2 Pet. 3.13.look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and that appointed, as in our Text, for the reward of meekness. For thus it followeth, Wherefore beloved, seeing that we look for such things, be diligent that you may be found in peace without spot.
In that revolution, if we be found of him in peace, that is, with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which before God is of great price, we shall be admitted into that inheritance of new heavens and nevv earth, promised unto the meek. A certain promise, but dark to us as yet. Blessed be God that the felicity which we are called unto, passeth our understanding, and that we may expect most undoubtedly that inheritance vvhichwhich vve conceive very imperfectly.
The right use of this promise is double. The first to make us study the duty, that vve may obtain the revvard. If God find in us that precious ornament vvhichwhich he so highly valueth, of a peaceable, meek and quiet spirit, concurring in all things vvith his vvill with a Christian humility and contentedness, he will reward our meekness with that glorous inheritance of new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. The other use is to lift up our hearts from this old earth wherein dwelleth unrighteousness, to the new earth and new heaven together, where only pure righteousness and clear happiness are dwelling and permanent for ever. That whereas the ungodly go beyond the godly in the inheritance of the earth promised unto them, we may remember (and would to God we may remember it well) that it is in another and a better earth that the promise is fulfilled. The performance of God's promises is certain, though to us the manner be as yet obscure, and the time uncertain. Let the men of the earth glut themselves with the goods of the earth, till they rot in the earth; and never return to claim any inheritance in earth, but to fetch their bodies, to go along with them to hell. For our part, after that our bodies have slept out their appointed time, resting in hope in the bosom of the earth, and our souls have waited near God in joy for the great and final restitution; we shall in a renewed body and soul, redeemed with Christ's bloud, and sanctified by his Spirit, enjoy new heavens and new earth, refined into a fit habitation of holiness and glory. And these we now embrace with a hope which maketh not ashamed, because the love of God and faith in his promises are lively in our hearts, and there make future goods already present.
But shall we put off altogether to the life to come the promise that the meek shall inherit the earth? Is there no place for it in this life? No promise do we find in God's Word, of a constant worldly prosperity going along with righteousness. But we find God better than his word, and that piety and righteous dealing is the sure way of thriving in the world, if we except the times of persecution for the Gospel. But then the constant sufferers get an unspeakably great recompence another way. It is now the time of those sad trials. The Lord strengthen the Champions of his truth with his vertue from above, that they may fight the good fight, keep the faith, and obtain the crown of life.
But I say, where there is no quarrel about Religion, in the world, as wicked as it is, uprightness is the sure course for prosperity. It will not be hard to shew that the meek and godly have the best and surest wealth of the earth. The experiments of this truth are very ancient. Solomon had found that wealth gotten by vanity, (that is, by ill ways) will be diminisht: but he that gathereth with the hand, (that is, by honest labour) shall increase. Gamesters will get much and lose more. Houses built up with extortion, will not stand long; but quiet and laborious honesty will leave standing houses to posterity. Wealth is the reward of meekness, goodness and wisdom; Rags, hunger and the Gallows are the purchace of injustice and contempt of God: so that a man that hath but common sense and ordinary experience may say after David, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; Ps. 58.11.Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth. St. Paul lived in the time of the great oppression of the Church and himself, Yet he could find, that godliness was profitable for all things, 1 Tim. 4.8.having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Our Text, The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace, is a sentence of holy Philosophy, That it is not in the outward possession, but in the mind of him that possesseth it, that the benefit of an inheritance lyeth, prout est animus qui ea possidet: Even as your mind is disposed, and useth it well or ill, your inheritance in the earth is a benefit or a mischief unto you. So those have the true inheritance of the earth, not that have most land, but that have the most comfortable use of that they have. They most inherit the earth that most enjoy it, and that the meek do; for they enjoy their portion in it with inward peace and contentment of mind. They truly inherit the earth, because they enjoy what they have as God's gift, and rejoyce in it. They eat their bread contentedly, because they ask and receive their daily bread at the hand of their Father which is in Heaven. It is God's precept and promise in this Psalm, Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, Psal. 37.3.and verily thou shalt be fed. What portion soever of the land that God gives to them that trust in him and do good, he makes it a sure blessing. They are truly fed and comforted with it.
He that by a frugal meal hath preserved health and strength, hath truly enjoyed his meat and drink: But he that hath got a surfeit at his plentiful table, and thereby a mortal consumption, hath not enjoyed his meat, no more than a desperate man enjoyeth his sword, when he hath run it into his own bowels. It is that sore evil which Solomon had seen under the Sun,Eccl. 5. riches kept to the owners thereof to their hurt; rich men eating in darkness all their days, with much sorrow, wrath and sickness, and the abundance of the rich not suffering them to sleep; while the labouring man doth enjoy a sweet sleep, whether he eat little or much.
That eating in darkness and sorrow to heap up for the future, when one hath means to eat with comfort, is condemned by Christ,Luke 12.20, 21. Luke 12. for he calls the rich man a fool who maketh not a present use of his wealth, but puts off the enjoyment of it to years to come that are not his, for in that very night his soul was required of him. Here then among other precepts, he to whom God giveth abundance, is taught to do good to himself with it, and to rejoyce in his labour, for it is the gift of God. Now none can do more good to himself by his plenty, than to do good to the poor members of Christ, and to be rich in good works.
But because God giveth not riches to every man, nor to all that have riches, power to eat thereof, but many times strangers eat it before them; We must get out of our Text a higher doctrine: That in all conditions meekness affordeth that inheritance of the earth, whereby a man is delighted with abundance of peace. Of which we have a rich example in St. Paul, who saith, I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Phil. 4.12.Every where and in all things I am instructed, both to be full, and to be hungry; both to abound, and to suffer need. All that is an amplification of that he had said in the Verse before, I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content. O, that possession of meekness is the inheritance of the earth. He is the heir of the earth, not he that hath large possessions in it, but he who by his meekness is pleased with his condition in the earth, as the portion allotted to him by God's wise and loving providence.
Why is the meek content and rich, even in want? Because he is meek, and hath his wealth within, a full trust in God, the sense of his love, a full concurrence with God's will, a free relyance upon his wisdom and fatherly care. So much is his present inheritance of the earth, in expectation of the fulfilling of that double promise pronounced by Christ, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And again, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
In the mean while, the little that a righteous man hath in the world, is better than the riches of many wicked, Ps. 37.16.saith David. As if you said, that a little box of Diamonds is better than great stacks of straw. For as it is not the Box, but the Jewels within it that are precious; so it is not that little condition that a righteous man hath about his outside which is precious, but the inside, that ornament of a meek, quiet, religious and faithful spirit in his inside, which is better than the riches of many wicked. So a little or a great estate grow precious, ratione adjuncti, by reason of that which God makes to go along with it.
So to lift up our hearts from the Gift to the Giver. After I have exhorted you to meekness, which consisteth much in humility; I must now exhort you to be high-minded, without prejudice to humility and meekness. Let not the inheritance of the Earth, no nor the possession of Heaven satisfie your desires. Let nothing less than God, even God himself, be enough for you. This is the proper estate of the meek. This was the portion of Jeremy, The Lord is my portion, Lam. 3.24.saith my soul. This was the portion of David, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Ps. 16.5.Thou maintainest my lot. Having said so much, he might well add as he doth, The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, yea I have a goodly heritage.
The good man being strong and rich with that portion, despised the portion of the rich worldling. The men of the world (said he) have their portion in this life: Ps. 17.14, 15.Thou fillest their bellies, they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I will be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.
After this you need not wonder at the contentedness of the meek and godly in all conditions. Having such a rich portion as God in this very life, they may well be contented, and meekly pass by the worldly advancement of wicked men above them, and the injuries which they receive from them, while themselves are candidati coeli, travelling to the Court of Heaven, where felicity and glory are laid up for them. That hope makes them relish their present inheritance of the Earth, be it great or small. Labour who will for the inheritance of the Earth as it is now, lying under sin and misery: For our part let us labour to make the Lord of the Earth our inheritance, by embracing and preserving his truth, as our most precious treasure, and devoting our selves wholly to his love and service.
If thus you give our selves unto God, he will give himself unto you, bringing along with him abundance of peace: That good peace of God which passeth all understanding, be your inheritance of the Earth never so small.
Being thus rich in God, we shall look upon the World with contempt, saying with more reason than Socrates looking upon a great Fair, Quàm multis ego non egeo! How many things are in this World which I need not! But looking upon our portion which is no less than God himself, we shall fix our thankful admiring hearts upon that our invaluable treasure and permanent inheritance, beginning already to delight our selves in that abundance of everlasting peace, wherewith we shall satiate our selves to the full, when we fully possess the God of peace in his kingdom of glory. Where we shall glorifie him, and be glorified by him for ever.
The End of the Eighth Sermon.