Meekness and Quietness of Spirit, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The Application.
AND now, First, Have we not reason to lament the want of the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, among those that profess Religion, and especially in our own Bosoms? If this be Christianity, the Lord help us! How little is there of the Thing, even among those that make great Pretensions to the Name? Surely, (as one said in another Case) Aut hoc non Evangelium, aut hi non Evangelici: Either this is not Gospel, or these are not Gospel-Professors. And, O how hare and uncomly doth Profession appear, for want of this adorning! When the Israelities had stript themselves of their Ornaments to furnish up a Golden Calf, it is said, they were made naked to their shame, Exod. 32. 25. How naked are we (like Adam when he had sinn'd) for want of this Ornament, 'tis well if it were to the shame of true Repentance, for there's reason enough for it.
I am not teaching you to Judge and Censure others in this matter, there is but too much of that to be found among us; we are quicksighted enough to spy faults in others, the transports of whose Passions, we should interpret favourably. But we have all cause more or less to condemn our selves, and confess Guilt in this Matter. In many things we all offend, and perhaps in this, as much as in any, coming short of the Law of Meekness and Quietness.
We are called Christians, and it is our Priviledge and Honour that we are so: We name the Name of the meek and lowly Jesus, but how few are acted by his Spirit, or conform'd to his Example? It is a shame that any occasion should be given to charge it upon Professors, who in other things are most strict and sober, that in this they are most faulty; And that many who pretend to Conscience and Devotion should indulge themselves in a peevish, froward and morose Temper and Conversation, to the great reproach of that worthy Name by which we are called. May we not say, as that Mahometan did when a Christian Prince had per…idiously broke his League with him, O Iesus, are these thy Christians?
It is the manifest Design of our Holy and Excellent Religion to smooth, and soften, and sweeten our Tempers, and to work off the ruggedness and unevenness of them; is it not a wretched thing therefore, that any who profess it, should be sowr'd, and embitter'd, and less conversable and fit for humane Society, than other People? He was look'd upon as a very good Man in his Day, and not without Cause, who yet had such an unhappy temper, and was sometimes so transported with Passion, that his Friend would say of him, He had Grace enough for ten Men, and yet not enough for himself. All the Disciples of Jesus Christ, even those of the first three, do not know what manner of Spirit they are of, Luke 9. 35. So apt are we to deceive our selves, especially when these Exorbitances shrowd themselves under the specious and plausible pretence of Zeal for God and Religion. But yet the Fault is not to be laid upon the Profession, or the strictness and singularity of that in other things that are praise-worthy; nor may we think the worse of Christianity for any such Blemishes: We know very well, that the Wisdom that is from above is peaceable, and gentle, and easie to be entreated, and all that's sweet, and aimable, and endearing, tho' she is not herein justified of all that call themselves her Children. But the blame must be laid upon the Corruption and Folly of the Professors themselves, who are not so perfectly deliver'd into the Mold of Christianity as they should, but neglect their Ornament, and prostitute their Honour, and suffer the Authority of their Graces to be trampled upon, they let fire go out of the Rod of their Branches, which devour their Fruit; so that there is no Meekness as a strong Rod, to be a Scepter to rule in the Soul, which is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation, (I refer you to that complaint, Ezek. 19. 14.) something resembling the woful Degeneracy of the Angels that sinn…d, of whom it is said, Iude 6. That they kept not foreign, S…tm Principatum. So the Vulgar: Might it not be read,Cudworth. intellect. Syst. p. 816. The Government of themselves, they lost the Command they should have had over their inferior Faculties, and suffered them to get head. And is it not much like this, when those pretend to the Dignity, who have lost the Dominion of a Religious Profession, having no rule over their own Spirits.
And yet, blessed be God! even in this corrupt and degenerate World, there are many who appear in the excellent Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit; and some whose natural Temper is Hasty and Cholerick, as 'tis said Calvin's was, yet have been enabled by the Power of Divine Grace to shew in a good Conversation, their Works with Meekness and Wisdom. It is not so impracticable, as some imagine it, to subdue these Passions, and to preserve the Peace of the Soul, even in a stormy day.
But that we may each of us judge our selves, and find matter for Repentance herein, I shall only mention those instances of irregular Deportment towards our particular Relations, which evidence the want of Meekness and Quietness of Spirit.
1. Superiors are commonly very apt to chide, and that's for want of Meekness. It's spoken to the praise of him, who is the Great Ruler of this perverse and rebellious World, that he will not always chide, Psa. 103. 9: But how many Little Rulers are there of Families and petty Societies, that herein are very unlike him, for they are always chiding? Upon every little Default they are put into a flame, and transported beyond due Bounds: Easily provok'd, either for no cause at all, or for very small cause; greatly provok'd, and very outragious, and unreasonable when they are provok'd. Their Carriage fiery and hasty; their Language scurrilous and undecent; they care not what they say, nor what they do, nor who they fall foul upon, such Sons of Belial, that a Man cannot speak to them, 1 Sam. 25. 17. one had as good meet a Bear robb'd of her Whelps, as meet Them. Here wants Meekness. Husbands should not be bitter against their Wives, Col. 3. 19. Parents should not provoke their Children, Eph. 6. 4. Masters must forbear threatning, Eph. 6. 9. These are the Rules, but how few are rul'd by them? The undue and intemperate Passion of Superiors, goes under the umbrage and excuse of necessary strictness, and the maintaining of Authority, and the Education and Controul of Children and Servants: But surely every little faileur needs not be animadverted upon, but rather should be passed by; or if the fault must needs be reproved and corrected, may it not be done without such a Heat? What nee…s so much noise and clamor, and all this adoe? Is this the product of a meek and quiet Spirit? Is this the best Badge of your Authority you have to put on? And are these the Ensigns of your Honour? Is there no other way of making your Inferiors know their place, but by putting them among the Dogs of your Flock, and threatning them as such? Not that I am against Government and good Order in Families, and such Reproofs as are necessary to the support and preservation of that, and those so sharpned, as some Tempers require and call for. But while you are governing others, pray learn to govern your selves, and do not disorder your own Souls under pretence of keeping Order in your Families: For tho' you your selves may not be aware of it, yet it is certain, that by those Indications of your displeasure, which transgress the Laws of Meekness, you do but render your selves Contemptible, and Ridiculous, and rather prostitute than preserve your Authority. Tho' your Children dare not tell you so, yet perhaps they cannot but think that you are … very unfit to command them who are so very unable to command your selves.Nemo…egere potest nisi qui & regi. Seneca. Time was when you were your selves Children, and Scholars, and perhaps Servants and Apprentices, and so (if you will but allow your selves the liberty of Reflection) you cannot but know the Heart of an Inferior, (Exod. 23. 9.) and should therefore treat those that are now under you, as you your selves then wish'd to be treated. A due expression of Displeasure, so much as is necessary to the amendment of what is amiss, will very well consist with Meekness and Quietness. And your Gravity and Awful Composedness therein will contribute very much to the preserving of your Authority, and will command respect abundantly more than your Noise and Chiding. Masters of Families (and Masters of Schools too) have need, in this matter, to behave themselves wisely, Psal. 101. 2. so as to avoid the two Extreams, that of Eli's foolish Indulgence on the one hand, 1 Sam. 2. 23, 24. and that of Saul's brutish Rage, on the other Hand, 1 Sam. 20. 30, 33. and for the hitting of this Golden Mean, Wisdom is profitable to direct.
2. Inferiors are commonly very apt to complain. If every thing be not just to their Mind, they are freting, and vexing, and their Hearts are hot within them; they are uneasie in their Place and Station, finding fault with every thing that is said or done to them. Here wants a quiet Spirit, which would reconcile us to the Post we are in, and to all the difficulties of it, and would make the best of the present state, tho' it be attended with many Inconveniencies. Those unquiet People, whom the Apostle Iude in his Epistle compares to raging Waves of the Sea, and wandring Stars, ver. 13. were Murmurers and Complainers, ver. 16. foreign, Blamers of their Lot.—So the Word signifies. 'Tis an instance of Unquietness to be ever and anon quarrelling with our Allotment. Those Wives wanted a meek and quiet Spirit, that cover'd the Altar of the Lord with Tears, Mal. 2. 13. Not Tears of Repentance for Sin, but Tears of Vexation, at the Disappointments they met with in their outward Condition. Hannab's Meekness and Quietness was in some degree wanting, when she fretted, and wept, and would not eat, 1 Sam. 1. 7. but Prayer compos'd her Spirit, and set here to rights, v. 18. Her Countenance was no more sad. It was the unquietness of the Spirit of the Elder Brother, in the Parable, that quarrel'd so unreasonably with the Father for receiving and entertaining the Penitent Prodigal, Luke 15. 19. For those that are given to be uneasie, will never want something or other to complain of. It is true (tho' not so readily apprehended) that the sullenness, and murmuring, and silent frets of Children and Servants is as great a Transgression of the Law of Meekness, as the more open, noisie and avowed Passions of their Parents and Masters. We find the King's Chamberlains wroth with the King, Esth. 2. 21. and Cain's quarrel with God himself, for accepting of Abel, was interpreted Anger at God, Gen. 4. 6. Why art thou wroth, and why is thy Countenance fallen? The Sowr Looks of Inferiors, are as certain an indication of Anger resting in the Bosom, as the Big Looks of Superiors; and how many such instances of Discontent there have been, especially under a continual Cross, our own Consciences may perhaps tell us. It is the want of Meekness only, that makes those whom Divine Providence hath put under the Yoke, Children of Belial, that is, impatient of the Yoke.
3. Equals are commonly very apt to clash and contend. It is for want of Meekness that there are in the Church so many Pulpit and Paper-Quarrels, such strifes of Words, and perverse Disputings: That there are in the State such Factions and Parties, and between them such Animosities and Heart-Burnings; That there are in Neighbourhoods such Strifes, and Brawls, and Vexatious Law-suits, or such Distances, and Estrangements, and Shiness one of another: That there are in Families Envies, and Quarrels among the Children and Servants, Crossing, and Thwarting, and finding Fault one with another: And that Brethren that dwell together, do not as they should dwell together in Unity. It is for want of Meekness that we are so impatient of Contradiction in our Opinions, Desires and Designs, that we must have our own Saying, right or wrong, and every thing our own way: That we are so impatient of Competitors, not enduring that any should stand in our Light, or share in that Work or Honour, which we would engross to our selves: That we are so impatient of Contempt, so quick in our Apprehension and Resentment of the least Slight or Affront, and so pregnant in our Fancy of Injuries, where really there are none, or none intended. They are not only Loud and profess'd Contentions, that evidence a want of Meekness, but also those silent Alienations in Affection and Conversation, which make a less noise, little Piques and Prejudices conceived, which Men are themselves so ashamed of, that they will not own them; those shew the Spirit disturb'd, and wanting the Ornament of Meekness. In a word; The wilful doing any thing to disquiet others, Slandering, Backbiting, Whispering, Tale-bearing, or the like, is too plain an Evidence, that we are not our selves rightly disposed to be quiet.
And now, may we not all remember our Faults this Day? and instead of condemning others, tho' never so Faulty, should we not each of us bewail it before the Lord, that we have been so little acted by this excellent Spirit, and repent of all that which we have at any time said or done, contrary to the Law of Meekness, and from under the Direction and Influence of it? Instead of going about to extenuate and excuse our sinful Passions, let us rather aggravate them, and lay load upon our selves for them; So foolish have I been and ignorant, and so like a Beast, as the Psalmist speaks, when he is recovering himself from an intemperate heat, Psal. 73. 22. Think how often we have appear'd before God and the World, without our Ornament, without our Livery, to our shame. God kept account of the particular Instances of the unquietness of Israel: They have tempted me (saith he) now these ten times, Numb. 14. 22. Conscience is God's Register that Records all our Miscarriages: Even what we say and do in our haste, is not so quick as to escape its Observation: Let us therefore be often opening that Book now, for our Conviction and Humiliation, or else it will be opened shortly to our Confusion and Condemnation. But if we would judge our selves, we should not be judged of the Lord. May we not all say, as Ioseph's Brethren did, (and perhaps some are, as they were, in a special manner call'd to say it, by humbling Providences) We are verily guilty concerning our Brother, Gen. 42. 21. Such a Time, in such a Company, upon such an Occasion, I wanted Meekness, and was unquiet; my Spirit was provok'd, and I spake unadvisedly with my Lips, and now I remember it against my self. Nay, have not I lived a Life of Unquietness, in the Family, in the Neighbourhood, always in the Fire of Contention, as in my Element, and breathing Threatnings? And by so doing, have not I dishonour'd my God, discredited my Profession, disturbed my own Soul, grieved the blessed Spirit, and been to many, an occasion of Sin? And for all this, ought not I to be greatly humbled and ashamed? Before we can put on the Ornament of a Meek and Quiet Spirit, we must first wash in the Laver of true Repentance, not only for our Gross and Open Extravagancies of Passion, but for all our Neglects and Omissions of the Duties of Meekness.
Secondly, Have we not Reason to labour and endeavour, since there is such a Vertue, there is such a Praise, to attain these things? Should we not lay out our selves to the utmost, for this Ornament of a Meek and Quiet Spirit? For your Direction in this Endeavour, (if you be indeed willing to be directed) I shall briefly lay before you,
1. Some Scripture Precepts of Meekness.
2. Some Patterns of it.
3. Some particular Instances, in which we have special need of it.
4. Some good Principles that we should abide by. And,
5. Some good Practices that we should abound in, in order to our growth in this Grace of Meekness.
And in opening these Things, we will endeavour to keep close to the Law and to the Testimony.