and fâ—ll of courtesie the Ministers of the Gospel are to be followers of Christ and he was a Lamb for meeknesse for were a Minister never so well gifted and had the tongue of men and Angels if he have not meeknesse and charity all is nothing and therefore 1 Cor. 13. 1 Saint Pauls advice is let all things be 1 Cor. 16 14. done in love and his practice was the same for them with whom he had to deal the people under his charge how gently did he handle them how kindly did he entreat 2 Cor. 10. 2 2 Cor. 2. 8 2 Cor. 6. 1. them request them praying them exhorting them with all earnestness 2 Cor. 10. 1 beseeching them and so often as he speaks unto them it is in all tenderdernesse as a father to his children 2 Cor. 6. 13 in all things so behaving himself that his care towards them in the 2 Cor. 7. 12 sight of God might appear When a point of doctrine is to be delivered he will have that done with a kind affection follow the truth in love when sin is to be reproved Eph. 4. 15. that must be done in tender compassion I have often told you and now tell Phil. 3. 18. you weeping When any abuse is to be reformed he will have it done with a gentle moderation If any man be overtaken with a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one with the spirit of meeknesse And we were gentle amongst Gal. 6. 1. you saith the Apostle even as a nurse cherisheth her children for a nurse to quiet her infant cum dabit 1 Thes 2. 7 verbera ostendit ubera shews the breasts when she shakes the rod. Saint Paul to the Corinthians the first Ep. 1 Cor. 4. ult the fourth Chapter at the last verse Shall I come unto you saith he with the rod or in love and in the Spirit of meeknesse for the good Ministâ—r like Davids shepheard hath a rod as well as a staffe A rod of correction Psal 23. as well as a staff of consolation A staffe to uphold the weak a rod to beat down the wicked For the Minister if occasion be may and ought to use sharpnesse according to the power which the Lord hath given to edification and not to destruction 2 Cor. 13. 10. When Christ was transfigured on the mount there appeared with him Moses and Elias Moses the giver of the Law the meekest man alive Elias a revealer of the Gospel a man full of zeal and fervencie The severity of the Law required a gracious dispencer and therefore it was given in the hand of a Mediator but the Grace of the Gospel requires a zealous Minister The Word of God is a precious treasure but the Ministers of this Word are but earthen vessels men of like infirmities and passions with your selves as Saint Paul said we have this treasure in earthen vessels and as the liquor relishes of the vessel so amidst the divine graces of the holy Spirit aliquid humani intervenit there is some relish of humane passions and affections hence we see some of Gods ablest servants his best Ministers sometimes too passionate and hasty and sometimes too remisse and slow and therefore as the slow are to be excited and quickened so are the hastie to qualifie their natural sharpnesse with gentlenesse and moderation Peter was a mild man filius Jonae the sonne of a Dove and therefore had James and John joyn'd with him who were Boanerges sonnes of thunder Paul on the other side was of a taâ—t and sharp nature and had for his companion Barnabas a son of consolation The Minister of the Word hath a word of terror for the obstinate and stubborne a word of comfort for such as are poor and penitent to the one he comes like Elias in a whirlwind Natura con tumax est humanus animus incontrarium atque arduum intens scquitur que facilius quam ducitur Sen. de Clem. lib. 1. c. 2. 4 2 Pet. 3. 9. 1 Tim. 24. â— Ez. 33. 11. Ez. 18. 23. Joel 2. 13. Mat. 5. 48. 1 Pet. 5. 10. to beat him down to the other he comes like Noahs Dove with the Olive branch of peace in his mouth to raise him up to the one he is the savour of death unto death to the other of life unto life Yet what ever their condition be the Ministar of the Gospel is to preach Repentance and to offer Grace to all that will accept it and this is to be done with all gentlenesse for the will of man is naturally stubborne and therefore sweetly to encline it and gently to move it is the best means effectually to perswade it which otherwise will become invincible by any terrors or threats of death or judgment there is no more ready way to snatch a man out of the hand of sin and to make him willing to run the way of Gods Commandments then to preach the Word in meeknesse for is not God the Father the Father of mercie not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth He desires not the death of a sinner but is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindnesse forgiving sinnes and iniquities and are we not called to the imitation of our heavenly Father to be like him in this particular in patience and meeknesse and tendernesse of compassion God the Sonne is the God of all grace the very character of meeknesse who would not break the bruised reed nor quench the Mat. 12. 20 smoaking flax Who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them Not Luk. 9. 56. to beat down but to build up the broken-hearted when he comes it is like Isa 61. 1. dew upon a fleece of wooll or like rain Psa 72 6. upon the mown grass And the same mind Saint Paul would have in us all Phil. 2. 5. that was in him God the holy Ghost he is the Comforter the God of all consolation that breaths inward comfort into the soul whose working is very secret and insensible but with great efficacy powerful sweet and unspeakable The God of love and unity he is and delights to be where men live in peace and amity appeared to Christ in the shape of a Dove and Mat. 3. worketh in all that are Christs the properties of a Dove meekness gentleness simplicity and innocency and if there were no more this is sufficient the united examples of the three persons Father Son and holy Ghost to work us to this gracious practice of meekness in our callings and Saint Paul sheweth that the servant of the Lord must be no striker but gentle towards all men apt to teach suffering the evill men patiently Instructing them with meekness that are contrary minded if God at any time will give them repentance that they may
est viriditas in radice Aug. in Joh. 9. Habitus non amittitur actus intermittitur gradus remittitur Vide Aug. in lib. de correp gra so soon fall out with their sins though they have grievously offended but he fals in with them and becomes graciously reconciled And as a compassionate and an indulgent Father forsakes not his Child when he is sick so neither will God leave his Children when they have sinned He may take distast they may be dejected but being his his grace and their faith shall never fail For although the exercise and former comforts of grace may be lessened Ps 42. 5. 11 Ps 38. 6. Mat. 13 4 5 6 7. Rev. 2 4. Ps 51. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Rom. 11. 5. 1 Jo. 3. 9. Heb. 6. 10. Psa 55. 22 2 Tim. 2. 13. Psa 34. 8. Joh. 6. 47. Mal. 3. 6. Ps 10. 2 27. Heb. 13. 8. Isa 59. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Jo. 10. 28 29. Joh 13. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. Psa 89. 35. Luk. 22 32. Eph 4. 3. For God who is rich in mercy according to unchaâ—geable purpose of election doth not wholly take away his holy spirit from his no not in their grievous slips nor suffers them to wander so far as to fall away from the grace of adoption state of justification or to comit the sin unto death or against the holy Ghost or to be altogether forsaken of him Judicium Sâ—n. Dodr. de 5. Art Controv. in Eccl. Belg. c. 5. de persev Sect. 6. the good motions of the spirit suppressed the wonted fervour of it abated and the sensible operation of it interrupted yet still it is there when it is not felt they have it though they know not of it For it cannot be God should forget though man may be forgetful God cannot deny himself nor will he deny his favour to them that come unto him for it what God hath been he is still and can do as much as he hath done He will not leave the claim where he hath taken possession reject what he hath receiv'd nor disclaim what he hath once own'd He will not suffer his truth to fail nor his spirit to forsake the heart into which it hath been once admitted When doubts are raised concerning things promised let them call to mind what they have known performed and let this assure them of receiving more It were extream weakness for men to forsake their own 2 Pet. 3. 17 stedfastness and overwhelmed with the waves of temptation and corruption to leave their hold of that vvhich can only keep them from sinking Let the temptations of Sathan be never so strong the corruption of their ovvn hearts never so great their sins never so many yet the mercies of God and the merits of Christ applied to the contrite spirit the humbled soul the believing heart by the soveraign and healing hand of divine Grace doth over-povvre all that can be opposed vvhose operations cannot either by Satans subtlety or mans frailty be frustrated or hindred for so long as there is power in God to make him able and goodness in God vvhich vvill make him willing to help and ease the afflicted for vvho is a God like unto him forgiving iniquity transgression and sin fall they may utterly fall away they cannot for the Mic. 7 18. Lord upholds them vvith his hand Psa 37. 24 though some be of tender hearts apt to entertain troublesome fears and to have a hard opinion of themselves yet let them not Judge amiss of God vvho hath mercy laid up for all that vvill seek it God saith not to the humbled sinner as Christ said to the Jews you shall dye in your sins but as he said to the sisters of Lazarus of Lazarus sicknesse this sickness Joh. 8. 21. this sin is not unto death Sin is the sickness of the soul the Soul may Joh. 11. 4. be far spent vvith sin as the body vvith sickness but though the humors be Isa 66. 2. Isa 61. 1. Isa 35. 3. 4. 5. 6. Is 61. 2. 3. Ro. 8. 26. Jo. 4. 3. 4. Mat. 12. 20. Isa 37. 15 Joh. 14. 18 Isa 42. 3. Isa 55. 12 Mat. 9. 2. Col. 2. 13. Isa 53. 1. Isa 65. 18 Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 19. Ps 51. 12. Ps 22. 14 15 17 24. 1 Tim. 4. 10 1 Tim. 2. 4. Jo. 11. 25. Act. 3. 19. Joel 2. 12 2 Pet. 3. 9 Isa 55. 7 Lâ—â— 24. 49 Ez. 33. 11 Isa 1. 18. Isa 43. 25 Jer. 3. 1 2 13 22. 1 Tim. 2. 4. Ps 103. 10 11 12. Kin. â— 15 c. Rom. 5. 15 16 17 c. Vehâ—mâ—nter supra omnem modum exuperat gratia Dei delictorum magnitudinem copiam gravitatem Laur. Alex. pag. 95. corrupted and the bloud distempered yet if nature be not quite exhausted and the spirits of life extinguished the skilfull Physitian hath hope to cure the body In like manner the soul Physitian will bind up the broken heart quiet the troubled spirit cherish the seeds of grace forgive the sins of the soul and restore to a sinner the joy of his salvation If they have faith to believe the promises of God and repentance to bewaile their sins God hath mercy to heal their souls the medicine and means of recovery is neither weak nor wanting to him that can apply it If Saâ—an put a conceit into the head of the sinner that God will not be entreated let it not get the consent of the heart To sin is dangerous but to cast away all hope of forgiveness is desperate and therefore give not way to your own corruptions and Satans 1 Cor. 15. 56 Ro. 6. 23. Ez. 18. 20. Lu. 13. 3. Ja. 1. 15. Eph. 5. 6. Ps 31. 22. Job 33. 10 Omne peccatum grave est Greg. sup Ez. li. 2. For every sin must be accounted for Mat. 12. 36 temptations if you be weak yet in any case be not wilfull and take heed that a sin of infirmity become not a fall of Apostacy It is the Apostles advice cast not away your confidence but keep your hold still which Job would not forgoe though God kill'd him It is an evil heart and unfaithfull that thinks of departing from the living God Christians in their conflicts must not do as * Plut. in vitae Demosthenis Merito perit aegrotus qui mâ—dicum non vòcat sed ultro qui venientem respuit Musculus Heb. 10. 35 Job 13. 15 Heb. 3. 12 1 The. 5. 8. Dan. 9. 9. Demosthenes did in the battel cast away their shield the hope of salvation for God hath not lost the bowels of compassion if men have not lost all sence of grace There is no sin so great but is pardon'd to the penitent if man have the power to repent God hath a will to forgive his hand is never shortned but when mens hearts are hardned Think of Manasses Idolatry Davids adultery Noahs drunkenness Peters denial and Pauls blasphemy all these sinned greatly but
9. teach his way he will save all the Meeke of the earth he will beautifiie Psal 76. 9. the meeke with Salvation and therefore put on Meeknesse Ps 149. 4. And now about to speake of Meeknesse I cannot begin better than to crave a taste of it in your Attention in the words of the Apostle Receive with Meeknesse the ingrafted Jam. 1. 21. word c. In speaking of Meeknesse I will say somewhat of the nature of it and somewhat of the kinds of it For the nature of it it is a moral Arist lib. 4. Ethic. c. 5. vertue and vertue to speak plainly is the right use of Reason in the goverment of the affections and passions of the soule for knowledge or reason being an Act of the soule resulting from the prime faculty the mind or understanding by discourse doth worke upon the Inferiour part of the soule the will and affections informes them in the choice and rectifies them Nil sunt virtutes nisiordinatae affectiones Bern. in the use of things good and lawfull hence comes passion to be ruled by reason and Reason to be guided by Religion and then is a Christian Man in his right temper when the Will and Affections with all external actions are ordered according to the enlightened rule of Rectified Reason Affections we cannot be without for they are natural implanted in the Affectiones utiles à natura ad virtutem datae Just Lips in Manuduc ad Stoic Philo. lib. 3 dissert 7. 121. b. Affectus velut ubertas est naturalis ad quam cum verus cultus accesserit statim cedentibus vitiis fruges virtutis oriuntur Lact. l. 6. cap. 15. ad Just Lips in lib. 3. Manud ad Sto. Philos dis 7. soule by the Maker of it and the operations of them are not in vaine for of great use they are in Religion they helps to devotion and to dutie they are the wings of the soul that carrie it up to Heaven in Devotion and they are the Wind of the soul that carries it on in Sine iis iâ— affectionibus languebit omnis actio vis ac vigor animi resolvetur Sen. lib. 1. de Ira. Consule Justum Lipsium in lib. 3. Manud ad Stoicam Philosophiam dissert 7. p. 121. â— Non enim ratio Omnem prorsus evellere perturbationem animi conatur cum neque fleri id possit neque expediat sed proponit finem ei quendâ—m qui imponit oâ—dinem ingeneratque virtutes moâ—ales quoe non sunt vacuatates motuum seu affectuum animi sed eorum mediocritates concinitates c. Plutarch de virtute Moral cap. 10. dutie to God were there not affections we should neither feare God nor love Goodnesse nor hate evil nor desire happinesse nor rejoyce in the Lord nor be zealous for his glory yet the affections when they are in their Elevation and grow into excesse they degenerate into passions and passions are fell and fierce qua data porta ruunt upon any occasion break forth into distemper to the great disquiet and disturbance of the mind Now vertue it is that does Moderate finds out a meane sets the affections in a right frame and temper brings into the soul a sweet consent a heavenly harmony a blessed tranquillity The affections and passions are of themselves unruly head-strong and Unde Plutarch Moral in lib. de virtute morali cap. 13. Bruta pars devincitur rationi ac contemperatur mirabili exornata obedientia ac tranquillitate c. Ita vehementes furiâ—sos rabidosque motus ralio extinxit c. Per tot cap. 20. lib. Plutarch de virtute moral violent the Wisdome and Grace which God gives to keep in and under these brutish affections and sweetly to temper them is vertue it bounds the affections and binds up the passions which like nocent beasts if they enjoy'd their own liberty would do much harme and strangely distemper the world as well as man The act of vertue then is to observe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist lib. 2. Ethic. c. 6. a golden mean between two extremes and so we see in temperance whereof Meeknesse is a species it is liberal without lavishnesse Frugal without Covetousnesse Civil without sullenness Stai'd without slothfulnesse affable without wantonnesse Modest without affectation Shamefac'd without ignorance Zealous with out Rashnesse devout and yet not superstitious precise but not scrupulous severe but not injurios Austere but not malicious strict but not Contentious in a word it bridles Anger mitigateth griefe moderateth joy that a man is neither over-joyd at the fruition nor over-griev'd at the want or losse of things most dear and delightfull It sheweth when and how farre and for what we may be angry or glad or sorrowfull where we must love and what we must hate and seasons all our Actions with that due time which is appointed for every thing under the fun And as for Meekenesse it is chiefely shewn in bearing and forbearing For he is Meeke that being provoked by injuries doth patiently beare and having opportunities of Revenge put into his hands doth quietly forbeare The Meeke saith Beza are the gentle mild and courteous oppos'd to such as are wild fierce and savage He is Meeke saith Hemingius that bridles his affections who is not easily provokt and very ready to forgive Mites sunt qui cedunt improbrationibus et non resistunt in malo sed vincunt in bono malum Aug. in Ser. Domini in monte an injurie He is Meeke saith Melanchthon that possesses his soul in patience contents himself and leaves vengeance unto God He is Meeke saith Calvin that resisteth not evill but overcometh evill with good He is Meeke saith Ambro. Cath. who bridleth his affections that he is not Angry or being Angry sinneth not He is Meeke saith Cassiodorus that suffers all wronges and wrongs none He is Meeke saith Hierom who is so farre from doing hurt that he thinks none By these descriptions which these Author give of the Meeke we easily understand what the nature of Meeknesse is It is a rare vertue the true Character of a Saint the proper Garbe of Election Sanctification Adoption By it we resemble God the Father who is the Father of Mercies and God of all Consolation 2 Cor. 1. 3. By it we resemble God the Son whose proper Attribute is to be Meeke and lowely Mat. 11. 29 By it we resemble God the Holy Ghost the Comforter who to shew the meek and Gentle properties of his nature appeared in the shape of a dove Mat. 3. 16. It is a Certaine signe of heavenly-mindednesse for as the superior part of the world and that which is nearest Pars superior mundi ordinatior ac propinqua sideribus nec in nubem cogitur nec in tempestatem impellitur nec versatur in turbinem omni tumultu caret inferiora fulminant Seneca lib. 3. de Ira. cap. 6. the starres hath neither Clouds nor