Through meekness, a man hath always fair weather within. Through meekness, he gives no manner of offence or difturbance any where abroad. And, in particular, I may say these several things of the meek and quiet spirit.

on.

First, There is no ungrounded paffion; no boifterous motion; no exorbitancy, nothing of fury.No perplexity of mind, nor over-thoughtfulness. Men that are thus difquieted, know not what to do, can give no answer, nor can resolve on any thing. No confufion of thought; for that is darkness within, and brings men into fuch diforder, that they know not what is before them. No eagerness of defire; no impetuofity. They do not fay with her, in the fcripture, give me children, or elfe I die, Gen. xxx. 1. No refpect to God, or man, will quiet or moderate fuch fpirits, if they have not what they are bent upNo inordinacy of appetite; but so as always to be governed according to the measures and rules of reafon and virtue. No partiality, or felf-flattery. One of a meek fpirit, does not overvalue himself. Thofe of the contrary temper, are always putting themselves into a fool's paradife ; conceiting above what there is fenfe or reafon for. No impotent felf-will. He that gives way to self-will, is an enemy to his own peace, and is the great difturber of the world: he is an anti-God; impofeth upon God himself; and is within no law. And, (in the last place) no fond felf-love. All these are verities of this meek and quiet spirit. And thefe are great things, and tend to happiness; are fuitable to our state; becoming the relation we ftand in to God,

God, and to one another. The meek in temper are freed from all those internal difpofitions that caufe a great deal of unquietnefs in the world: For, as mifchievous as the world either is, or is thought to be; our fufferings from abroad, all the injuries that we meet with from without, are neither fo great, nor fo frequent, as the annoyances that arife from difcompoJure of our own minds and from inward malignity. I fay, that they who complain fo much of the times, and of the world, may learn this; that the sufferings from injurious dealings from any without us, are nothing in comparison to those we find from within. For, this inward malady doth altogether disable the fences and fuccours of reason. This is a constant malady; and by this, felf-enjoyment is made very uncertain. This is the first thing, that through meeknefs of fpirit, we are always in a calm; have fair weather within our own breafts; and do arrive to a good state of health, and settlement.

The

Secondly, Through this meekness of spirit, there is good carriage and behaviour towards others. meek are never injurious, or cenforious; but are ready to take in good part, and make the best construc tion that the cafe will bear. They will account other mens faults, rather their infirmity, than their crime and they look upon the harm done them by others, to be rather inadvertency, than defign; rather contingent ill accidents, than bad meaning. The meek man is a good neighbour, a good friend; a credit to religion, one that governs himself according to reason, makes no injury by any mifconftruction; and in cafe of any wrong done, fits down

How much do men

with easy fatisfaction. differ, upon account of moderation, meekness and fairnefs? We find, upon our ordinary application to fome perfons, that they will admit any reasonable and fair propofal; be ready to hear and take in good part; are of eafy accefs, fair conditioned, easy to be intreated: but others there are of fo bad a condition, that you may come twenty times to them, before you find them in a good mood, or fit to be dealt withal. They are feldom in fo good a disposition that an indifferent propofal may be made to them. But for those that are of meek and quiet fpirits, I may fay of such persons, either that they are very ready to grant what is defired or else, if they do deny, it fhall be upon fuch grounds of reafon as will fatisfy.

But because things are best known by their contraries; I will fhew you who thofe perfons are, of whom it cannot be faid, that they are of meek and quiet fpirits; to wit, the proud, the arrogant, infolent, haughty, prefumptuous, felf-confident, and affuming. For these are boisterous, stormy, tempeftuous, clamorous. These perfons will put themselves and others, as much as they can, into a flame. These are the difturbers of mankind: and their neighbours are rid of a burden, when they are removed. What forms and tempefts are in the world natural, thefe are in the world moral. Earthquakes, ftorms, and tempefts, do not ly more heavy upon the world natural, than these men do upon the world of mankind. But, meekness doth fo qualify the foil, where it is; that all the moral virtues will there thrive and profper; fuch as humility, modefty, patience, ingenuity, candour.

But ma

lice, and envy, are the worst of vices; being the greatest degeneracy, and participation of the devilish nature. These have no place in this meek and quiet Spirit.

Laftly, I add that an ill natured perfon, is altogether uncapable of happiness. If, therefore, it hath been any one's lot, either to have been born, or bred to an illnature; I fay in this cafe, he is more concerned to apply a remedy, than he that hath received a deadly wound, or is bodily fick, hath to apply himself to the chirurgeon, or to the physician, left his wound or disease should prove mortal. For, these inward maladies will otherwife prove fatal to his foul and the only remedy to be applied, is felf-reflection, due confideration, felf-examination, and the exercise and practice of virtue

Obferve, now, the incompetency of the world's judgment. How fond and partial is the world, who do applaud the great difturbers of mankind, fuch as make havock and defolation in the family of God, bring in confufion, and turn all into hurly-burly! giving to fuch as thefe, titles of honour: naming them conquerors, and victorious perfons! How fond, (I fay) and partial is the world; who do fo magnify the fame of high-fpirited, turbulent, felf-will'd perfons ! thinking them men of courage and refolution and, on the other hand; accounting the innocent and harmless, to be perfons of no fpirit or activity. Whereas, the greatest fign of power, and bravest performance in the life of man, is to govern his own spirit, and to fubdue his paffions. And, this, if the fcripture may give judgment, is the greateft ornament belongVOL. IV. Р

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ing to a man, and that which is the most valued by God, from whofe judgment there is no appeal. The ornament of a meek and quiet fpirit, which is in the fight of God of great price. And, good old Jacob, when leaving the world, when about to bless his posterity, he came to Simeon and Levi; remembring their horrid cruelty, it puts him to a lofs, O my foul, come not thou into their fecret, for inftruments of cruelty are in their habitation, &c. Gen. xlix. 5, 6. Things are very differently accounted above and below.And by this, it appears that the guife of the world, and the fancy of men, are the most impotent and fond things imaginable.

And further yet, as to the judgment of Scripture in this cafe. This is the true temper of religion, and prophefied of the gospel-state, Ifa. xi. 6. and Ixv. 25. Our Saviour, in his beatitudes, Matt. v. begins with this fpirit. And, that this is the temper that fhall rule, and prevail, in the gospel-ftate, confult these fcriptures, Eph. iv. 2. 1 Tim. vi. 11. A man cannot fpeak a good thing, without meekness. If he speaks of God, of matters of reafon and religion, he spoils that which he meddles with, if he be not meek. For we must in meekness inftruct those that oppose themselves, 2 Tim. ii. 25. No good notion will take place, no good feed can be fown, no plant will thrive; every thing that is divine and heavenly, will vanifh, if it be not fettled by this temper, Jam. i. 21. and iii. 13. Who is a wife man, and endued with knowledge among ft you; let him fhew, out of a good converfation, his works, with meekness of wisdom; wisdom is not, but in conjunction with meeknefs, 1 Pet. iii. 15. There is

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