Evening Reflection
Examples of Meekness and Humbleness
Good
examples help very much to illustrate and enforce good rules,
bringing them closer to particular cases, and showing them to be
practicable. Precedents are of great use in the law. If we would be
found walking in the same spirit, and walking in the same steps with
those that are gone before us to glory, this is the spirit by which
we must be actuated, and these the steps in which we must walk: this
is the way of good men, for wise men to walk in. Let us go forth then
"by the footsteps of the flock," and set ourselves to
follow them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. We
are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses who will bear
their testimony to the comfort of meekness, and upon trial recommend
it to us; but we shall single out only some few from the Scripture.
Number
One
Abraham
was a pattern of meekness, and he was the father of the faithful. As
he was famous for faith, so was he for meekness; for the more we have
of faith towards God, the more we shall have of meekness towards all
men. How meek was Abraham when there happened a strife between his
herdsmen and Lot's, which, had it proceeded, might have been of ill
consequence, for "the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then
in the land;" but it was seasonably overruled by the prudence of
Abraham. "Let there be no strife, I pray thee:" ( Genesis
13:8 ), though he might command peace, yet for love's sake he
rather beseeches. Every word has an air of meekness, and a tendency
to peace. And when the expedient for the prevention of strife was
their parting from each other, though Lot was the junior, yet
Abraham, for peace sake, quitted his right, and gave Lot the choice;
and the gracious visit which God gave him thereupon was an abundant
recompense for his mildness and condescension.
Another
instance of Abraham's meekness we have when Sarah quarrelled with him
so unreasonably about her maid, angry at that which she herself had
done. "My wrong be upon thee: the Lord judge between thee and
me."1
Abraham might soon have replied, You may thank yourself, it was your
own contrivance; but laying aside the present provocation, he abides
by one of the original rules of the relation, "Behold, thy maid
is in thy hand." He did not answer passion with passion, that
would have put all into a flame; but he answered passion with
meekness, and so all was quiet.
Another
instance of Abraham's meekness we have in the transactions between
him and Abimelech his neighbor. He first enters into a covenant of
friendship with him, which was confirmed by an oath, and then does
not reproach him, but reproves him for a wrong that his servants had
done him about a well of water; which gives us this rule of meekness,
"Not to break friendship for a small matter of difference:"
such and such occasions there are, which they that are disposed to it
might quarrel about; but "what is that between me and thee?"
If
meekness rule, matters in variance may be fairly reasoned and
adjusted without violation or infringement of friendship. This is the
example of that great patriarch. The future happiness of the saints
is represented as the bosom of Abraham—a quiet state. Those who
hope to lie in the bosom of Abraham shortly, must tread in the steps
of Abraham now, whose children we are as long as we thus do well,
"and who," as Maimonides expresses it, "is the father
of all who are gathered under the wings of the divine Majesty."
1
It is a presumptuous dangerous thing for any that are guilty, and
suffer justly, to appeal to God, as if they were innocent and
suffered wrongfully; such must humble themselves and accept the
punishment of their iniquity, and not expect that the righteous God
will patronize their unrighteousness. - Matthew Henry
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