A
Discourse On Meekness and Quietness of Spirit
Abridged
from the Rev. Matthew Henry
A
meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 1
Peter 3:4
Published
by the American Tract Society
THE
EXCELLENCY OF MEEKNESS
Consider
how COMFORTABLE a meek and quiet spirit is. What is true comfort and
pleasure but a quietness in our own bosom? Those are most easy to
themselves who are so to all about them; while they that are a burden
and a terror to others, will not be much otherwise to themselves. He
that would lead a quiet, must lead "a peaceable life." The
surest way to find rest to our souls is to "learn of Him who is
meek and lowly in heart." Let but our moderation be known unto
all men, and "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
will keep our hearts and minds." Quietness is the thing which
even the busy, noisy part of the world pretend to desire and pursue:
they will be quiet—this is their claim—yea, that they
will, or they will know why; they will not endure the least
disturbance of their quietness. But verily they go a mad way to work
in pursuit of quietness; greatly to disquiet themselves inwardly, and
put their souls into a continual tumult, only to prevent or remedy
some small outward disquietude from others. But he that is meek finds
a sweeter, safer quietness, and much greater comfort than that which
they in vain pursue. "Great peace have they" that love this
law of love, for "nothing shall offend them." Whatever
offence is intended, it is not so interpreted, and by that means
peace is preserved. If there be a heaven anywhere upon earth, it is
in the meek and quiet soul that acts and breathes above that lower
region which is infested with storms and tempests, the harmony of
whose faculties is like the famed "music of the spheres"—a
perpetual melody. "Mercy and truth are met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other."
A
meek and quiet Christian must needs live very comfortably, for he
enjoys himself, he enjoys his friends, he enjoys
his God, and he puts it out of the reach of his
enemies to disturb him in these enjoyments.
Meekness
is very nearly allied to that "patience" which our Lord
Jesus prescribes to us as necessary to the keeping possession of our
own souls. How calm are the thoughts, how serene are the affections,
how rational the prospects, and how even and composed are all the
resolves of the meek and quiet soul! How free from the pains and
tortures of an angry man, who is disseized and dispossessed even of
himself, and while he toils and vexes to make other things his own,
makes his own soul not so: his reason is in a mist; confounded and
bewildered, it cannot argue, infer, or foresee with any certainty.
His affections are on the full speed, hurried on with an impetus
which is as uneasy as it is hazardous. Who is that "good man who
is satisfied from himself?" Who but the quiet man that needs not
go abroad for satisfaction, but having Christ dwelling in his heart
by faith, [Read John 14:23], has in him that peace which the world
can neither give nor take away. While those that are fretful and
passionate rise up early and sit up late, and eat the bread of sorrow
in pursuit of revengeful projects, the God of peace gives to "his
beloved sleep." The sleep of the meek is quiet and sweet and
undisturbed; those that by innocency and mildness are the sheep of
Christ, shall be made to "lie down in green pastures."
[Read Psalm 23:2], That which would break an angry man's heart will
not break a meek man's sleep. It is promised that "the meek
shall eat and be satisfied." [Read Psalm 34:10, 37:25], He has
what sweetness is to be had in his common comforts; while the angry
man either cannot eat, his stomach is too full and too high, as Ahab,
(See 1 Kings 21:4), or eats and is not satisfied, unless he can be
revenged, as Haman: "All this avails me nothing," though it
was a banquet of wine with the king and queen, "as long as
Mordecai is unhanged." [Read Esther Chapter 5]
It
is spoken of as the happiness of the meek, that they "delight
themselves in the abundance of peace;" [Read Pslam 37:4-5],
others may delight themselves in the abundance of wealth, a poor
delight, that is interwoven with so much trouble and disquietude; but
the meek, though they have but a little wealth, have peace, abundance
of peace, peace like a river, and this such as they have a heart to
enjoy. [Read Psalm 37:16]. They have light within: as Å’colampadius
said, Their souls are a Goshen in the midst of the Egypt of this
world; they have a light in their dwelling when clouds and darkness
are round about them: this is the joy with which a stranger doth not
intermeddle. We may certainly have—and we should do well to
consider it—less inward disturbance, and more true ease and
satisfaction, in forgiving twenty injuries than in avenging one. No
doubt Abigail intended more than she expressed, when, to persuade
David to pass by the affront which Nabal had given him, she prudently
suggested that hereafter "this shall be no grief unto thee, nor
offence of heart"—not only so, but it would be very sweet and
easy and comfortable in the reflection. Such a rejoicing is it,
especially in a suffering day, to have the testimony of conscience,
that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but
by the grace of God, particularly the grace of meekness, we have had
our conversation in the world, and so have pleased God and done our
duty. He did not speak the sense, no, not of the sober heathen, that
said, "Revenge is sweeter than life;" for it often proves
more bitter than death. [Read 1 Samuel 25:3-39]
Brethren:
An
additional thought, if I might be allowed to do so, as to provide
some insight on the story of Nabal and his wife Abigail, and how it
pertains to the above discourse. What we find is that the man, that
being Nabal, (whose name translates into "fool", or
foolhardy), was presumptuously arrogant, and esteemed only in his own
eyes. Those eyes, lead him to be foolishly wicked, which later came
back upon his own head. One might also say, that rebuffing of God's
anointed, David, was an affront to God Himself, Who then took matters
into His own hands. Had Nabal, not acted so rashly and without
thought as to consequence, he might have lived. A meek man, would not
have done so. Instead, take notice and also take heed as well, of the
meekness of Abigail in how she presented herself, and how it soothed
the anger that David had felt, and calmed him too making him as her,
acting meekly in this matter.
“We
should not have heard of Nabal, if nothing had passed between him and
David. Observe his name, Nabal, A fool; so it signifies. Riches make
men look great in the eye of the world; but to one that takes right
views, Nabal looked very mean. He had no honour or honesty; he was
churlish, cross, and ill-humoured; evil in his doings, hard and
oppressive; a man that cared not what fraud and violence he used in
getting and saving. What little reason have we to value the wealth of
this world, when so great a churl as Nabal abounds, and so good a man
as David suffers want!, David pleaded the kindness Nabal's shepherds
had received. Considering that David's men were in distress and debt,
and discontented, and the scarcity of provisions, it was by good
management that they were kept from plundering. Nabal went into a
passion, as covetous men are apt to do, when asked for any thing,
thinking thus to cover one sin with another; and, by abusing the
poor, to excuse themselves from relieving them. But God will not thus
be mocked. Let this help us to bear reproaches and misrepresentations
with patience and cheerfulness, and make us easy under them; it has
often been the lot of the excellent ones of the earth. Nabal insists
much on the property he had in the provisions of his table. May he
not do what he will with his own? We mistake, if we think we are
absolute lords of what we have, and may do what we please with it.
No; we are but stewards, and must use it as we are directed,
remembering it is not our own, but His who intrusted us with it.” -
Matthew Henry
“Blessed
be thy advice, and blessed be thou, i.e. the Lord bless and
recompense thee for this thy good advice. From coming to shed blood,
which I had sworn to do. Hereby it plainly appears that oaths whereby
men bind themselves to any sin are null and void; and as it was a sin
to make them, so it is adding sin to sin to perform them. Although it
may be said that he rejoiced not in Nabal’s death as such, but only
in the declaration of God’s justice in punishing so great a
wickedness; which was an honour to God, and a document, and therefore
a benefit to mankind, and so a public good, and cause of joy; yet the
matter is not weighty, if we confess that this was another instance
of human infirmity in David, and that it is not proposed for our
imitation, but for our caution. Yet it may be further said, that this
was not purely an act of private revenge, because David was a public
person, and anointed king; and therefore Nabal’s reproach cast upon
David above, ( See 1 Samuel 25:10-11), was a contempt of God, and of
his ordinance and appointment; which was vindicated by this
remarkable judgment. - Matthew Poole
