This sermon is auto-transcribed and may contain inaccuracies.
Introduction: The Blessedness of Meekness
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
And as we’ve mentioned already, these are descriptions and characteristics of the people of God. They are a blessed people who have grace in their souls, who have the grace of God within them. That is a blessedness which they will discover to be through blessedness, through happiness in this world. And it will issue in eternal happiness, eternal blessedness. He’ll grace and glory give and all grace proceeds from Christ and he is the author of it. And where he begins it, he will bring it to its completion. He who has begun the good work will perform it.
The Beatitudes and the Path of Duty
Well, these beatitudes, these blessings, these blessednesses, these intimations of the blessedness of God’s people are most instructive for us regarding his will. No doubt that is what is intended to be inferred and implied that here is the path of duty. Here is the life of holiness. Here is their heavenly and high calling by which they are called. This is the manner of life that they are called to live and this is their duty. And that is where we are to discover the nature of and the evil of sin in the law of God as our duty and our calling in this world. There it is, you see the shortcomings and the failings of which we are guilty. And if we were to examine our lives in the light of these principles of grace and gracious principles delineating the features of the people of God, oh, would we not see the ugliness of sin, the deformity of sin within our own hearts, in our own lives. How far from this we are in reality and truth. And what a blessed discovery to discover that and to see our need of divine grace to beautify us with salvation. And so the law of God has that design and that purpose and that use by the law as the knowledge of sin. And where there are moral virtues describing where we ought to be and what we ought to be, there are contrary vices are being taught us also.
Guidance from Proverbs
We have it in the book of Proverbs. The children, young people here, we encourage you very much to be familiarizing yourself with that book. One of our senior ministers in the past used to exhort young people to take the book of Proverbs as a monthly reading. There’s 31 chapters in it. And if we read one every day, we will read the book of Proverbs in a month. And if you do that every month, oh, how quickly familiar you would become with these moral virtues and their contrary vices to help and guide and direct you in the way and the manner of life that the Bible calls us to.
The Call to Seek Meekness
Well, that is surely what is here as well. Blessed are the meek. We must inquire as to the contrary vice that we are being warned of and being exhorted against, as well as the path of duty into which we are called. And so the description here is one of great beauty and very precious, sweet complexion that the Bible gives to God’s people. Our Christ has begun to work in them. We were singing in the psalm. We might well suggest the three first Beatitudes neatly compact together in one of the lines of the psalm. To meek and poor afflicted ones. There it is. Poor in spirit, mourning and meek. To meek and poor afflicted ones. And that is the promise. He’ll clearly teach his way. And what a precious promise that is to the poor. How blessed they are who have that as their guide in this life. The meek and lowly he will guide in judgment just all way. To meek and poor afflicted ones. He’ll clearly teach his way.
We are to seek meekness then. As Zephaniah the prophet was sent to warn Israel and to warn us indeed of the judgment of God and how often the Bible speaks of it and how often we are warned of God’s terrible judgments. Upon the wicked, we were reading it in the psalm, that the wicked men and foes of God as fat of lambs decay. They shall consume ye into smoke, they shall consume away. What are we to do in the light of that in a world that has such deformity and corruption and wickedness? Before the decree bring forth, before the day passes the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you, seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. Seek meekness. Seek it. Ask that the Lord would give it to you. Ask that you would have it, that you would be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. Would that not be a precious fruit of a communion season, of a day of preparation for a communion season, that you would hide from the Lord’s anger, that you would be assured of your interest in that refuge, in that blessed comfort, which the people of God are given in these beatitudes, that you would discover your own part and portion with the blessed people of God, that you would be hiding yourself in him as the rock of ages and a cleft for you. Blessed are the meek. Seek it. And it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.
The Blessed Inheritance of the Meek
When he rises to shake terribly the earth, when he rises up to judge the world in righteousness, who shall stand when he appeareth? Maybe there’s something of that in the promise, they shall inherit the earth. We receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, when he shakes the nations and when he shakes the earth, the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made, so that those things that cannot be shaken may remain. That’s a kingdom in this world, and they shall possess it, they shall have it, they shall enjoy it, they shall be established in it, they shall not be shaken, they may remain. The meek of the earth, they shall inherit, they shall possess the land, and they shall have, they shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. A precious promise, no doubt for the Old Testament Church, but for the New Testament Church now here, as the Saviour is making, drawing the teaching, the doctrine from the very psalm we were singing, and pressing it upon his disciples as their calling, as their encouragement, as their duty, well, the meek, blessed are the meek, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
What is Blessed Meekness?
We might consider firstly the blessed meekness toward God, and that is the key, we might say, to all the duties of the moral law. It is man’s relation to God, man’s relation to Christ, that is the key to understand the whole duty and calling of the Church of God and the people of God. He has not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil it, and if we find the law in the hand of the mediator and receive it from him, and are in that relation to God and Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, then the law becomes sweet and precious and lovely, and our delight and our joy, the law becomes our study all the day, the law becomes that which we desire to keep, O how love I thy law, it is my study all the day, that’s the language of God’s people. We delight in the law of God, do we? Are we that delight tonight, in the law of God after the inward man? Whatever you have to say about the law of sin and death and your soul, child of God, here is the mark which will mark you in this world, and here is what Christ is looking for, if you love me, keep my commandments. And here it is then, meekness toward God, firstly, then secondly, meekness toward men. What is it, to be meek? The meek and poor afflicted ones in relation to God, they are meek and lowly in relation to their fellow men also. And then thirdly, the connection between the two. How are we to see this connection we’ve mentioned, where there is this meekness toward God, and how it is that this meekness toward men arises from it, flows from it. Blessed, O blessed meekness, blessed meekness when it flows from that source, and then something a little of this, the blessed inheritance, of the meek, they shall inherit the earth.
The Nature of the Inheritance
It does not say that they shall have what they shall have off the earth, whether little or much. The implication might be that there is very little. The Saviour goes on in the next chapter to speak very plainly of that, and they were not to take any thought for their life, what they shall eat, what they shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on, is not the life more than meat. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. They may have very little of it, but a little, even a little, even the smallest, smallest portion of this life, and this world, and the things of this world, of the earth, temporal things, a little of it shall be added unto you. The little that a just man hath is more and better far than is the wealth of many such as lewd and wicked are. That’s for the encouragement of holiness, for the encouragement of conformity to the image of Christ, and the encouragement of God’s people that they inherit, they possess it in a way of inheritance, they have a right to it. O wonder of wonders, a new relation to your daily bread, a new relation to the very things of the earth, the ground you walk on, the grass you walk on, the air you breathe, the water you drink. In Jesus Christ you have an inheritance that’s incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Yes, it’s in heaven, but it’s on the earth too. All that you possess, a little, that a just man hath, is more and better far than the wealth of many such as lewd and wicked are. Well, a little of that then, the blessed inheritance of the meek.
Christ: The Pattern of Meekness
But what is this blessedness? What is this meekness that is so blessed? Who are they who are blessed? Meek, blessed are the meek. Well, we mentioned before that it is the Lord Jesus Christ in his glorious office who is here revealing himself in blessing the people, and in blessing his church, and in blessing his disciples. That is what his great and glorious work is, as the great high priest like Melchizedek blessing Abraham, and the blessing of Abraham here coming upon the Gentiles. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are they that mourn. That is what his great office was, to give comfort to them that mourn, anointed to preach the gospel to the poor. Well, we have another view of him, do we not, in the psalm. If we were singing it, the glorious king who is riding prosperously, who is guarding his sword upon his thigh. Is that not what he is doing in his preaching of the word? He is guarding his sword, the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Guard upon his thigh, and upon his vesture, and upon his thigh is the name written. He is the glorious king. He is riding prosperously in state. He is going forth to conquer. He is going forth to subdue the hearts, the lives, the souls of men. That is the picture you have of him. My heart is indicting a good matter concerning the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king. Thou fairer art than sons of men. That is what we are to see in the word of God. Christ speaking, Christ the glorious king, guarding his sword. And what is he doing? As it were, going forth to battle. And he is battling and making war upon those who are his enemies, upon those who are rising up against him, rebels, who are enemies to him, enemies of the king, and his arrows are sharply piercing their hearts. Why? What is the purpose? What is his design? What is he aiming to achieve in this glorious vision that the psalmist has of him, in this view of the majesty of this glorious conqueror, riding forth in his white horse of the everlasting gospel? Psalm 45 pictures him. Guard thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty. All his power, all his might, all his majesty, put forth into this great work of subduing men. To what end? For what purpose? Because of meekness, truth, and righteousness. His right hand will teach him terrible things. He will destroy his enemies, but he will bring down the people in subjection under him because of meekness, truth, and righteousness. That’s what he intends and purposes to bring to pass in the hearts, to create in the heart, to subdue men to himself in this manner, so that the proud, haughty, rebellious, willful, stubborn enemies of his holy royalty and majesty would be subdued into this spirit of meekness. And brought down low from their haughty pride. Proud and haughty, Scornor is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath. And that’s what the enemies of Christ are. They hate him without a cause. They are enemies to his kingship. They are enemies to his lordship. They are enemies to his laws. They are enemies to his holiness. They are enemies to his Father in heaven. They are enemies to the Holy Spirit. They make themselves gods. He shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. That’s in your heart by nature. That’s in the heart of every sinner. Proud, rebellion, and stubbornness against the majesty and glory and royal law of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Until that glorious day comes, when his arrows sharply pierce the heart of the enemy of the king, and under thy subjection the people down, down, down, do bring into the dust, into the very lowest lowliness of the meek, the meekness. And that’s a blessed day. That’s a blessed day in the experience of a sinner, that he is subdued in his heart, and subdued in his will, subdued in his rebellion, made to be a submissive, willing subject to this royal king. Thy throne is forever and ever. A scepter of majesty is the scepter of thy kingdom. That is what this meekness is, really. It’s the humility of the soul, submitting to the glorious royalty and dominion and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, a willing people in thy day of power shall come to thee. In holy beauties from morn’s womb, thy youth, like dew, shall be. It’s no small thing for a soul to be subdued by grace. It’s a day of great power. It’s a miracle, a marvel, it’s a work of great majesty and great power. And we ask you, has that day come to pass in your own spiritual history, in your own experience? Are you among the meek of the earth? Well, it is the glorious power of Christ put forth that blesses men with meekness. He with his salvation, the meek will beautify. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are they who have this grace, this work begun in them, this subduing of the heart by grace.
Now we have it in the word of God that they learn it of him. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. That is what Christ does in subduing men. He makes them feel their burden and their load of sin and guilt, and he brings them low for sin, so that they’re wearying themselves and they’re discovering their weariness, their restlessness. And he, it is who makes them feel that and to know that. And by the laws, the knowledge of sin, as we said, but it is the glorious influence of the gospel that draws men unto him for rest. And come unto me, he says, I will give you rest. You will find rest in me from your labouring and heavy laden burdens. And that’s the drawing influence, the drawing subduing influence, the taming influence of the rebellious sinner who’s been labouring and heavy laden in sin and pursuing his own way and seeking his own will and doing his own righteousness and seeking to justify himself in the sight of God. Come unto me, and I will give you rest. I will take all the burden of guilt, all the burden of debt, all the burden of your load. I will take it upon myself. I will take it out of your hands. Come unto me, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke. Now you say, how can that be rest? Is that not another paradox in the life of grace and in the experience of divine grace? Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who are under the yoke of Christ, who have come out of the yoke of sin and are under the yoke of Christ and brought into the yoke with him. And they are meek as taught to be meek under the yoke of Christ. They are made subjects to him and subjects to his law, subject to his government. They are in the yoke with him. They are no longer the captives and prey of the mighty tyrant, the cruel bondage of Egypt. Under that yoke, that iron furnace, that yoke which they could not bear, that yoke which was their destruction, that’s the way of transgression. It’s hard. And the service of sin is a hard service, a cruel service. It’s a cruel master you serve in the service of sin. But ah, come unto me and I will put you under a yoke that is easy. I will put you under a burden that is light. And so it is, learn of me, learn of me, come unto me and learn of me. Learn to live under the yoke of the covenant of grace. That’s what makes it easy. Grace sufficient, grace to help, grace upholding, grace conforming you, grace enabling you, grace making you willing to take the yoke of Christ. That’s the meekness that’s described. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly. Oh, you have a pattern of meekness there too. You have a pattern of most glorious example. You have a most glorious holy beauty, a beautiful meekness as a pattern to follow in the yoke with Christ. To serve him, with him, to walk as he walked, to live as he lived, to come under his will and his word and his authority, yes, but to be walking with him in the way of holiness. There is the meekness that is being described then as blessed, blessed meekness.
Meekness Toward God
And it is meekness toward God. He is the one who, against whom we have sinned, and he is the one who is justly angry, justly hateful of our sin, his holy indignation is a most worthy response to and a worthy answer to our sin. He has shown sinful, rebellious, corrupt hearts, but has he not shown much long-suffering and patience and kindness towards the unruly hearts that he subdues? That really is what the Lord has done and what the Lord is showing to his people, how patient, how long-suffering and slow to wrath he is, and in mercy plenteous, and how Christ will teach them that and how Christ will show them that is the great lesson that they will learn at the footstool of Christ, who learn of him to teach them meekness and lowliness, to learn what long-suffering, patience and endurance of their manners the Lord has endured, as it were, in their past, but likewise to their present infirmities, their present shortcomings, their failings, their sins, their backslidings, their adding of sin to sin. Has the Lord not shown a present meekness, gentleness, kindness, long-suffering, slowness to wrath, in mercy plenteous, and is he not promising to do that still, that he will teach them, clearly teaching them his way, the meek and lowly he will guide in judgment just always, the whole paths of the Lord our God are truth and mercy sure. That’s the terms of the covenant under which they are and in the yoke of Christ. They have been brought into that subjection to him. They are learning meekness, they’re seeking meekness, they’re being taught to be meek. Well, it is a fruit of the spirit of grace in the hearts of God’s people that they are learning this meekness toward God and we were singing that in the psalm in psalm 37, we might well say that the psalm that we were singing, reading rather, psalm 37 is a large commentary on this very verse. Blessed are the meek, the whole psalm, it’s a describing this, it’s a commentary on it, it’s an exposition of it, it’s an enlarged view of this precious blessedness of meekness toward God and what does the psalmist say? Set thou thy trust upon the Lord and be thou doing good. Delight thyself in God, thy way to God. Commit him, trust it, bring to pass shall he. Rest in the Lord, patiently wait for him. Do not fret for him who prospering in his way. Success in sin doth get, do thou from anger cease and wrath see thou forsake also. Fret not thyself in any wise that evil thou shouldst do. There’s the meek, that’s the description of them, that’s their blessedness and they’re learning something of that from the Lord who are learning under the yoke of Christ, who are learning of him meekness and lowliness of heart to trust in him, to wait on him, to delight in him, to rest in him. To commit their way to him. That’s the meekness and gentleness and quietness of the yoke of Christ, the service of Christ. That’s what he’s prospering in teaching them by the glorious power of his grace. He’s prospering because of meekness and truth and righteousness and his right hand is a, as it were, conducting this great and glorious transformation, the hand of his power is a destroying the rebellious enmity in the heart of man to him. Oh, blessed work it is, a great work, a transforming work, a renewing of the mind, a subduing of the will, a conforming of the character to the will and mind and word and law of the glorious King.
Well, what is the language of the meek and the lowly? What is their language toward God? It’s not, is it not this with us he dealt not as we sinned nor did requite our ill. We were speaking to a widow recently, a dear friend who passed away in Scotland, a dear man, a man of God and one who we loved indeed in the gospel. And she told us that this was the language that he used in every time of pain and suffering in his last illness when he would recover some strength, he would be asked how he was feeling and his answer was with us, he dealt not as we sinned nor did requite our ill. That’s the meek and the lowly in their view of themselves and in their view of their relation to God and it’s a very sweet, beautiful character that the people of God have who have that language. Wherefore should a living man complain? That’s the language of Jeremiah when he was lamenting the desolation of Jerusalem and let us search and try our ways and turn unto the Lord. Wherefore should a living man complain? A man for the punishment of his sins. When the Lord is teaching the meekness, he say often having to use the rod of chastening, the rod upon them to teach them to subdue the hard rebellious heart. Oh blessed are the meek who are taught in that manner. And this is the language surely that they will have if who are taught meekness by the Lord in relation to the Lord. Wherefore should a living man complain? I will wait in the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob. I will wait for him. I will wait for him who hides his face. I will seek to be committing my way to him, to rest in him, to wait for him patiently. Ah yes, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him whom the Lord loveth. He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye be without chastening, ye are bastards and not sons. But the Lord dealeth with you as with sons. What son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? Blessed are the meek who are learning from the rod to humble themselves, to take the low place, to walk humbly with their God. Seek it. Seek to know it. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the meek. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. He resisteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble. The meek and lowly he will guide. He will guide them in judgment, just, all way, to meek and poor afflicted ones. He’ll clearly teach his way.
Meekness Toward Men
Well, this meekness is not only in relation to God then. It is a meekness to which they are called in their relations to their fellow men. And we might well say that that will be the proof. It will be the fruit and evidence and proof and mark of meekness toward God. The test of it. If a man say he love God and hate his brother, he’s a liar. How can he love God whom he has not seen when he hates his brother whom he has seen? The logic of that is to be applied to the whole law and all the precepts of it. And the royal law of God to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind. That’s the first and the great commandment, but the second is like unto it. The second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. And the relation between them two is a sacred one. It’s an inviolable connection. They cannot be separated. What God hath joined that no man put asunder. The royal law is fulfilled in this love. To love our neighbor as ourselves. There’s the test. There’s the proof and evidence that a man loves God. And away with the religion. Away with it from the earth. That tramples upon that connection. He that ruleth his spirit is better than the mighty. The Bible tells us that is the principle that is here. The meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price. It is that a restraint upon sinful anger and wrath. See thou forsake it also and not to fret in any wise to evil.
The Contrary Vice: Anger and Pride
Well we have a very very solemn reference to the sin of anger which is the opposite of meekness in relation to men. It’s the proud wrath. Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth with proud wrath. And it’s a described for us and later on in this sermon. Not without reason. You may wonder well what it is that the Savior is bringing to mind and bringing to our minds. It is we might say the great prevalent sin of mankind from the beginning. The first great outbreaking of enormity enormity and sin was the sin of Cain who was off that wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous. That’s enough to set the fire of hell aflame in the heart of man in a way of sinful wrath and anger and hatefulness. And that’s the way of Cain. Men go in the way of Cain and the Savior is warning of it. The Savior is exposing it. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever shall say to his brother Raka that is a language of contempt a despising and a contemptuous dismissal and disregarding and sneering mockery of our brother in our language in our words in our gestures whosoever shall say to his brother Raka shall be in danger of the council but whosoever shall say thou fool or thou reprobate as the word means as it were cutting them off from the society and excommunicating them in our hearts putting them away as though they deserve not even our company that’s the spirit the spirit of pride the spirit of malice and hatefulness and the Savior is identifying the spirituality of the law that’s what he’s bringing to light in this whole sermon he’s recovering he’s bringing as it were back to prominence he’s teaching the people he say he’s as it were removing the abuses of the law by bringing to view into view its spirituality it’s taking to do with our affections our thoughts our motives our principles our what is within the inner man what we’re hiding from our fellow creature what God sees the deceitful subtlety of the heart desperate wickedness within the Lord sees it he searches the heart he tries the reins and it’s this it’s this root that is here being exposed he’s saying blessed are the meek and here is the opposite the contrary vice and it’s prominent and found widely among men and so it is a warning a most solemn one and we are to agree with our adversity quickly whilst we are in the way with him lest we be delivered to the judge and the judge to the officer and we be cast into prison the Savior’s language is plain that is the way to hell it’s the way to eternal ruin to go in the way of our own corrupt wicked hearts and if we’re left to ourselves that’s where our sins will take us in our relations one with another hateful and hating one another ah but after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared there is this glorious transformation blessed are the meek a grace of the Holy Spirit and that is a set in contrast then the two beside each other the two set in contrast with one another.
Natural vs. Grace-Based Meekness
We might well ask what is this grace in relation to men what is it what is meekness well there is a natural what men might call a natural meekness of disposition and temperament that’s not what it is that’s different from the grace of meekness we are not to confuse and confound the two and the Bible keeps a clear line between the two a natural temperament may be may be even physical a man’s disposition and temperament may be of a gentle and a apparently outwardly meek manner even his physical emotional disposition might be like that and he’ll be like that in relation to everything no matter what comes his way by nature that’s the way he’ll conduct himself in his relations with others other men are have an infirmity of hot temperedness hasty temperament and it’s a natural frailty and of body even of emotion yes it requires to be subdued and grace will subdue it to some degree we might say but there’s a natural meekness then and we are not to be thinking that that’s what the Savior is here describing no we might think too that there’s a rational kind of meekness we can control our passions by the use of our reason some men have a greater power to do that the philosophers of the ancient times and even men of outward morality now and still have that power of reason to govern their lives and to govern their passions and those who do not have that power of reasoning and rationality can maybe come across as being more passionate and more loose in their temperament again that’s not what the Savior is talking about the grace of meekness is something above that and beyond that it’s higher than that it’s on a higher plane it’s in a higher sphere it’s a heavenly grace it’s a consistent with the holiness and righteousness and purity of the law of God and one of the features of the meek who are brought before us in the Bible Moses the great example of it in Numbers chapter 12 you know he’s told we’re told that he was the meekest man that was living that lived the meekest of all men and here it was when his own honor was at stake he was willing to be in the dust he did not rise up in anger against those who took to do with him on a personal level as Miriam and Aaron did accusing him slandering him indeed and rising up against him when it came to his own personal honor he was a meek man a gentle humble but when it came to the honor of God the holy law of God this meekness of Moses was not inconsistent with a fiery zeal that burned hot the anger of Moses rose in defense of the God against whom Israel was provoking in their sin and so this meekness the grace of meekness the grace of meekness is most consistent with all the holy graces of the people of God all the pure affections all the love of righteousness and love of holiness and the zeal for the honor of God that’s what will mark it it will be distinguishing between the honor of God and the honor of men and man’s honor can be in the dust but for God’s honor they will not allow it to be trampled upon and that’s the meekness and gentleness of Christ too ah he is the meek and lowly one he is the meek and the gentle the lamb the dove the holy pure perfect life of godly conformity but ah you see him the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up that’s the holy purity of Christ’s humanity which is described in the bible and he is the blessed he is the blessed man he is the he is fairer than the children of men and grace is poured into his lips and God hath blessed him forevermore he is the glorious meek example of meekness learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart but I oh thou that art the mighty one thy sword geared on thy thigh the same one who is meek and lowly is the one who is going forth conquering and to conquer and zeal and revenge doing vengeance upon his enemies slaying his foes you see then something of this grace this grace not easily provoked not easily provoked that’s what the bible how the bible speaks of it we have a very beautiful picture of it in the epistle to the heathens I therefore the prisoner of the lord beseech you that he walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you’re called with all lowliness and meekness and long suffering forbearing one another endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and again neither give place be I be angry and sin not let not the sun go down upon your wrath neither give place to the devil let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers and grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby you’re sealed unto the day of redemption let all bitterness bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
The Connection Between Meekness Toward God and Men
Well we leave it there as far as the the blessed meekness you can see it it’s there in the bible from genesis to revelation it’s a beautiful grace that adorns the people of God tried they are provoked they are but they brought into this exercise because God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you that’s sweet and precious there’s the argument there’s the the glorious connection that was the third thing we were going to mention the connection between the meekness toward God and the meekness toward men blessed a blessed union and connection a relation between these two we might say that one grace in the expression offered toward God and men love to God and love to our neighbor love to God with all the heart and soul and strength and mind a new conformity a new relation to the law under the yoke with Christ in the covenant of grace and what does it do it produces this love to our neighbor it subdues men to the law the rest for your soul in Christ the forgiveness of sin and the the grace of the covenant and the grace of salvation that visits such a soul to make them willing in a day of God’s power to come to him and brings them under the yoke with Christ subdues them to his law the law is now written upon their heart they are now under law to Christ not without law to God but under law to Christ they have a new relation to the law and it’s the relation of love and the will is subdued gospel submission in the will some of you will be familiar with Lachlan Mackenzie’s the happy man born in the city of regeneration in the parish of repentance unto life and you can follow it through but here’s one of them gospel submission in his will gospel submission this willful this lord will be will this will which reigned in a way of disobedience and rebellion and disinclination and resistance and haughty pride and scorn and anger and wrath and malice and bitterness now subdued to humility meekness of wisdom meekness and lowliness and wise in the relations there we have to our fellow fellow creatures well if any man be in Christ he is a new creature and old things have passed away and all things have become new and all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ that’s the glorious fruit that will be produced they are conformed to the image of Christ and they are becoming like him and the more that they are living in this world the more they should be coming become like him they should be looking more like him and we’ve seen them and they were very beautiful in their lives and we miss them greatly the old saints of God taken out of time into eternity and they were Christians indeed they were lovely and pleasant in their lives they walked in communion with God and they looked like Christ they had the smell of Christ’s savor upon them they walked in communion with God and they were like him and that’s what the connection therefore will be a new creation a new spirit a new heart mark the man whose temperament is unchanged whatever his head knowledge whatever his religiosity whatever his zeal for the externals of religion may be may be the man whose temperament toward his fellow has not changed is surely one in whom a new work a new creation is yet to take place if any man be in Christ he is a new creature yes the old man corrupt according to the deceitful lusts wars and his members but that’s his that’s his bondage that’s his grief that’s his sorrow the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made him free from that law of sin and death he’s a he’s a new creature the good that he would he does not but the and the evil that he would not he does but if I do that which I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me and he consents to the law that it is good and he the spirit lusts against the flesh as well as the flesh lusting against the spirit and they’re contrary the one to the other they cannot do the things that they would but they they are deciding they’re pressing they’re deciding and longing and seeking after conformity to that holy will and law of God come unto me and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest you shall find rest in taking my yoke you shall find rest for your souls comfort in this world for your souls in the walk of holiness in the paths of obedience in the paths of righteousness which he makes you to walk in when he restores your soul for his name’s sake and though you walk through provocations and troubles and trials and difficulties and meet with obstacles and the difficulty of living in a world of sinful men and with one another and sinful the in a sinful world a fallen world yea though I walk in death’s dark veil yet will I fear none ill for thou art with me and thy rod and staff me comfort still thy rod and staff me comfort still to meek and poor afflicted ones he’ll clearly teach his way the whole paths of the Lord our God are truth and mercy sure to such as keep his covenant and testimonies pure.
The Blessed Inheritance: Abundance of Peace
Well blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth we mentioned it already but they inherit the earth in this that they have what they are what they have of this world in Christ and from him by an inheritance purchased possession all that they have they have the peace of God which passes all understanding keeping their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus they inherit the earth in that sense they possess it in a way that the world can’t they’re content with such things as they have but he has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that they may boldly say the Lord is my helper I will not fear what man shall do unto me and so they can live in this world in peace and quiet none making them afraid they inherit the earth in that sense they have it in Christ as their portion the lot of their inheritance choose out for us shall he and whatever he gives them they have it from him he supplies all their need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus they have nothing comparatively to others yet they possess all things what they have they have in Christ and her right others have for a little time of the good things of God’s providence as one has put it it’s like prison fare the world possesses all its wealth and riches and yet they’re in a prison it’s like the master of the prison feeding prisoners until the day of execution that’s a fearful this awakening discovery for a man of the world to make that’s all he has who only in this present life their part and portion have mark thou the perfect behold the man of uprightness because that surely of this man the latter end is peace those men that transgressors are shall be destroyed together the latter end of wicked men shall be cut off forever the salvation of the just is from the Lord above the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace here in this life that’s their blessedness peace keeping their heart as a guardian as a century they would not be upset disturbed they would not fret because of evil doers and they shall have an abundance of peace in the world to come.
Speaker: Rev David Campbell
Congregation Santa Fe
Text: Matthew 5:5
Date: 5 June 2025
Series: Texas Communion June 2025