464 / 808
Ephefianj,
Chap.
4.
V
s
R.
_.
againft
thole which
[hall offer
them:
fo
is
the behaviour
and
difpofi_
tion
of
meek fpirits
toward the Lord
,
to
fubmit
themfelvesto
his
word,
yoake and
judgements
in
all quietneffe
of
mind
,
againft which
the wrath
and
ftomach
of
carnali and unmeekned fpirits doth
arife
and rebel!.
Next
it
appeares alfotowards men
in
three things.
1.
It
keeps us
from
feeking
revenge
and requiting
evil(
for
evil.
Thou
fhah
not
avenge,
Levit.
59.
r
8. and refill
not
evil!,
oftatth.
i.
39.
Not revenging
your
[elves,
but
give,
place
to
anger,
Rom.
t
2. 19.
T
his
was
the
in eekneffe
of
our Saviour
Chrift,
who
being
reviled, did
not re-
vile
againe,
and[offering
much wrong
did
not
fo
much
,ts
threaten. Clean
contrary
to
that furious Lamed',
Gen.
4.
23.
who
did
threaten that
if
.
any man wronged
him,
he would cut and
flafh
and make him
dearly
to
abide it.
z.
It
makes us
placable
and
ready to forgivewrongs
forgiving
one
another,
as it
followeth
verle 32.
There
may bee a ceafing from
re-
venge where there
is
not
a
forgiving
of
wrong, but
force
bitter
mind-
fulneffe
of
it.
MeeknefTe
therefore
doth
not onely
call
us
off from
re-
venge,
but move
us
alto to forgive. And therefore
Chrift
doth
ad-
monifh
his
difciples
to
forgive their
enemies,
and
that oft,
even unto
7o.
times 7.
times.
But
without breach
of
meekneffe we may
Peek
a-
mends
by
due courfe
ofjuftice,
fo
it
be without malice
againft
the per
-
fon, and defire
of
revenge
for
fuch
dammage
as in our names
or
eftate
hath been done unto
us.
Of
which more
diftin&ly hereafter.
3.
Laftly,
meekneffe
will for
peace-fake
part with
much
of
its
right, and
will
be content to redeem
peace and quietneffe with
yield-
ing farce, fo it
be not
too too
much
to
his
dammage
and
hurt
in
frate
and name,
and
be notagainft
his
juft
liberty
in
Chrift, to
bring
him
in
bondage unto men.
How
much
dothmceknefTe make Abraham which
was
the elder and greater perfon by ods
give
way to
Lot,
when
hee
gives
him the choyce of the way, for
peace_
fake and hee would
take
what
Lot
fhould leaves
Which
meekneffe
was
likewife
in
Paul, who
could fay,that
the
Galatians had
done him no
wrong
,
in
much ma-
nifeft
wrong
of
fighting
him and preferring
falfe Apoffles before
him.
But
by
the way take thefe Cautions.
r.
That
meekneffe
doth
not
fo
blind
us,or
make
us fo
lupine,
as
net
to
fearch into the
caufes
and
reafons
of
things, without knowledge
of
which
no vertue
can
aright
cxercife its
office
or
keep
the right ftroake.
As a good
Mufitian
ought
to
know
when he
muff
ftrike
the
firing
of
lower
found , when
of
an
higher:
fo a
wife
Chriftian
muff
know where
is
place for
meekneffe,
where forzeale and
holy
anger, which cannot be done
unlefle he
let
himfelfe to know and weigh
the
caufes
and
circumftances
of
things.
z.
Nor
doth it
make
a man fo
ready
to
yield
or
beare in matters
of
Gods glory
as in
his
owne tthings.
To
yield
of
Gods right
to
keep
peace
with men,is cowardly treachery
:
And
not
to
be furred
in
Gods
caufe, and
at
his
difhonour,is
not the
part
of
a
meek,but
of
a
dull, cold
and