Page images
PDF
EPUB

"Blessed are the meek for they shall in"herit the earth," saith our Lord; and, my brethren, the meek do inherit all that is valuable upon earth-they inherit peace and unruffled happiness. They inherit moreover the friendship of all the good, which is more precious than the goods that perish. Nor is this all. The meek inherit the blessings of all men; for they are faithful and just friends, are enemies to none, encroach not upon the possessions of the rich, and are the constant friends and advisers of the poor. The just love them, the unjust respect them, and their greetings are universal, cordial and harmonious. Does a strife arise among their neighbours, their character of uprightness and holiness causes them to be appealed to as umpires in the dispute. With their judgment all are satisfied because all believe it to be founded upon justice and morality.

Free from the common enemies of man, the angry passions, revenge, envy, hatred, pride and ambition, the meek do also obtain and secure the goods of the world by seeking them in moderation, and by using them with prudence. How often does the passionate man mar his prospects by giving himself up to the

empire of his appetites! How often does he lose his acquired riches and honours by grasp ing with an avaricious and arrogant hand at unlawful possessions. But the meek are governed by a more happy spirit. They seek the blessings of this life with a temperate zeal, and surrounded by friends and assistants their efforts are never unavailing; not over-anxious to gather all into themselves, they interfere not with the concerns of others. They engage not in vain contention, nor do they raise up enemies to thwart them in their honest endeavours to obtain a competency for their families. Nor does any vanity, or pride, or ambition induce them to engage in schemes of aggrandizement so as to expose to peril the earnings of their earlier days. Humble and content in Jesus, full of gratitude to God, they use their gifts as not abusing them, and satisfied with their lot, they give praises to heaven for all they possess. Thus, my brethren, is it that the meek inherit the earth.

III. Finally, great is the reward of the meek man with respect to God; meekness includes the very essence of humility, is the groundwork of charity, and is inseparable from holiness. How much then must this

virtue be estimated in the eyes of God! The humble shall be exalted; the charitable shall be paid many fold in heaven for what they dispense on earth; and the holy are those who alone shall see God. It becomes us then to cultivate this character as we regard the salvation of our immortal spirits, and we shall not cultivate it in vain. By assimilating ourselves to Jesus, our perfect model, we shall approach the true perfection of the godhead, and shall advance the holy work of heaven here upon earth. Jesus was humble and meek; God loveth the image of his son and will not destroy it. He delighteth in the lowly mind and regardeth it as his representative here on earth, for it advanceth his glory and the happiness of his creatures. What honour so great, my brethren, as to do God's will on earth; to act the part of his faithful servant, and to feel that his spirit shed abroad in our souls assures us of his approbation! All the pomp and glory of this world sink into nothing when contrasted with such transcendant honours. The approbation and countenance of God! What a sublime and immortal feeling does the thought excite in the breast of the Christian! He pants for it; he reaches on to

wards it; he glories in dying for it. Omnipotent and eternal in the heavens, the Father commands us to yield a ready obedience to his will. Shall we not obey him who made this vast universe, and called all creatures into existence out of nothing. The stubborn pride of sin, however, makes man forget his duty to his Maker. It is the Christian virtue of meekness which can truly estimate the weakness of man and the glory of the King of kings. Humble in the flesh, the spirit of the meek man raises itself with awful reverence to the heavenly throne, and says "thy will be done " on earth as it is in heaven :" the radiance of the God-head illumines his soul, and full of holy aspirations he seeks not but to do the wish of him who ruleth all things.

The meek and humble spirit is cherished by God on earth, and it shall be advanced to great glory in the heavens. The proud, the disdainful, and the vindictive, God rejecteth, for they disturb the harmony of his creation the contrite he delighteth to honour. When the hour of the world's death shall come the glories of this life shall be wrapped in gloomy night, but the humblest Christian virtue shall be fixed in eternal happiness in the heavens.

[blocks in formation]

My

brethren, let us pray to God to give us meek and lowly spirits, the dispositions of humility, that we may render ourselves worthy to join in the praises of the Lamb.

« PreviousContinue »