is " not to recompense evil for evil unto any man," but rather to " heap coals of fire on the head of his enemies," if by any means he may at last melt them into love : " instead of being overcome of evil, he strives with all his might to over- come evil with good'^." The rule to which he endeavours to conform, is that which is laid down by our blessed Lord ; (and who might so well require it of us, seeing that he himself exemplifies it so wonderfully towards all his people ?) it is that of forgiving, not once, or seven times merely, but seventy times seven ^ In this indeed he labours to resemble Christ himself, *' forbearing and forgiving others, even as Christ hath foro-iven him^" He does not, it is true, receive to his bosom a person who is so constantly offending ; nor is it necessary that he should, till the person himself be renewed in the spirit of his mind : but he will so far forgive, as to bear not the smallest ill-will towards him, but to be really glad of any opportunity to do him good.]
Such, though in different degrees, is the true Chris- tian. All do not attain the same eminence in these virtues ; hut all are distinguished for them in propor- tion to the grace they have received ; nor can any man bo accounted a true Christian, unless he have " the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price'."
If such a man is distinguished in the character he sustains, he is no less so in, II. The blessedness he enjoys —
The New Testament encourages us principally by a hope of spiritual blessings : yet it sometimes gives us reason to expect also such as are temporal". That the promise here given to the meek is temporal, appears from the passage in the Psalms, from whence it is quoted'' : and it is indeed fulfilled to every one that answers to the character in the text.
1. He has fewer occasions of disquietude than others —
[Others, in addition to the common calamities of life, create trouble to themselves by their ungoverned tempers. When all would be peaceable and tranquil, they by their " grievous words stir up anger>'." As, to a man in a fever,
'1 Rom. xii. 17 — 21. ^ Matt..xviii. 21,22. « Col. iii. 13. « 1 Pet. iii. 4. " 1 Tim. iv. 8. Matt, vi, 33.
■^ Ps. xxxvii. 11. y Prov. xv. 1.