by William Beveridge
THE most glorious Sight questionless that was ever to be seen upon the face of the Earth, was to see the Son of God here, to see the supreme Being and Governour of the World here; to see the Creator of all things conversing here with his own Creatures; to see God himself with the nature, and in the shape of Man; walking about upon the surface of the Earth, and discoursing with silly Mortals here; and that with so much Majesty and Humility mixed together, that every expression might seem a demonstration that he was both God and Man. It is true, we were not so happy as to see this blessed Sight; howsoever, it is our Happiness that we have heard of it, and have it so exactly described to us, that we may as clearly apprehend it as if we had seen it: Yea, our Saviour himself hath pronounced those in a peculiar manner blessed, who have not seen, and yet have believed, (John 20:29.) that is, who never saw Christ in the Manger, nor in the Temple, who never saw him prostrate before his Father in the Garden, nor fastned by Men unto his Cross; who never saw him preaching the Gospel, nor working Miracles to confirm it; who never saw him before his Passion, nor after his Resurrection, and yet do as firmly believe whatsoever is recorded of him, as if they had seen it with their Eyes.
Such Persons our blessed Saviour himself asserts to be truly blessed, as having such a Faith as is the Substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Hebrews 11:1.
HENCE therefore, although we lived not in our Saviour's time, and therefore saw him not do as never Man did, nor heard him speak as never Man spake, we may notwithstanding be as blessed, or rather more blessed than they that did. If we do but give credit to what is asserted of him, and receive and believe what is represented to us in his holy Gospels, where by Faith we may still see him working Miracles, and hear him declaring his Will and Pleasure to his Disciples, as really as if we had then been by him. And therefore whatsoever we read in the Gospel that he spake, we are to hearken as diligently to it; as if we heard him speak it with our own Ears, and be as careful in the performance of it, as if we had received it from his own Mouth: for so we do, though not immediately, yet by the infallible Pen of them that did so. And seeing he never spake in vain, or to no purpose, nor sufferedan idle or superfluous word to proceed out of his sacred and divine Mouth; whatsoever he asserted, we are to look upon as necessary to be believed, because he asserted it. And whatsoever be commanded, we are to look upon as necessary to be observed, because he hath commanded it; for we must not think that his Assertions are so frivolous, or his Commands so impertinent, that it is no great matter whether we believe the one and obey the other or no: No, if we expect to be justified and saved by him, he expects to be believed and obeyed by us, without which he will not look upon us as his Disciples, nor by consequence as Christians, but Strangers and Actions to him, whatsoever our Professions and Pretences are.
Excerpt from "Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life" originally published - 1816
Meekness
by John R. Macduff
“I am meek and lowly in heart.”—Matt. xi. 29.
There is often a beautiful blending of majesty and humility, magnanimity and lowliness, in great minds. The mightiest and holiest of all Beings that ever trod our world was the meekest of all. The Ancient of Days was as the “infant of days.” He who had listened to nothing but angel-melodies from all eternity, found, while on earth, melody in the lispings of an infant’s voice, or in an outcast’s tears! No wonder an innocent lamb was His emblem, or that the annointing Spirit came down upon Him in the form of the gentle dove. He had the wealth of worlds at His feet. The hosts of heaven had only to be summoned as His retinue. But all the pageantry of the world, all its dreams of carnal glory, had, for Him, no fascination. The Tempter, from a mountain-summit, showed Him a wide scene of “splendid misery;” but He spurned alike the thought and the adversary away! John and James would call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village; He rebukes the vengeful suggestion! Peter, on the night of the betrayal, cuts off the ear of an assassin; the intended Victim, again, only challenges His disciple, and heals His enemy!
Arraigned before Pilate’s judgment-seat, how meekly He bears nameless wrongs and indignities! Suspended on the cross—the execrations of the multitude are rising around, but He hears as though He heard them not; they extract no angry look, no bitter word—“Behold the Lamb of God!” Need we wonder that “meekness” and “poverty of spirit” should stand foremost in His own cluster of beatitudes; that He should select this among all His other qualities for the peculiar study and imitation of His disciples, “Learn of Me, for I am meek;” or that an apostle should exhort “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ!”
How different the world’s maxims, and His! The world’s—“Resent the affront, vindicate honor!” His—“Overcome evil with good!” The world’s—“Only let it be when for your faults ye are buffeted that ye take it patiently.” His—“When ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” (1 Pet. ii. 20.)
Reader! strive to obtain, like your adorable Lord, this “ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which, in the sight of God, is of great price.” Be “clothed” with gentleness and humility. Follow not the world’s fleeting shadows that mock you as you grasp them. If always aspiring—ever soaring on the wing—you are likely to become discontented, proud, selfish, time-serving. In whatever position of life God has placed you, be satisfied. What! ambitious to be on a pinnacle of the temple—a higher place in the Church, or in the world?—Satan might hurl you down! “Be not high-minded, but fear.” And with respect to others, honor their gifts, contemplate their excellences only to imitate them. Speak kindly, act gently, “condescend to men of low estate.”
Be assured, no happiness is equal to that enjoyed by the “meek Christian.” He has within him a perpetual inner sunshine, a perennial well-spring of peace. Never ruffled and fretted by real or imagined injuries, he puts the best construction on motives and actions, and by a gentle answer to unmerited reproach often disarms wrath.
Excerpt from "The Mind of Jesus"
“I am meek and lowly in heart.”—Matt. xi. 29.
There is often a beautiful blending of majesty and humility, magnanimity and lowliness, in great minds. The mightiest and holiest of all Beings that ever trod our world was the meekest of all. The Ancient of Days was as the “infant of days.” He who had listened to nothing but angel-melodies from all eternity, found, while on earth, melody in the lispings of an infant’s voice, or in an outcast’s tears! No wonder an innocent lamb was His emblem, or that the annointing Spirit came down upon Him in the form of the gentle dove. He had the wealth of worlds at His feet. The hosts of heaven had only to be summoned as His retinue. But all the pageantry of the world, all its dreams of carnal glory, had, for Him, no fascination. The Tempter, from a mountain-summit, showed Him a wide scene of “splendid misery;” but He spurned alike the thought and the adversary away! John and James would call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village; He rebukes the vengeful suggestion! Peter, on the night of the betrayal, cuts off the ear of an assassin; the intended Victim, again, only challenges His disciple, and heals His enemy!
Arraigned before Pilate’s judgment-seat, how meekly He bears nameless wrongs and indignities! Suspended on the cross—the execrations of the multitude are rising around, but He hears as though He heard them not; they extract no angry look, no bitter word—“Behold the Lamb of God!” Need we wonder that “meekness” and “poverty of spirit” should stand foremost in His own cluster of beatitudes; that He should select this among all His other qualities for the peculiar study and imitation of His disciples, “Learn of Me, for I am meek;” or that an apostle should exhort “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ!”
How different the world’s maxims, and His! The world’s—“Resent the affront, vindicate honor!” His—“Overcome evil with good!” The world’s—“Only let it be when for your faults ye are buffeted that ye take it patiently.” His—“When ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” (1 Pet. ii. 20.)
Reader! strive to obtain, like your adorable Lord, this “ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which, in the sight of God, is of great price.” Be “clothed” with gentleness and humility. Follow not the world’s fleeting shadows that mock you as you grasp them. If always aspiring—ever soaring on the wing—you are likely to become discontented, proud, selfish, time-serving. In whatever position of life God has placed you, be satisfied. What! ambitious to be on a pinnacle of the temple—a higher place in the Church, or in the world?—Satan might hurl you down! “Be not high-minded, but fear.” And with respect to others, honor their gifts, contemplate their excellences only to imitate them. Speak kindly, act gently, “condescend to men of low estate.”
Be assured, no happiness is equal to that enjoyed by the “meek Christian.” He has within him a perpetual inner sunshine, a perennial well-spring of peace. Never ruffled and fretted by real or imagined injuries, he puts the best construction on motives and actions, and by a gentle answer to unmerited reproach often disarms wrath.
Excerpt from "The Mind of Jesus"
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