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John Wesley


SERMON 22


[text of the 1872 edition]


Upon our Lord's Sermon on the Mount


Discourse 2

"Blessed are the meek: For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: For they
shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: For they shall obtain
mercy." Matt. 5:5-7

I. 1. When "the winter is past," when "the time of singing is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land;" when He that comforts
the mourners is now returned, "that he may abide with them for ever;
" when, at the brightness of his presence, the clouds disperse, the
dark clouds of doubt and uncertainty, the storms of fear flee away,
the waves of sorrow subside, and their spirit again rejoiceth in
God their Saviour; then is it that this word is eminently fulfilled;
then those whom he hath comforted can bear witness, "Blessed," or
happy, "are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth."

2. But who are "the meek?" Not those who grieve at nothing, because
they know nothing; who are not discomposed at the evils that occur,
because they discern not evil from good. Not those who are sheltered
from the shocks of life by a stupid insensibility; who have, either
by nature or art, the virtue of stocks and stones, and resent nothing,
because they feel nothing. Brute philosophers are wholly unconcerned
in this matter. Apathy is as far from meekness as from humanity.
So that one would not easily conceive how any Christians of the purer
ages, especially any of the Fathers of the Church, could confound
these, and mistake one of the foulest errors of Heathenism for a
branch of true Christianity.

3. Nor does Christian meekness imply, the being without zeal for
God, any more than it does ignorance or insensibility. No; it keeps
clear of every extreme, whether in excess or defect. It does not
destroy but balance the affections, which the God of nature never
designed should be rooted out by grace, but only brought and kept
under due regulations. It poises the mind aright. It holds an even
scale, with regard to anger, and sorrow, and fear; preserving the
mean in every circumstance of life, and not declining either to the
right hand or the left.

4. Meekness, therefore, seems properly to relate to ourselves[.]
But it may be referred either to God or our neighbour. When this
due composure of mind has reference to God, it is usually termed
resignation; a calm acquiescence in whatsoever is his will concerning
us, even though it may not be pleasing to nature; saying continually,
"It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good." When we consider
it more strictly with regard to ourselves, we style it patience or
contentedness. When it is exerted toward other men, then it is mildness
to the good, and gentleness to the evil.

5. They who are truly meek, can clearly discern what is evil; and
they can also suffer it. They are sensible of everything of this
kind, but still meekness holds the reins. They are exceeding "zealous
for the Lord of hosts;" but their zeal is always guided by knowledge,
and tempered, in every thought , and word, and work, with the love
of man, as well as the love of God. They do not desire to extinguish
any of the passions which God has for wise ends implanted in their
nature; but they have the mastery of all: They hold them all in subjection,
and employ them only in subservience to those ends. And thus even
the harsher and more unpleasing passions are applicable to the noblest
purposes; even hatred, and anger, and fear, when engaged against
sin, and regulated by faith and love, are as walls and bulwarks to
the soul, so that the wicked one cannot approach to hurt it.

6. It is evident, this divine temper is not only to abide but to
increase in us day by day. Occasions of exercising, and thereby increasing
it, will never be wanting while we remain upon earth. "We have need
of patience, that after we have done" and suffered "the will of God,
we may receive the promise." We have need of resignation, that we
may in all circumstances say, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt."
And we have need of "gentleness toward all men;" but especially toward
the evil and unthankful: Otherwise we shall be overcome of evil,
instead of overcoming evil with good.

7. Nor does meekness restrain only the outward act, as the Scribes
and Pharisees taught of old, and the miserable Teachers who are not
taught of God will not fail to do in all ages. Our Lord guards against
this, and shows the true extent of it, in the following words: "Ye
have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill;
and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment:" (Matt.
5:21, &c.:) "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, Raca, shall be in danger of the
council: But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of
hell-fire."

8. Our Lord here ranks under the head of murder, even that anger
which goes no farther than the heart; which does not show itself
by an outward unkindness, no, not so much as a passionate word. "Whosoever
is angry with his brother," with any man living, seeing we are all
brethren; whosoever feels any unkindness in his heart, any temper
contrary to love; whosoever is angry without a cause, without a sufficient
cause, or farther than that cause requires, "shall be in danger of
the judgment;" _enochos estai, shall, in that moment, be obnoxious
to the righteous judgment of God.

But would not one be inclined to prefer the reading of those copies
which omit the word _eikE_, without a cause? Is it not entirely superfluous?
For if anger at persons be a temper contrary to love, how can there
be a cause, a sufficient cause for it,--any that will justify it
in the sight of God?

Anger at sin we allow. In this sense we may be angry, and yet we
sin not. In this sense our Lord himself is once recorded to have
been angry: "He looked round about upon them with anger, being grieved
for the hardness of their hearts." He was grieved at the sinners,
and angry at the sin. And this is undoubtedly right before God.

9. "And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca;"--whosoever shall
give way to anger, so as to utter any contemptuous word. It is observed
by commentators, that Raca is a Syriac word, which properly signifies,
empty, vain, foolish; so that it is as inoffensive an expression
as can well be used, toward one at whom we are displeased. And yet,
whosoever shall use this, as our Lord assures us, "shall be in danger
of the council;" rather, shall be obnoxious thereto: He shall be
liable to a severer sentence from the Judge of all the earth.

"But whosoever shall say, Thou fool;"--whosoever shall so give
place to the devil, as to break out into reviling, into designedly
reproachful and contumelious language, "shall be obnoxious to hell-
fire;" shall, in that instant, be liable to the highest condemnation.
It should be observed, that our Lord describes all these as obnoxious
to capital punishment. The first, to strangling, usually inflicted
on those who were condemned in one of the inferior courts; the second,
to stoning, which was frequently inflicted on those who were condemned
by the great Council at Jerusalem; the third, to burning alive, inflicted
only on the highest offenders, in the "valley of the sons of Hinnom;
" _GE Hennon_, from which that word is evidently taken which we translate
"hell."

10. And whereas men naturally imagine, that God will excuse their
defect in some duties, for their exactness in others; our Lord next
takes care to cut off that vain, though common imagination. He shows,
that it is impossible for any sinner to commute with God; who will
not accept one duty for another, nor take a part of obedience for
the whole. He warns us, that the performing our duty to God will
not excuse us from our duty to our neighbour; that works of piety,
as they