Verse 5. Blessed are the meek.]
Meeknesse is the fruit 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mourning for sinne: and is therefore fitly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 next after it. He that can kindely melt in Gods presence, will be made thereby as* 1.1 meek as a lamb: and if God will forgive him his ten thousand 〈◊〉〈◊〉, he will not think much to forgive his brother a few far∣things. Hence the wisdome from above is, first, pure, and then peaceable, gentle, easie to be entreated, &c. Jam. 3. 17. And love is said to proceed out of a pure heart, a good conscience and* 1.2 〈◊〉〈◊〉 unfeigned. And when our Saviour told his Disciples 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.3 must forgive till seventy times seven times, Lord, encrease 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.4 faith, said they, Give us such a measure of godly mourning, as that we may be bold to believe that thou hast freely forgiven us, and we shall soon forgive our enemies. David was never 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ri∣gid, as when he had sinned by adultery and murther; and not yet mourned in good earnest. for his sinne. He put the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 under saws and harrows of iron, and caused them to passe thorow the brick-kilne, &c. which was a strange execution, and fell out, whiles he lay yet in his sinne. Afterward we finde him in a better frame, and more meekned and mollified in his dealings with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and others, when he had soundly soaked himself in godly sor∣row. True it is, that he was then under the rod; and that's a main means to make men meek. The Hebrew words that signifie 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.5 and meek, grow both upon the same root, and are of so great* 1.6 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that they are sometimes by the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rendered the