God sets the greatest value upon persons of a quiet spirit: 1 Peter 3:4.
Hath he taken away the delight of thine eyes? He might have taken
away the delight of thy soul. Art thou under outward wants? Thou
hast deserved to be under outward and inward together. Art thou
cast upon a sick bed? Thou hast deserved a bed in hell. Art thou
under that ache and that pain? Thou hast deserved to be under all
aches and pains at once. Hath God chastised thee with whips? Thou
hast deserved to be chastised with scorpions, 1 Kings 12:14. Art thou
fallen from the highest pinnacle of honour to be the scorn and
contempt of men? Thou hast deserved to be scorned and contemned
by God and angels. Art thou under a severe whipping? Thou hast
deserved an utter damning. Ah Christian! let but your eyes be fixed
upon your demerits, and your hands will be quickly upon your
mouths; whatever is less than a final separation from God, whatever
is less than hell, is mercy; and therefore you have cause to be silent
under the smartest dealings of God with you. But,
5. Fifthly, Consider, a quiet silent spirit is of great esteem with God.
God sets the greatest value upon persons of a quiet spirit: 1 Peter 3:4.
'But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in
the sight of God of great price.' A quiet spirit is a spark of the divine
nature, it is a ray, a beam of glory; it is a heaven-born spirit. No man
is born with a holy silence in his heart, as he is born with a tongue in
his mouth. This is a flower of paradise; it is a precious gem that God
makes very great reckoning of. A quiet spirit speaks a man most like
to God; it capacitates a man for communion with God; it renders a
man most serviceable to God; and it obliges a man to most accurate
walking with God. A meek and quiet spirit is an incorruptible
ornament, much more valuable than gold.
(1.) First, There is a mutual quietness, which proceeds from a good
temper and constitution of body.
(2.) Secondly, There is a moral quietness, which proceeds from good
education and breeding, which flows from good injunctions,
instructions, and examples.
(3.) Thirdly, There is an artificial quietness; some have an art to
imprison their passions, and to lay a law of restraint upon their anger
and wrath, when they are all in a flame within: as you may see in
Cain, Esau, Absalom, and Joab, who for a time cast a close cloak over
their malice, when their hearts were set on fire of hell. So Domitian
would seem to love them best, whom he willed least should live.
(4.) Fourthly, There is a gracious quietness, which is of the Spirit's
infusion, Gal 5:22–25. Now this quietness of spirit, this spiritual
frame of heart, is of great price in the sight of God. God values it
above the world, and therefore who would not covet it more than the
world, yea, more than life itself? Certainly the great God sets a great
price upon nothing but that which is of an invaluable price; what
stretching, struggling, and striving is there for those things that the
great ones of the earth do highly prize! Ah! what stretching of wits,
interests, and consciences is there this day, to gain and hold up that
which justice will cast down! how much better would it be, if all
persons would in good earnest struggle and strive, even as for life,