On the Third Beatitude

450. What is the Lord's third precept for blessedness? They who would be blessed must be meek. 451. What is meekness? A quiet disposition of spirit, joined with care neither to offend any man, nor be offended at any thing one's self. 452. What are the special effects of Christian meekness? These: that we never murmur against God, nor even against men, when any thing falls out against our wishes, nor give way to anger, nor set ourselves up. 453. What is promised by the Lord to the meek? That they shall inherit the earth. 454. How are we to understand this promise? As regards Christ's followers generally it is a prediction which has been literally fulfilled; for the ever-meek Christians, instead of being destroyed by the fury of the heathen, have inherited the universe which the heathen formerly possessed. But the further sense of this promise, as regards Christians both generally and individually, is this, that they shall receive an inheritance, as the Psalmist says, in the land of the living; that is, where men live and never die; in other words, that they shall receive everlasting blessedness. See Psalm xxvii. 13.