Seim, I i, that they may be Acceptable untoGod? forgave a great debt; and of the fore revenge he executed on one of his fervants, becaufe he did nor in like manner forgive his fellow-fer- Mat.18.2.3. vants. In the OId Teoament it is commended to us under the phrafe of re- foringthe pledge. A pledge was a pawn left by a debtor with his credi- tor,for, affurance to repay the debt. Ref oring the pledge when the debt was not paid, was anevidence of remitting the debt. V. By Hofpitality, which conli(ieth not fo much in a loving enter- tainment of kindred, friends, and neighbours, as of orangers ; as the word in the Greek, importeth. 2Sa Ezek.i 8, 7. & 33IS Gen.38,17,18. ptAogsyí:c compounded of ¢e,H 8t eves. Ho italitáa c(t fjecies liberalitatisquperegrinos & heSlites ac prefertim, propter veræ Dollrinæprofeffloaetn exulantes, vera benevolentia, & alaquabsps officiis ho4italatatis pi.ofcquirnur, ürfin. Cat. eevt.ct f5-t ¢tAa- z17(,víoe,riécXpäcer ¡Prov. Cleinens,,Alexand. This is that hofpitality ; which is both commanded and commended to us in the holyScriptures. It is commanded in thofe known Precepts of the ApofileSt. Patel, Rem.i 2.1 3. Be given to Ho. itality, andbe not forgetful to entertainflrangers, Heb, i 3.2. Which is as much as to fay, Forget not Ho.itality, which is anentertaining of {bangers. And the Apollle St.Petercommands the faithful to whom he writes, toufe hofi. I PcC,49, tality withoutgrudging or repining. It is commended to us in the praelice of Gods people ; as of Abra- ham, of whom it is recorded, that he fate at his Tent door looking and Gem I8.1,3. waiting as it were for ( Irangers toentertain them ; and fo loon as he faw three men, whom he took for fuch, he ran to invite them. And of Lot, that as he fate in the gate of Sodom, hefaw two whom he concei- ved to be orangers, them he exceedingly preffed to turn into his houfe,tvhere Gen.i9.y. he made them afeafi. And of the Shunamite woman, and her husband, 4vho (hewed themfelves hofpitable to the Prophet Elifha, its oft ás he z, King.4.L paffedby their homfe. We have fobs teflimony of himfelf, Theflrarger, job 31.32. j laid he, did not lodge in the flreets, but 1 opened mydoor to the traveller ; which words fet our fobs great hofpitality, who kept open houle for all Paffengers. In thofedaies there was no common Inn for the entertain- ment of Strangers, and therefore they mutt have lyen out of doors, if fome good men had not entertained them. Having fuch and fo many prefidents of hofpitality, let us firive ro follow them, labouring to write after their Copy, knowing affuredly that our labour oflove andcoil therein (hall not be in vain. For I may truly fay, it is a fruitful, and gainfulcourseof liberality, never did any lofe
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