SERMoNs of the Forgivenefs of S I 1\' s. Juflice and Gratitude that dblige reafonable Creatures to obey their Maker. Now ·rh; · Offc.nces and lJ.ljuries done ro us are mco~parably lcfs : For we arc mean Creatures fat lefs 111 CompanjOn to God, t~1an. a \Vorm IS to an An~cl ; and by our Si1~s .ar~ 'Viler 'than tbe £art/;. .Bclides, the Obhganon that fhould re11ram Men from being llljunous to us· arc of. infimrely a lower Nature. The Difpariry in the Number is very confiderabte' Our Sms ~gai?il: God are like the Sand upon the Sca-fhorc, t~1cir Number is afioniflling: ,Our Imagt_nat!OnS have been continually evil, from rh~ d:nvmng of ou: Rcafon: bur Of~ f~nccs ag:11nfi: us are comparatively few: for tl~e Vancry of ObjeCts m the World often ehvert the Thoughts and Pailions of our Encmtes from us. Wc owe to rhc Lord 10000 ~alenrs, a ~afl: Sum that can never be paid if it be ~l Ot forgiven, and fl1all ~vc be unwilling to forgtve a ~ew P:nce ? \;vbat is m_o:c ~ecomm_g than that we who want a great ~ardon, fhou!d gtve a httle one? The Dtvme Mercy ts propofed as a Model for our Imi - tation. We muH: pardon intirely, a_nd take no Revenge for Injuries done to us, bnr return Love for Hatr~d, Good for Evtl, for fo G?d does to us. We muft: not onlv forgive hut target Injuries 111 the Senfe of Love; not ltke thofC who p:trdon in \Vords, ·but retail; the Memory of Offences, and upon a flight Occafion renew their Refcnrmems. \\'t muft forgive great Offenc~s as well asfmall, and_ r~new our Pardon as often as Offences arc repeated, unlefS wew1llfet Bounds to rhc Dtvtne Mercy. \Ve mufl: rejoice more in pardoning than in revenging Injuries, and feek to be reconciled to thofe who are averfe fr~m us, for that is according to our Pattfr!l- 'Tis pretended, that by _bearing a flngle IqJury, we expofe our fe~ves_ to_ a do':b_lc Injury: but we mup: imit~t~ our heavenly Father : If we do not follow lum m forgtVmg, he Will follow us 111 retammg our Sills. Tile Pfalmifl tells us, With the Merciful Got! will jhew himfelf merciful, lut with the fro•ad be wtll jhew himfelf froward' A holy and righteous Punifl1ment in Retaliarwn of ti1C1t fmful DifpoC.rion. The pardoning Injuries is contrary to corrupt Nature, and the duty is difficult, but the Reward is infinite. Tho it feems to vilify us, as if defeCtive in our Minds, not to un. derll:and Injuries, or in Courage not to repay_ them) which makes Men hard ro forgive; }' et upon calm Conlideration we {hall eft:eem It ~ Duty cafy and honourable : ~or it pre· vents the inflaming our Paffions, and the rroubhng of our fclves and orhers : 'ns an Ad of Royalty, and makes us fuperiour to them: ' tis the noblcfl Victory) and often con· quers and changes an Enemy into a Friend. And above aH Motives this fhould recommend it to us, ir fcals our Pardon from God, and conveys the mofl: clear and comforrable Sence of it ro us : For, as the Pfalmifl excellently argues, He that planted th'e Ear, jhall be ~rot bear : He that formtd the Eye, fhall he not fee? If we are by Divine Grace indin'd and enabled to Pardon frequent Offences againflus, fhallnot the God of all Grace be ready to pardon our many Offences againfl him ? Our Saviour reafons from the Love of ~::~Jr~o;:p,;,~~~/(l:~::t:/~~:~v:n:he 7:ot~s~~;:t~:01,J~:~~J:::~o:;?C~~~r~~la::~: is as !l:rong in forgiving Love. If we who are of an un forgivi ng Nature fincerely forgive thofe who injure ns, and reil_orc them to our Favour, how much more fhall God who is Love) forgive our Sins, and be reconciled to us? 4· The Divine forgivenefs lhould be a powerful Motive to Thankfulnefs. David Pfil t oJ. r,~. add.rc!Tes to his Soul in an ardent and lively manner; Blefs the Lortl) 0 my Soul, and all that is within me blefl his f!oly Name. He excites every Faculty, the Under~anding to confider and value the Merctes of God, the Memory to regifier them, and retatn a thankful Senfc of them, the Affections to celebrate them. He repeats the Call, Bleji tbe Lortl, 0 my Soul, _and forget not all his Bene.f.ts. We are apt to. forget Favours, _and remember Provocations. Benefits are written m the Duft:, Injunes arc engraven mMarble. But ll:rong Affections will make indelible Impreflions of Thankfulncts. If we duly confider the Greatnefs and Goodnefs of God, and our Meannefs and Unworthinefs, that we art !efs tJJan the leafl of his Mercies, we mufl be convinc'd every Benefit we receive from God deferves to be remembred and acknowleged with ferious Thankfulnefs. That God draws a Curtain of Reil about us in rhe Night, provides for us in rhe Day, regards us with a compatlionarc Eye, and relieves us in ~ur Wants and Sorrows, fl1ould caufe fi.tch deep Affections as Row into outward Declarations of Praife. , 'Tis true, our mo:fl folemn Recognition of his Benefits is but a poor Duty ~ompard 1 with his inimenfe Bounty to us: our Thankfgiving is an Echo to God's .Merctcs, thar repeats a few Syllables: what can our fading Breath add ro his B!elfedneE and Glory, that are in the highcfr degree of Pe:fcChon, and truly mlimte _? But tts tnofl rc_afonabtc, that as all our Bleffings flow from Ius Mercy, they lhould fallmto the Sea of Ius Glory: and when our Souls blefs him, he accepts our Sincerity, and does nor deiinfc our Than-kfgtv~ l:1gs for want of perfeCtion, In
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