HoJV to forbear and forgiue. Ag:~inft IJ\.ewn~e. CHAP. IX. seerom., rh. 'DireiJ:ions for the {orgil!ing of Enemies and thoj'e that injure m, Againft Wrath, •g,.,u ,\ng«. ami Malice, and Revenge, and Per[ecution. DirclJ.J. Direl1.2• Direl/. 3· Direl/·4· Dircl/. S· Dirdl. 6. Confid. I· §. 1. IT is nCJt only actual ft-ft,rdcr wl~ich is forbidden in ~h~ fi_xrh Commandment,bat ~lfo a11 inordi– nate TVratb, ..nd M,zlice and dchres of Revengt,and lOJurmg the ptrfon of our ne1ghhour or our eneml :For fo the Prophet and Judge of the Churchhath himfelf expounded it,Mat·5·ZI,z 2 • Ailgtr harh a hurting incltnation, and !rlalice is a hxed Anger; and Revmge is the fruir of both or ei1htr of them. He rhar will be free from i11jurious a{lions, mull fubduc that wrath andm 3lict which is.1hc:ir cauft'. Heart-murders and injuries mull be carefully rooted up; For out of the Hc4rt proceed evil thouf}ll a11d murders, &c. M{mb. 15. 19· This is the fire ofHc?!J on which an evil tongue is fer, 1amu 3· 6. and rhis mull be qumch~·d if you would be innocent. 9· 2. DireCf. J, Su G1d i1J your neighbour, and Love bim for that of God which i1 Hpon him. If he be Holy, he hath the Moral lm.1ge ofGod. If he be zmholy, he hath his Natur.Jl Image a5 he is a man. H' is not only God! Crt~Jillre, bur h1s Reafon.;b/e Creat~tre, and the Lord of his inferiour works: And art thou a child ofGod, and yet canU nor fie him, and love him in his works ? Without God he is nothing, whom thou art fa much otfendfd wirh : And though there be fomewhat in him whic;h is not of God, which may defcrve thy hatred, yet that is not his fub(lance or perfon: Hate nor, or wrong nor thar which is of God. It would rai[e in you fuch a reverence, as would atrwage your wnth, if you could but Ice God in him that you are dilplcafed with. 9· 3· Direct. 2· 1o tbil end obfer;;e more the Good which if in your migftbour, tha11 the evil. MJlice overlookerh all that is good and ami.;ble, and can fee n01hing bur that which is badand detejlab/t: It hearkem:th more to them that difpraife and opm the faults of others, than to thofe that praifo rhcm and declare their virtues: Not that Good and Evil mull be confounded: · But the Gaod as well as the Evil mull be acknowledged. We have more ufe our felves for the obfervarion of their virrues than of their faults: and it is more our duty: And were ir never fa little good that is in them, the right ob~ ferving of it, at leafi would much diminifu your diflike. 9· 4• DireCt. 3· Learn but to Love yo~tr neighbour aJ yaur {tlf, and tbi1 wiO mak,.e it tafie to you bo1h '" forbear him and forgive him. With your folf you are not apt to be fa angry. Agai.n11 yfJur }cif you b::ar no m.~tice, nor ddirc: no revenge that fhall do you hurr. As you are aJigry wirh your (df pLnitendy for the faulcs you have committed, bur not fo as to ddire your own defirudi· on, or fimll hurt ; but with fuch a difpleafuJc as tcndeth to your recovery; fa alfo mull you do by others. Direct. 4· To tbi1 .end be fi~re to mortifie your Jelfiftmefs. For it is the inordin:ue refpeCl: that men have to thcmfelvts, which rnakt•rh them aggravare the f:tults of all tlut arc againfi rhem, or offend them. Bt bumble and fe!fdenying and you will think your [elves fo mean and inconfide~ rable, that no f,wlt can bt.: very great, nor deferve much di[plcafurc, meerly as it is againll you. A proud fdfdteeming m:.tn is eatily provoked and hardly reconciled without great fubmiJfion; becaufc he thinkuh fo highly of himfdf, that he thinketh hcinoufly of all that is faid or done againfi him; and he is fo over·dear to himfdf, that he is impariem with his adverfar)'· §. ')• DireCt. 5· Be not _your own Judge in cafes of {etled nulice or reven;.c ; but let fume imp:Jrti;l foher hy·ftander he the Judge. For a ftltifh, patlionate, oii\empered mind , is very unlikely to judge aright. And moll men have fa much of thefc difeafes, that they arc very unfit to be Judges in their own cafe. Ask tirtl feme wife impartial man, whether it be:: ben for thee to be m<llitioul and revcngrf.tl ag.~infi fuch a one that thou thinkefi hath greatly wronged thee, or rather to love him and torgive him. 9· 6. Direct. 6. Tak.,.e time to deliberate upon _the matter , a~d do nothin~ rajhly in the heat of p:1ffion agcinjt another. Wrath and Malice will vanifh , if you brmg the matter inro the lighr, and .ulo-hut rholcdf:Ciual Confiderations whic.h will fhew .their .finfulmfs and fh•mc; I (hall therefore next here fc:t down fame fuch Confideracions, as are mofi powerful to fupprcfs rhem. 9· 7· Confid. r. Remember firfi, That whoever bath offwded yo#, hatb offended God by greater iiJ· jurifl, and if God forgive him the greater, whyjhou/d 111ot yo~tforgive tht Jrji l The fame: fault whic;h he did againH you, is.~. greater crime asagaintt God, than as againfi you ! And many a hundred more hath he commiw.d : Irs a fmall matter to difpleafe fuch a Worm as man, in compuifon of the difpleating of Almighty God And lhould not his c;hildren imitate their Heavenly F..1thcr! Oath he remn th~.: pains of Hell, and canner you forBear your pJflionate revenge? Let me ask you, Whe– ther you ddlre that Gvd fhould forgive him his fins or not? ( borh that and all the reil which he hath committed): If you fJy, No, you are Devilifb and inhumane, who would not have God forgive
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