Spiritual Perfetlion. againft the offending Brother. The Servant that upon his humble Requeft, had Ten Thoufand Talents forgiven, }:et up.::m his cruel cxaC.bng Three Hu ndred Pence from his Fellow. fcrvant, his Pardon wns revcrs'd , and he was deliver, cl to the Ton~c.: nrors, till his Debr was entirely pa id. T~c l.ines of this Duty art clearly d~awn in the di \ m~ Pattern fer before u~. God pJrd?ns ~ns mtl rciy, be blots them out aJ a tbtck ,clou~ : the S:JJnts in Heaven are :'I S accepted m h1s !ighr, as the Angels that always obey cl h1s Commands. He pardons fre· quently: In maJt) thin~?, I we offend all. le woul d ti.re the hacd of an Angel w Rcgifier the Pardons iffued from the Throne of Grace t? Rebel lious ~inners . Hr.: pardons Sns of a ver.v provoking Nature: he makes our Crimfm Sms to be fM wbtte d.l Snow, aJJd Scarlet Si"s aJ wbift m Wooll. The Provocation begins on our parr, the H.eccncihat ion brgins on God's pJrr. He befacbes liS to !Je recoHcil'd, .as if it were his lotercfi that \~1 c 1l10uld not be defl:-oyed b· ~}sJ,~·~~~~e~~~:i,e %~~~~~s ~~~r~~~~~~r~;~~~~~~~r~t~v~~kh~u~f ~~~i~~;· hi1~ ~~~ ~~":~~ higheft Pattern of Forgiving-Love: When he was Nail'd to the Crofs,he prayed fo r his cruel Murtherers, Father forgive tbrm, tbcy know 110t l/)!Jat tiJey d:J. How perfwafi ve fl 10uJd his Pmern be! Shall we be fo tenderly fenfible ofthe hatred of an Enemy, and fo llupidly infenftble of our Saviour's Love? Sha ll the refentmg remembrance of Injurits def.1ce in m the dear Memorial of his purchaftng bldfednefs for us? His precious Blood appea5d the jull Anger of God, and tltall it not cool and calm our inflam'd Patlions ? In Imi tat ion of God and Chrift, we muft abftain from all Revenge of the greatell Evils ~~~~e~~~sbfn~;,~ ~~i~~~n ~~!i~:An~;;;a~;.c:~:~~~fi t~l~f~~;,g~i ,a t 5~:iftr:J:11 o~~et~~C:::; been injurious to us ; for the root of it is Devilifh. Though the reparation of an Injury may in fome cafes be ncceiTJry, ye t Revenge is abfol utely forbidden: To reta liate an Evil wi thout any reparation of our Lotfes, is to do Mifchief for Mifchiefs fa ke; which is the pto· perry of Satan: As on the contrary to do Good for Evil is fuch a Divine Perfection, that t he Devil does not alfume the rcfemblance of ir, 'tis fo contrary to his curfcd Difpo· fir ion. Some will conceal their Anger for a time, waiting for an Opportunity to take Revenge without the appearance of Pallion: Their Malice, ltke llow Poyfon, does not caufe violent Symptoms, but deftroys Life infenfibly. Some have fuch fierce Paffions, that !\rikc Fire out of the leaft Provocation; their Breafls are changed into a T ophet. Some inflame their Refentments, by confidering every Circumllancc that will exafperate their Spirits. But the C')mmand is, Be not overcome with evil, ~ut overcome evil with good. The Ducy is fo pleafantin its cxcrcife, and attended with fuch comfortable Confequences, that 'its recommended to our Reafon, and our Affections. Love fuffers long; LfJ'1Je bears all things, er· dures all tbing,s, And what is more ingaging than the del ightful difpo!ition of Love? The doing Good for Evil often gains the Hea rt of an Enemy : If there be any vi tal fpark of Hu· man ity, it cannot be refifted. There is an Jnftance of it recorded in Scripture : Saul the un· righ teous and implacable Enemy of David, yet being. fpar'd when he was entirely at his Mercy, was moved and meltedinto tcndernefs: Is tblJ tiJy voice, my Son Da11id ~ Before, he in contempt called him the Son ofJe{[e. Tbou art more rig,hteou.s than!; !will do tha.o more evil. How will fome of t he Heathens condemn Chriftians, both as to the Rule and Practice of this Duty ? for whereas 'tis efteem'd to be the Character of Pufill animity or Stupidity to bear frequent and great Injuries unrevenged, one of their Poets mixed this Counfel among other excellent Rules of Morality, Tbat Ma11 1J arrived at an herotck degree of Goodnefs, wbo is iu./lrulled in a difpaj/ionate manner t obear great Injuries. And when Phocion, who had deferved fo highly of the Athenians , was condemned unjullly to die, his Son attending him to receive his !aft Commands, immediately before his death, be charged him never to revenge it on the Atbenia11s. CHAP.
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