568 Ephefians CJhap.+. 32, is thisorthat (care which the former hath caufed to me ; as ifone fhould finite aTradefman , fo that on the ftroakdhe fhould keepehis bed, and be at expenfc with the Chirurgion ; this is injurious , that a manbound to thew me love and the offices of love fhouldintreat me fo fpightfully ; this that upon his injurious dealing, I have loft that I might have earned, and fpentthat I might have faved, this is a dam- We may Cake mage I fuftained byhim. Nowthe anfweris, that alwayes the injury amends for our muff be forgiven, the dammage then when wifdome and charity fo da:nmag`' tI re uire. God that didcommandfor iveneffe forbidding revenge, he Levir.r9. t g , Exed.2 r. r 8,19. doth allow dammagesin the cafe propounded. Only And how. in feeking them, we mutt take heed that wedoe it not on trifles : This feeking right upon every trifleis a defeh, t Cor.6.7. 2. Without revenge. 3. It mutt be done with intendment ofgood tohim againft whomwe complaine, to others, toour felves. In what order For the third queffion, it is anfwered, that be he who bath offen- we are to for- ded never fo farre from his duty, we mutt forgive. When you fund to give. if on haveought a body, forgive it: where weare requi- red t.ss pray, y ain an y g g yr S abfolutely before we can pray acceptably, to forgive. Yet wee Forgiven fe muff know , that forgiveneffeis inward onely, or outwardly teftified òúward or by word and geflure. The firft we muff alwayes doe; that is, clenfe our mind of rancor, and revenge, be in love, or elfe wecannot pray. The fecond we may refraine, when in Chritlianwifdome wee fee it behoovefull ; as a Parent forgiving his child in his purpofe, doth look bigandthreaten deeply. Vfe r: This doetrine then dothcheck fuch as are fo difpofed that theywill not beare withany wrong, they will carry a grudge (even yeares,and if they doe not retire revenge, yet they will remember and will never meddlenor make tonor fro. Weare tons ofthunderifwe bemoved, we willcall for fire from heaven : the fpirit that is in us luffeth after Matsss revenge; the Pharifees doétrine is pleafing, An eyefor an eye, a tooth fira tooth; and who faith not that, Prov. 24.29. I willdoe robin: as he bathdone tome? Vie 2. But in the fecond place we muffknow, thancalling elfthis fpirit of revenge,we mutt labourto forgive and forget injury, like goodlotph, Gen. 45. like David who forgaveShimei, 2 Sam. 19. like t oofes, Numb. a r, s. there is noneof us but may Rand in needofour neigh- bours, wegive offence and haveneed tobe pardoned. Againe, be- cáufe it is fohard a knot our Saviour driveth it with as hard a wedge, Mat,c.ts Forgive, oryou/hallnot beforgiven : And what doe wewhen we will Not forgi- ving not forgive, but like the Bee which lofeth her fling, and becommeth ishnf°i g g toour (elves, a Droane, and fohurtcth her felfe more thenothers! So do we when we will not forgive ; we fetour felves thoufands in Gods debt, while we will not forgive the fewpenfe which our neighboursoweus. DoFá, Laftly, thisdoth let us fee, That our Godis aGodofforgiveneffe : for God is aGod ifhewill haveus whoare finfull forgive one another, how muchmore °fF°tg'"""tS' will he forgive us ! Who is aGod like our ?not afather like earthly Micah?.as. g fathers,
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