587 / 808
VAR
.32.
Ephefian.r,
Chap.
g..
fpirituall and
corpprall would follow.
Firft,
then we
fee
our
fenfelefneffe
here
reproved, that
little
are
broken at the breaking
oflofph,
that
when
we
come to thofe
that
are
in
fmart, aske how they doe,&c. but have no bowels of compaflion
furring
in
us, are no more
moved then
if
we
were marble
:
There
are
few workes of
mercy, but
leffe
of
tenderneffe
of
heart.
We
mull labour for the
affeó&ion
of mercy.
n.
If we were
fellow
members, how
could it
be
but we
fhould be
touched
e
for there
is a
fympathy betwixt
them.
z.
Again,
this mercy
is
moft acceptable
to God,
he
preferreth
it
before
his
outward worfhip,
I
will
have
mer-
cy, not
facrifice
:
and it
is
not
the worke, but the
affesliotì
that
is
the
mercy God looketh
at:
he
is a
fpirit. 3.
How
can
wee
comfort our
felves
or
affure
our
felves
that
we are
righteous,ifwewantthis toward
our
brethren,
when a
juft man
is
merciful!
to his
bee?
Now
followeth
tine
fruit teftifying
of
thefe vertues
[forgiving
one
another.]
Whence
we fee,rhat
this
is
aduty
Chriftians
muII
praïli
fe
,they
muff
remit
offences
which are
done
them,
Col.3.1
2.
Mat. 6.
For the better
underffanding, we muff open three
things.
1.
What
it
is
to forgive.
2.
What
it
is
we doe forgive.
3.
In what order, whether
we are
bound to forgive
if
one will
not
aske
pardon,
becaufe
the Commandement
Luke
17+
and
cat
.2r,22.
doth
run
otherwife.
Forgiveneffe includeth three things.
t.
A
removal!
ofall inward
difpleafùre;a man mutt
forget,that
is,he
muff have no
ireful!
remembrance of the injury done him. Levit. 19.
18.
Thou
fhalt
not
avenge,
nor
be
windfall
of
wrong
againft thechildren
of
thy
people;
Contrary to
fach
as
will
forgive, butnot forget.
2.
A
man muff
not endeavour
any
way
to
revenge
:
Which
mee-
teth with inch, who though they
will deny
that they beare
ill
will,
or
are
angry, yet they
will
lecke
to come even
with fach
as
have
offen-
ded
them.
3.
A
man muff
be
fo
lovingly
affeéfed as
if
be
had
not beene of-
fended,
that
is,
he
muff in love
be ready
to
doe any
good
to the
party
offending,
according
as
God
miniffreth occafion and
ability;
lofefh
forgiving, was ready to
feede
his
brethren with the belt
,
who would
fometime have
fed themfelveswith
his
blood
;
Which
is
to
bee mar-
ked againff filch as
will forgive and forget
,
but
they will have done
with
a
man.
For thea.
in our offences,
there
is
alwayes
an offence againff
God,
fometime againft the Laws
:
no wee
forgive
not that
debt which
is
owing
to the
juftice
of
God,
nor that
fatisfaótion
which the Law
challengeth;
but
that debtwhich
is
owing to us,our perfonall
offence.
Now
in our offences
are
two
things
:
r.
The
injury. 2.
The
dam
-
mage.
This
underfloor!, wee
Thall
anfwer
the
queffion more
eafaly.
The
injury
is
the
want
of
that love which through Gods Ordinance
my
neighbour
oweth me, with prefence
of
the contrary
:
The
damage
is
567
ft
r.
Yf
2.
We
ate
to
la-
bour for
this
affeftion.
Hof.6.6r.
Prey.'
2.9.
Doll.
Chriftians
mutt forgive
offences.
Forgiveneffe
flandeth
in
three
things.
is
What
we
dot,
and
rust
@for.
give.