Chap.15. AnExpofition uptut the Bookof JO Ba Verf.5. 235 not to íhake the head at them in contempt , is only a Nega- tive piece of charity and kindnefs : 'Tis our duty to ufe our utmoft endeavour to refrethand comfort them. Negative as ofkindnefs are not the fulfilling of the Law of love, it is not charity to the poor, to fay I will not make thempoorer,I wül take nothing from them ; it is our duty togive them of what we have. When a man is forrowful, it is not enough to fay, J will not increafe his grief; it is our duty to leten it, yea, to turn it into joy. And this is more confiderable, in reference to the .perlons with whom yob had to do ; they had given him very hard meafure, yet he would not requite them with hard meafures he would meafure that to them which was good, and he .- would give them good meafure. Ic is the common rule of humanity, to do good to thole who do us good ; it is more than beatily, even devílilh cruelty , to hurt thofe that do us good ; it is the heigt of Chriftianity, to do good to thofe .who have been a hinderance to us , and to comfort thole who have caufed our forrow. The Apololical rule is , Recom- pence tongman evilfor evil ( Rom. 12. 17.) And again (ver. a 9.)Dearly beloved, avenge flat your/lives, but rather giveplace aattto wrath : The Apofiledoth not mean , that we fhould give place to our ownwrath,if we do fo, we give place to the De. ii, as the fame Apo(ile intimates (Ephef. 4.26 , 27. Our own wrath mull be ftopt and refilled , quenched and put out, Then, what, or whole wrath isit , that we are commanded to give place unto ? This wrath may be taken two ways, Firft, for the wrath of that man,who is our enemy;we muff give place to-his wrath, not by approving him or his wrath, but by not anfwering himwithwrath.If when another dorms we are calm, if whenhe rages , we thew all gentlenefs , and meeknefs both of fpeech and fpirit, then we give place to his wrath ; that is, We make room to pats away and evapo- rate : Solomon! Proverb is the Cum;ofthis Expofuion (Prov. 15.1.) "1 raft anfwer:urneth away wrath , but grievous words Jtir up anger; Secondly, When Paul advileth us not to avenge our felves, but rather to giveplace to wrath; we may underfiand itof the wrath of God , and the very next words, which theApo° file alleadgeth from ( Deut. 32, 35. ) carry the fenfe clearly Ii h 2 this
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