Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v6

1,l8 Chap. 19. e.,in expofrtion upon the 'Book_ sf j o s. Vert,; Firft ; As they let forth the fin of 7oh's friends in the fre- quent and often repeated unkinde carriages of that vifitation, Theft tra times &c. Obferve Tofall often into thefimcf», is agreat arravation offn. To reproach., or to doe evil( orce, is toooft, but todoe it often, red times, how much evil(, is in that ? One ofthe greateft burdens which we can put either upon our own finres, or upon the finnes of others, is the number ofthem. An evil) aft tingle is heavie, what then are many bundled up together ? As it is one of the greateft !lightnings of the mercies ofGod, that be is pleated to doe us good often who have not deferved that he fhould doe us good once, that we thould haveas many and manifold mercies, fo thofe mercies daily renewed upon uc, and tent in frefh every morning ; fo that which highteneth fin- full adings againft God or man, is the frequency of them, that they are renewed every day, or often in a day. ( Luk,17.4.) Ifthy brother t efpáffe again2 thee feaven times in aday,andfeaven times in a daysumagain to thee,faying, Irepent,thoufbaltforgive him ; Chritt puts itupon the number, If thy brother trefpaffelea- ven rimes in aday, it is no great matter to forgive a brother, who offends once a day, or who offends us butfeldome, butifhe offend feaven times in a day, here is thegreatneffe ofhis finne in trefpaffing, and the great tryall of ourcharitie and patience in bearing and forgiving. 'Peter put this Qzeition, ((Mat. 18. 25,22. )Lord, how oftJhall mybrotherfin againft me, andIforgive him, till leaven times ? As hehad fayd, a finfo often repeated is very great, and will put me to theexercife ofall the love I have in my heart to forgive it. And though he thought this a very hard tacke for his grace togoe thorough with,to forgive to leaven tunes, yet he hash a harder taske let him in the reply which Chritt makes (ver. 22.)?efusfaithunto him, Ifay not unto Thee uneill feaven timcr,Mtirntillfeventy timesfeven.Peters (even is niuItiplyed to fevenry feven, in which as we learne that themul- tiplication of fin is one of the greateft aggravations of it, fo likewife is the multiplication of .fergivenefle ; He that multiplies to fin, fins abundantly, and he that multiplyes to 11*rdoo, doth (asGod*LS5.7)pardonabundantly. Secondly,

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=