.. ,;7o The (zxthCommAndemc t. ~~~~~:g Beyee CtJIIr~tDHI,f~rgiui~gonea~~the~, tU Godfor Chriflsfo~~ . thor. f orgauerou.MeeungWH~ an ome~hon that might be made:- -. . '\Vhy? I,am as gentle, oftable andquiet, as any rnan can be, fo long as you do not wrong mee nor dtfgrace mcc: but in– deed ifyou doe n1ee.iniury, or crofie mcc ofmy will, then (you mu!l pardon ~1e) I am fame thing paffionate. I cannot indure it. Can you·not indure it? what canyou iridure then? furcly no more thanaBearcor a Lion, or a beaA can. Bur, a ChriHian meekndfe will forgiue and forget iniuries and wrongs: It will not only be kind to the kind, and lhewcur~ ·, tefie for curtefie·,-(for,this theveriell reprobate and dcepdl . . tliJfembler in .the world maydo) but it 'J\ ill ouercome cuiU with good, it will be kind to the vnkind,andput vp wron)gs and offences. And as he lookesfor pardon-fromGod for far greater tnatters : fo he will not Hicke, ·eaGiy to giue pardon tor thefe leffer things. But he,that cannofbringhis h~art to thi~,: to forgiue hi:i enemies., and dae good vnto the.m,~ hath ,. · ·:. · · riot y.ct attained·to the firH llep oftheduties required in this Comrnandemenr,Tho11PJ11/tnot kj./1: and thereforecan much JdTc auaine·co the latter and greater. . . · Cont:lru· · A (econd branch, and indeed an dretl: of this:kindne:s, ingthing~ is to confirue all thing$ iti the befl part, to take things-in:the. in the bdt 1art. bell fenfe .and tneaning we can, not te be fufpidous :and mifdeeming. For this ill conllrucHon, and YJrong interpre- . cationofthings, bybaling and wrefling them to the worA! fcn~e,is ameaoes to fill our ownehearts full,ofb!ttetnes,and make vs readyvponeuery occit1on tof~ll to brawling and contention with other men. When one ·fuafl haue thef-e 'doubts,perhaps he thinkes thus ofme 1 it m~y he hehad·this meaning,or did it in this intcnr, this vdil marueiloufly infect and leauen the heart wirh malice and hatred. And therefore Rom.I .29. it is fee downeas a note ofaneuill man, that hee . takes allthing.r in the-worfl part, a~t.i tbis is a fure bran!lofa .wickedpcrfon. , . ~,- Buta courteous and ameekemanwill be fure, ifa thing may beexpound~·d, one way better thananother,, to take it in thebell fenfe)and make the bellofit. · : Athirdbranch and,eftcel: of tnecknes, is, to fccke _aft-~r ~ . / peace,
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