18o , e1 Commentary upon the Go6oel Chap. 5 . yur.;.I. expowtded, bmezx.ñt silizvft;o. Roma z ry. Joh.; , s. I?rovo 6, z;, 34ibS,DO. Prov.Iq.7. & 440. to keep Gods Commandment as the apple of thine eyes; but how kw are there that will not break thehedge dailyCom- mandment,fo they may (hun a peece of foul way ? Laftly, To love an enemy, doe good to them that hateus,&c. But this ieems, to the molt, unreafonable and impoflìble. What ? love thole that hate and hurt them ? that daily rage and rail at them, with fuch bitterneff:, as if they had been as far as hell, for every word that rumbleth out of their mouthes againft them,&c ? Love this man ? Nay then loves the devil himfelf. They will rather die a thoufand deaths, then endure inch a one : If they could love him, yet they would not. 1 hey are prime Chriflians in thefemens opinions,that afcend to Sauls meafure, IWill doe thee nohurt, my (önDavid : If they palle him by, when he is in their power, as the Prieft and the Lévite did the wounded man : if they fall not foul upon him with recritninations,and retaliate injuries,rhey have gone farre and done fair : and fuch a meafureofcharity, they hold little Idle then Angelicall , hardy here attainable. This is the voice and guile of Ilc1hand bloud. The .s` irit that t in to !Vieth toenvy, andprom - pteth us to requite taunt with taunt, fun with fuit, blow with blow, andholds them fools that doe nor. But this is the wifedotn from beneath, and is earthly, fenfiiall, : whereas that fromabove,isfir/t pure, and thenpeaceable, (well allured of par- don of frrne, and peace wi. h God, and thence) gentle or equable tomen, and eafily perfwaded, fi:l1 ofmercy (to an offending bro- ther) andgood fruits, (friendlyexpreflìons,) Without wrangling or lowing, and without hypocrifie I fuch as canbe heartily recon- ciled, and love againwithout diflimulation, not in Word, and in tongue,bor in deed and in truth. Not covering a pot-(heard with flvcr drop, a Wicked heart with burning lips. Seven abomi nations are in ch aheart, and bts Wickedneffe (ball be fhewed be- fire the Whole Congregation, as Abfoloms ufageof Amnon. A godly man carries neither cruell hatred, a delre to hurt whomhe haces,as Efau ; nor fimple hatred, where there is no delire to hurt, but a clifdain to help : he forgives not only, but forgets, asYofeph, Gen.5 o. zo. ( For injuries remembred are hardly remitted.) And although he loves not his enemies finnes,yet he doth their perfons ftriving to leal up his love, by all loving ufage, both in word and deed. And herein he doth more then others.; that which is fingular, and in the worlds account, feraphicall: that which (in truth) is extraordinary, and above vulgarpoflibility, it is an high Pint
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