Imatges de pàgina
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the utmoft confequence to us, and in this we are all most nearly and intimately concerned.

Let experience then, let example, let reason and religion teach us to avoid it, for the future, as I have proved to you, anger defeats its own end and purpose, hurts our character and reputation, and deftroys our peace and happinefs; it makes us uneafy to ourselves, hateful to man, and unacceptable to God.

If our health is precious, if reputation is dear to us, if there be any thing dreadful in noife, clamours, and confufion, any thing delightful in joy and tranquillity; if we hope, in fhort, for peace here, and pardon hereafter, let us not be hafty in our Spirit to be angry, for anger refteth in the bofom of fools.

Let us then place before our eyes the great model and ftandard of perfection, the example of our bleffed Saviour and Redeemer, the meek and humble Jefus; let us behold him languishing under evil, fubmitting to all the bitterness of reproach, fpurned, buffetted, defpifed, and rejected of men, oppreffed by his enemies and deferted by his friends, yet bearing all with patience and refignation; without anger and invective; angry, he answered not; when he was reviled, he reviled not again.

Finally, then, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatfoever things are honest, whatjoever things are juft, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praife, think on these things; and the God of peace be with you.

SERMON

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ON FORGIVENESS.

SERMON

LUKE VI. 37.

XXVIII.

Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.

FORGIVENESS of injuries may be ranked

. amongst those fingular and exalted virtues which all men univerfally agree to praise and admire, but very few have ftrength and refolution to practife. It feemeth indeed to foar above the common perfections of our nature, and to fhine with a fuperior luftre, and is therefore highly becoming the purest and most refined religion, the religion of Jefus Chrift; who did himself not only ftrongly enforce it by his doctrine, but moft powerfully_recommend it also by his own divine example.

But whilft we fo juftly admire the peculiar grace, dignity, and perfection of this truly Christian virtue, we cannot at the fame time but acknowledge, that there is no fmall difficulty in the attainment of it: it is a part, and doubtless a very confiderable one, of the duty of felf-denial, and in direct oppofition to fome of our most violent and unruly paffions, who will ftrenuoufly oppofe it with all their ftrength and vigour. The victory over fuch powerful and confpiring foes cannot, we must own, be

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an easy, though it must always prove a glorious conqueft.

Judgment, humility, patience, and fortitude, are all neceffary to form a kind and forgiving temper: we must have judgment to diftinguish, patience and humility to fuffer, generofity and fortitude to contemn injuries, before we can rightly, eafily, and heartily forgive them.

In the following difcourfe therefore I defign to enforce and recommend that union and love which are the distinguishing marks of Chriftianity. I fhall endeavour to point out to you the neceffity of mutual forgiveness, by convincing you,

Firft, That revenge is directly contrary to our duty both towards God and towards man: And,

Secondly, That it is contrary alfo to our intereft, and our happiness, both in relation to this life, and that which is to come.

And first, then: Revenge is directly contrary to our duty towards God and man.

To submit ourselves with pious refignation to the will of our Creator, to rely on him under every evil, oppreffion, and calamity, is the leaft return which we can make for all the unmerited bleflings which he beftoweth on us. When we are injured and oppreffed, therefore, it will become us to confider, firft, that we are not proper judges either of the nature or degree of the injury received by us, and fecondly, that though we are not proper judges, God undoubtedly is, to him therefore, and to

him alone, fhould be left the estimation and the punishment alfo.

God, whofe mercy is over all his works, hath graciously ordained, that even our wants and imperfections should be of advantage to us, and that both our weakness and our ignorance fhould contribute to our happiness. Man is neither wife enough to difcern, nor powerful enough to punifh, all the injuries which are done unto him. Were he indeed to know all those which were intended against him, it would only poifon his happiness, give him a difguft of human nature, and make him perhaps out of love with his very being; he would then be perpetually employed either in acts of revenge, or in the defign and meditation of them; and no lefs guilty would he be, were it always in his power to punish them.

There are certain difcordant powers in nature, which, if fuffered to meet and oppofe each other, would fhock the frame of things, and destroy the whole universe these therefore the wisdom of the Almighty hath feparated and kept asunder. And in like manner, if all the injuries that are done by man to man were to be fully and amply revenged, there would be nothing but difcord and confufion amongst us, and the world would be a perpetual fcene of war and bloodfhed; but the injured are not permitted to meet and oppose each other. Add to this, that for the moft part we are made fo dependant one upon another, that we dare not, or fo equal in power and abilities that we CAN not revenge as we would,

would, and thus are we conftrained as it were to be eafy and fatisfied whether we will or

not.

When we look through the glafs of human reason, we are very apt to turn the wrong end of the perspective, to diminish and fet at diftance the favours and benefits, to bring near and to magnify all the injuries which we receive. We make use of falfe weights and measures, and then unjustly complain that we have been defrauded. We think of ourselves, as St. Paul fays, more highly than we ought to think, and confequently over-rate every affront that is offered to us. When men are intoxicated with pride, it is no wonder that every injury thould appear double: like the unjust fteward, instead of putting down forty, we write fourfcore; and are refolved to compel the debtor to pay to the uttermoft farthing. But on this occafion we fhould always remember, that the true merit of every action, can only be determined by its motive; and not from the effect, but the defign, must arise the guilt of the offender. Such is the uncertainty of all human affairs, fuch influence have accident and circumftance over all our concerns, that a very great injury hath often been done where very little hath been intended. Unless therefore we had that knowledge, which, whilft on earth, we can never attain unto; unless we could fee the hearts and thoughts of men, we can never be proper and adequate judges either of the nature or degree of the injuries which we receive. When therefore we

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