people of Israel dealt unkindly with liim, they murmured against liim at the waters of Marah, (the water was not so bitter as their spirits) hut he fell to prayer for them, Exod. XV. 25., " He cried unto the Lord, and the Lord shewed liiin a tree, wliich when he liad cast into th<! waters, the wa- ters were made sweet." When they want- ed water, tliey fell a-chiding with Moses, Exod. xvii. 3., " Why hast thou brought us out of Egypt, to kill us with thirst ?" As If tliey had said, " If we die, we will lay our death to thy charge ;" here was e- nough to have made Moses call for fire from heaven upon them, but he passeth by this injury, and, to shew he forgave them, he becomes an intercessor for them, v. 4., and set the rock a broach for them, v. 5. The prophet Elisha feasted his enemies, 2 Kings, vi. 23., he prepared a table for them who would have prepared his graA'e. Cranmer was famous for forgiving injuries. When Luther had reviled Calvin, saith Cal- vin, Etinmsi millies me (Uubolnm vocet, — ' though he call me a devil a thousand times,' — yet I will love and honour him as a pre- cious servant of Christ. When one had abused and wronged a Christian, asking him what wonders hath your master Christ wrought? saith he, He hath wrought this wonder, that though you have so injured me, yet I can forgive you, and pray for you. 7. Forgiving and r(!quiting good for evil is the best way to conquer aiul melt the heart of an enemy. Saul having pursued David with malice, and hunted him as a partridge upon the mountains, yet David would not do him mischief when it was in liis ])ower. David's kindness melted Saul's heart, 1 Sam. xxiv. 16, ii., " Is this thy voice, my son David ? And Saul lifted up his voicp and wept, and said, Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good." This forgiving is heaping coals, which melts the enemy's heart, Rom. xii. 20. This is the most noble victory, to overcome an enemy without striking a bhnv, to con- quer him with love. Philip of Macedon, when it was told him that one Nicanor did openly rail against liim, the king, instead of putting him to death, sent him a rich present, which did so overcome the man and make his heart relent, that he went up |
and down to recant what he had said against the king, and did highly extol the king's clemency.
8. Forgiving others is the way to have forgiveness from God, and is a sign of for- giveness.
(1.) It is the way to have forgiveness, Mat. vi. 14., " If ye forgive men their tres- passes, your heavenly Father will also for- give you." But one would think other things should sooner procure forgiveness from God, than our forgiving others : no surely, nothing like this to procure forgive- ness, for all other acts of religion may have leaven in them. God forbade leaven in the sacrifice, Exod. xxxiv. 25. One may give alms, yet there may be the leaven ot vain glory in this ; the Pharisees sounded a trumpet, they did not give alms, but sell them for applause, Mat. vi. 2. One may give his body to be burned, yet there may be leaven in this, — it may be a false zeal, — there may be leaven in many acts of re- ligion which sours the whole lump; but to forgive others that have offended us, — this can have no leaven in it, no sinister aim, — this is a duty wholly spiritual, and is done purely out of love to God ; hence it is God rather annexeth forgiveness to this than to the highest and most renowned works of charity, which are so cried up in the world.
(2.) It is a sign of God's fi)rgiving us. It is not a cause of God's forgiving us, but a sign ; we need not climb up into heaven, to see whether our sins are forgiven ; let us look into our hearts, and see if we can forgive others. Then we need not doubt but God hath forgiven us : our loving oth- ers is nothing but the reflection of God's love to us. Oh therefore, by all these ar- guments, let us be persuaded to the forgiv- ing others. Christians, how many offences hath God passed by in us ? Our sins are innumerable and heinous: is God willing to forgive us so many offences, and cannot we forgive a few ? No man can do so n)ucri wrong to us all our life, as we do to God in one day.
Qlest. Jh/t how must icefonjive ?
Alls. As (ioil forgives us.
\. Cordially. God doth n«)t only make a shew of forgiven 3ss, and keep our sins by hiu), but doth really forgive, — he passeth
4. .1
55*
OF THE FIFTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
an act of oblivion, Jer. xxxi. 34. So we must not only say, we forgive, but do it with tlie licart. Mat. xviii. 35., " If ye from Vour hearts forgive not."
2. God forgives fully; he forgives all our sins. He doth not for fourscore write down fifty, Ps. ciii. 3., " Who forgiveth all thy iniquities." Hypocrites pass by some offences, but retain others. Would we have God deal so with us to remit only some trespasses, and call us to account for the rest.