A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 146 – Section 147
§. 146. Of true and vnfained forgiuing one another.
Q. WHat doctrines doth the reſemblance betwixt Gods forgiuing and ours import?
A. 1 We muſt in truth forgiue one another. Thus doth God: thus may we forgiue. Thus, as we may, muſt wee bee like vntounto God, and forgiue, as he forgiueth. If we doe not ſo, we lye in ſaying, Forgiue vsus As we forgiue. Wee are expreſſely charged, a1. Ioh. 3. 18. foreignnot to louelove in word, or in tongue, but in deed, and truth. But more particularly for this purpoſe,bMat. 18 35. foreign Chriſt expreſſely noteth that forgiueneſſe muſt be from the hearts of men.
*Of the benefit of truth, ſee The whole Armour of God, in Epheſ. 6. 14. Treat. 2. part. 3. §. 9.Truth is a kinde of perfection in this and all other duties: the beſt and greateſt perfection that in this world wee can attaine vntounto. It ſeaſoneth and ſweetneth that little that we are able to doe, and maketh it acceptable to God: without this ſeaſon and fauour of truth all the ſhew of forgiueneſſe which we make, is odious and deteſtable vntounto God: neither can it bring any comfort to our owne ſoules.Dimittite vbi Deus videt. Ali quando enim homo dimittit ore, & tenet in corde: dimittit ore propter homines, & tenet in corde. Non times oculos Dei? Aug. Hom. 42. in l. 50. Hom. God is a ſearcher of the heart. He that would hauehave his forgiueneſſe acceptable to God, muſt from the heart forgiue.Diſcouetie of counterfeit forgiueneſſe. 1. When it is mixed with deſire of reuenge. He that forgiueth with his tongue that which hee retaineth in his heart, forgiueth for mans ſake, but reſpecteth not God.
How many be there, whoſe forgiueneſſe if it be tryed by this Touch-ſtone of truth, will be found to bee plaine counterfeit, and ſo nothing worth? Counterfeit forgiueneſſe is farre vnlike Gods. It cannot be pleaded in prayer: nor can it giuegive aſſurance of Gods forgiuing vsus. Yet the forgiueneſſe of moſt is no better.
Some thinke they doe very well, if they forbeare to take outward reuenge, though they retaine an inward grudge, and ſecret hatred. This may be ſomething to man, who knoweth not the thoughts of the heart: but to God, the ſearcher of hearts, it is as nothing. And if as nothing to him, to whom (if to any) it is pleaded in prayer,Sunt aliqui ſic donantes iniuriam, vt non vlciſcantur, ſapius tamen improperent. Sunt & alij, qui, ſileant licet, manet tamen alta mente repoſta, & rancorem tenent in animo: quorum vtique neutra plena indulgentia eſt. Bern. de Euang. Sept. pan. Serm. 3 in what ſtead will it ſtand? Surely in no other ſtead, then to bee as a witneſſe againſt him, at the iudgement ſeat of God. For when a man outwardly reſtraineth that which inwardly he retaineth, his outward forbearance ſheweth, that in his iudgement he diſallowerh that which he keepeth in his heart. Thus hee is made a witneſſe againſt himſelfe. Is not his ſecret corruption the more aggrauated hereby? and ſhall not his condemnation be the more encreaſed?
Yet greater ſhall their condemnation be, who carie a faire face, and make ſhew of forgiueneſſe, when they retaine a full purpoſe of taking reuenge, onelyonly they put it off to ſome opportunitie: ascGen. 27. 41. Eſau put off the reuenge hee intended againſt his brother, till the death of their father. This putting off of reuenge till an opportunitie, ſheweth that it is no ſmall reuenge which they intend,2. When reuenge is put off to a fitter time. as appeareth by that which Eſau ſaid, then will I ſlay my Brother: and it implyeth a ſetled reſolution to doe it, though for a time there bee ſomething that hindereth them. What is this but ſetled anger, ſetled hatred, ſetled malice? By theſe circumſtances is the ſinne made much more hainous.
But what may be thought of them,3. When a ſhew of forgiueneſſe is made a means of reuenge. who make pretence of forgiuing to be a meanes of taking reuenge: as Ioab did,d2. Sam. 3. 27. when hee tooke Abner aſide to ſpeake with him quietly, and ſmote him vnderunder the fift rib: ande2. Sam. 20. 9, 10. when he tooke Amaſa by the beard to kiſſe him, and ſhed out his bowels. And asf2. Sam. 13. 26, 28. Abſolon did, who inuited Amnon to a Feaſt where he cauſed him to be ſlaine. If ſuch ſhould vſe this Petition, they would thereby make a fearfull imprecation againſt their owne ſoules. A meere ſhew of forgiueneſſe without truth, doth make God to take the greater reuenge of them. Let men therefore forgiue in truth, as God doth, or not ſeeme to forgiue at all.
§. 147. Of forgiuing one another freely.
Q. VVHat other doctrine doth the reſemblance betwixt Gods forgiuing, and ours, import?
A. We muſt freely forgiue one another. The word forgiue applyed to God, implyeth as much. We therefore profeſſing to forgiue As God forgiueth, muſt forgiue freely, not on bie-reſpects, not as forced, not for outward recompence, or aduantage to our ſelues, but for the Lords ſake, for loues ſake, and for his ſake whom we doe forgiue. Where the Apoſtle before this duty of forgiueneſſe premiſeth kindneſſe and tenderneſſe, Epheſ. 4. 32.ſaying, Be kinde one to another and tender-hearted, forgiuing one another, hee giueth vsus to vnderſtand that it muſt be freely done: which is further enforced by the patterne of God that he ſetteth before vsus, in theſe words, Euen as God for Chriſts ſake forgaue you. That which God doth for Chriſts ſake, he doth moſt freely. This pattern the Apoſtle himſelfe exactly followed. For where he maketh mention of his own forgiuing another, he ſaith,2. Cor. 2. 10. foreign. I forgaue in the perſon, or in the ſight of Chriſt, that is, freely, heartily, approuing my ſelfe to Chriſt therein, in whoſe preſence I ſtood.
A kindneſſe freely done is a double kindneſſe. Much more acceptable to God,2, Cor. 9. 7. who loueth him that doth what hee doth cheerefully and willingly: and much more gratefull to him, to whom it is done.Prou. 22, 9. He that hath a good eye, and thereby manifeſteth willingneſſe, and cheerefulneſſe in that good which hee doth,Prou. 23. 6, 8. ſhall be bleſſed. But a man of an euill eye, maketh the good which he doth to be vomited vp.
That in this particular we may indeed doe as we profeſſe to doe,Motiues freely to forgiue one another. that is, freely forgiue others, as God doth freely forgiue vsus, let vsus duely weigh the excellency of the patterne here ſet before vsus, the great difference betwixt a free and forced kindneſſe, the glory of this kinde of forgiuing (the more free it is the more diuine it is) the great need wherein wee ſtand of a free forgiueneſſe (did not God freely forgiue vsus, we could looke for no forgiueneſſe at all) and the great benefit that thereby redoundeth to vsus: for that which is freely done bringeth much comfort to the ſoule of him that doth it, makes other men the more to commend it, and moues God the more graciouſly to accept it, and the more aboundantly to reward,Offer forgiueneſſe. and recompence it.
To ſhew how ready we are freely for the Lords ſake, for conſcience ſake, Seeke reconciliation.not on bie-reſpects, to forgiue, hauing to doe with ſuch wrong doers as are ſtout, and will not aske forgiueneſſe nor ſeek reconciliation, we, euen we that hauehave receiued wrong, muſt offer it, asmGal. 4. 12, &c Saint Paul did to the Galatians: andn1. Sa 24. 9, &c.—26. 18, &c. Dauid to Saul. The phraſes ofo1, Pet. 3. 11. ſeeking andpHeb. 12. 14. purſuing peace, imply as much. We ſeeke things that are not offered to vsus: and we purſue things that fly from vsus. The Apoſtle preſſeth this duty on vsus to the very vttermoſt of our endeuour.qRom. 12. 18. If it be poſſible, ſaith he: as much as in you lyeth liue peaceably with all men. r2. Cor. 5. 20.God offers reconciliation to vsus, and beſeecheth vsus by his Miniſters to be reconciled to him. If therefore we will be followers of God, and forgiue as God forgiueth, Wee muſt not alwayes ſtay till he who hath done the wrong commeth & asketh forgiueneſſe: thus may we meet with ſuch as we ſhall neuer forgiue, and ſo depriue our ſelues of the glory of this worke of mercy