A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 163
§. 163. Of the graces which are to be prayed for by reaſon of the condition annexed to the Fift Petition.
Q. VVHat graces are to be prayed for by vertue of the condition annexed to the Fift Petition?
A. In generall, ſuch a minde to our brother as wee deſire God to beare to vsus. This Chriſt implyeth vnderunder this one word mercifull, where he ſaith,aLuk▪ 6. 36. Be yee mercifull as your heauenly Father is alſo mercifull. Hereby as in a Looking-glaſſe ſhall we ſet out Gods minde to man, andb1. Pet. 2. 9. ſhew forth the praiſes of God: yea andcLuke 7. 47. gaine good euidence of Gods good minde to our ſelues.
In particular, ſuch graces as follow.
1. LoueLove. This is a dutie that hath beene requiredd1. Ioh. 3. 11. from the beginning: and it is theeMath. 5. 44. ground of all goodneſſe, kindneſſe, and forgiueneſſe.fEpheſ. 4. 32. Where the Apoſtle exhorteth to forgiue, he addeth this direction,g—5. 2. walke in louelove, ſhewing thereby that louelove will make men forward to forgiue.
2. Meekeneſſe. h1. Pet. 3. 4.This is in the ſight of God of great price. It is of ſpeciall vſe to keepe a man from being prouoked, and from deſire of reuenge. Chriſt being of a meeke ſpirit,i—2. 23. when he was reuiled, reuiled not againe. Moſes being commended for a very meeke man, Numb. 12.this is giuen as an euidence and proofe thereof, that hee was not prouoked to wrath by the wrong which Aaron and Miriam did him.
3. Compaſſion: or, to vſe the Scripture phraſe, bowels of mercies. Col. 3. 12. foreign.This maketh vsus pitie ſuch as wrong vsus. And becauſe in doing wrong to vsus, we know they doe themſelues the greateſt hurt, a compaſſionate ſpirit wil worke in vsus more pitie towards them, then reuenge againſt them: and in that reſpect to pray for them euen when they are wronging vsus,Luke 23. 34. as Chriſt and Stephen did.Acts 7. 60.
4. Long-ſuffering. That doth the Apoſtle adde to the forenamed meekeneſſe, Col. 3 12.and bowels of mercies. This keepeth a man from being ouercome with multitudes of wrongs. God himſelfe is ſaid to be a God of long-ſuffering, Pſal. 103. 8.in that hee continueth to paſſe by many wrongs time after time, without executing iudgement and reuenge vponupon the doers thereof. In regard of the many wrongs whereunto, while we liue in this world, wee are ſubiect, long-ſuffering is neceſſary.
5. Power ouer wrath. Hereby though it doe ſo fall out that anger be ſtirred vp in vsus by the iniuries of wicked men, yet by holding it in, as it were with bit and bridle, wee may bee kept from exceſſe, and from ſinne, according to this intimation of the Apoſtle,Epheſ. 4. 26. Be angry but ſinne not. Herein lyeth a maine difference betwixt naturall men, and men regenerate. Becauſe in naturall men there is fleſh onelyonly, when anger is kindled, it burneth more and more. But becauſe in men regenerate there is ſpirit as well as fleſh,aGal. 5. 16, 17. by that ſpirit the luſts of the fleſh are ſuppreſſed and quenshed:1. Sa. 25. 32, &c. as is euident in the caſe betwixt Dauid and Nabal.
6. Forgetfulneſſe of wrongs. That wee ſuffer not them to abide continually in our minde and memory. Thus doth God deale with treſpaſſes committed againſt him. I will remember their ſinne no more, ſaith hee.Ier. 31. 34. It is a part of the renouation of memory, to let ſlip, forget, and not to hold and retaine euill things, 1. Kin. 11. 14. &cand in particular reuenge. Remembrance of wrongs, encreaſeth deſire of reuenge. But forgetfulneſſe thereof cauſeth fulleſt forgiueneſſe.
7. Readineſſe to forgiue. Epheſ. 4. 32.This is the maine thing intended in this condition. All the other graces before mentioned are but preparations hereunto.
8. Truth in the act of forgiueneſſe. 1. Ioh 3. 18.Herein lyeth the liuelyeſt, and beſt reſemblance betwixt Gods forgiuing and ours. This is eſpecially intended in this Particle of reſemblance, As.
Hitherto of the good things which by vertue of the Fift Petition, and the condition annexed thereto, are to be prayed for.