Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 4 · Verse and explication 32
Vers. 32. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you.
HEre is the sixth precept enjoyning the exercise of some vertues, which are opposite unto, and remedies against, those vices presently mentioned. The first whereof, is, mutuall kindnesse, a vertue, whereby from a sweet and loving disposition of heart towards all, (Rom. 12. 10.) we labour to be affable, easie to be entreated, for the good of others, Iam. 3. -17- and of a sweet and amiable carriage towards those with whom we converse, Rom. 12. 18. and it is opposite, both to pride of spirit, evidenced in a lofty carriage, Psal. 10. 2. 5. and to morosity, or uncivil austerity, 2 Sam. 25. 17. The second is tender-heartednesse, commiseration, or mercy, whereby we are most inwardly and in the very bowels (as the word signifieth) touched and affected with compassion towards the miseries and infirmities of others, so far would he have them from thirsting after revenge. And, thirdly, he recommendeth unto them to give evidence of their kindnesse and tender-heartednesse, in an hearty, free and pleasant pardoning of mutuall wrongs, as the word signifieth. And, lastly, he inforceth this dutie of mutuall forgivenesse, from Gods example, in forgiving us all our offences for Christs sake. Concerning which duty of forgiving and pardoning one another here enjoyned, know, first, that, as to the wrong to be forgiven, in so far, as it is alwayes an offence against God, and sometimes against the publick laws of the land, we have not power to forgive it, Isa. 43. 25. nor to meddle with it further than by prayer to God, Iam. 5. 14, 15. and in some cases, by intercession with the Magistrate; but in so far only, as it is a wrong done to us we are to forgive it. Know, secondly, that this forgivenesse implyeth a removall of all inward grudge and endeavour after private revenge, Lev. 19. 18. together with a readinesse to do all duties of love and kindnesse to him who hath done the wrong, as God doth minister occasion and ability, Exod. 23. 4, 5. Which yet, thirdly, doth not bind us up from having recourse to the Magistrate for attaining restauration to our right, and reparation of our wrongs, providing we go not to law for trifles, 1 Cor. 6. 7. nor yet before all amicable means be privately essayed, for taking away the occasion of strife, 1 Cor. 6. 5. See further upon Col. 3. ver. 13. doct. 3. Hence, Learn, 1. The exercise of kindnesse in a sweet and amicable carriage, is a singular remedy against sinfull anger and all its branches, in so far, as thereby we not only give no occasion of anger unto others, but also do give place unto wrath, Rom. 12. 19. whereby it slayeth it self, and we do overcome evil with good: for, as a remedy against all the branches of sinfull anger, formerly mentioned, he enjoyneth And be ye kind one to another. 2. The exercise of mercy and tender-heartednesse, is another soveraign remedy against sinfull anger and all its branches, in so far, as thereby we are inabled to look upon the fooleries, infirmities, yea, and other greater injuries done by our neighbour with pity and compassion, which otherwise would provoke our anger and passion: for, he enjoyneth this as another remedy against all the branches of sinfull anger, Be ye tender-hearted. 3. Then, and not while then, may a man conclude, that wrath and anger are sufficiently mortified, when he is not only in a readinesse to discharge all duties of kindnesse and love to the party who hath injured him, but doth also look upon him for so doing, as one, who is an object of compassion and pity, rather than of passion and anger: for, in stead of bitternesse, wrath, anger and malice against those who had injured them, he injoyneth, And be ye kind one to another, and tender-hearted. 4. The exercise of kindnesse and tenderheartednesse, ought, and will go together, where there is a suitable object for both to work upon, so that kindnesse will not be broken off, because of the miseries and infirmities of those to whom we owe kindnesse, but rather heightened and helped by an addition of tender-heartednesse and bowels of compassion: for, he commandeth not only be ye kind one to another, which respecteth our neighbour under either state, whether of prosperity, or adversity, but also be tender-hearted, which respecteth him under misery. 5. Those graces of kindnesse and mercy, are to be exercised especially in the case of wrongs and injuries; yea, the reality of those graces are best tried, not by our exercising them to such as do us no hurt, but in bearing with, and pardoning of those who have given just cause of provocation by real injuries: for, the Apostle will have kindnesse and tender-heartednesse exercised in forgiving one another, which supponeth a wrong done. 6. Even those, who have gotten a heart from God to forgive wrongs done to themselves by others, are not so free of infirmities, but they will be sometimes doing reall injuries unto others, and therfore stand in need of forgivenesse themselves: for, so much is implyed, while he calleth for mutual performance of this duty, even forgiving one another. 7. Only those whom God hath forgiven for Christs sake, can freely, pleasantly, and from the fountain of true love in the heart, forgive those wrongs which are done to them by others: and the more a man hath attained to know, that God hath pardoned himself, he will be the more inclinable to shew forgivenesse unto others: for, he maketh their forgiving of others, a consequence of Gods forgiving them. And therefore, when the Scripture commandeth us to forgive, that we may be forgiven, Mark 11. 25. it doth not mean, that our forgiving others doth go before Gods pardoning of us, but is an immediate effect of it, or at the most an antecedent to our sensible perceiving of it; Forgiving one another, even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you. 8. That Gods practice in forgiving us, is an effectuall argument for exciting us to forgive and pardon one another, see upon Col. 3. 13. doct. 7. 9. The example of God in forgiving us, is not only an argument exciting us to forgive one another, but also a pattern, which we are to resemble in the manner of our forgivenesse; not, that our forgivenesse can match His in equality or perfection, but in similitude and likenesse: which consisteth chiefly in this, that we forgive sincerely, not hypocritically, freely and not unwillingly, fully and not by halfes, irrevocably and not for a time only, as He doth, Matth. 18. 35. Mica. 7. 18. Col. 2. 13. Jer. 31. 34: for, he saith, Forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you. 10. Though God hath freely forgiven us; yet He hath seen to the satisfaction of His provoked justice for the wrong done, antecedently to His forgiving of us: which satisfaction, is not exacted of us, but of Christ who was made sin for us, 2 Cor. 5. 21. And therefore, though we are to imitate God in remitting the private injury done to our selves, and that in the manner mentioned in the preceeding doctrine; yet we have not power to dispense with the injury done to the Justice of God, nor to the publick Laws of the Land; yea, in some cases, the Law of God alloweth that we pursue the party before the Judge, and notwithstanding of our forgiving him, to seek that the Law may strike against him, Deut. 21. 18, &c. Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you.