The Most Difficult Duty Made Easy, Part 3
Concerning thy ſelf, ſpeak on to this purpoſe.
1. Thouſands and ten Thouſands of God's Pardons have I needed, and daily need. Therefore I will Forgive. Multiplied Pardons hold me out of Hell; to Pardon will I ever multiply, therefore. Leſt God ſay to me, O thou wicked Servant, I forgive thee all that Debt, ſhouldeſt not thou have had compaſſion on thy Fellow-Servant, even as I had pity on thee? Mat. 18.32, 33.
2. I have and ſhall ever need abundance of Mens Forgiveneſs. Therefore I will Forgive. O my Soul, Take no heed unto all words that are ſpoken. For, oftentimes thine own Heart knoweth, that thou thy ſelf haſt Curſed others. Eccleſ. 7.21, 22.
3. I have my Self, times without number, Wronged my own Soul. Therefore I will Forgive. No Man, no Devil, hath had the Power, ſo much to injure me, as I have my ſelf, injured my ſelf. And what can I love an injurious ſelf, and not an injurious Neighbour? There be thouſands of Motives to forgive the worſt Enemies, in that one Text, He that Sinneth, wrongeth his own Soul. Prov. 8.36.
4. I ſhall Sin on againſt God, againſt Men, and againſt my own Soul, if I do not Forgive every Enemy I have. Therefore I will Forgive. Horror, where art thou come ſeize me, in the thought of Renouncing God, enraging Men, murdering my own Soul! The Queſtion is a Thunderbolt; After thy hardneſs and impenitent Heart, treaſureſt thou up unto thy ſelf Wrath, againſt the Day of Wrath, and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God? Rom. 2.5.
5. I ſhall raze God's Image out of my Soul, and print the Devil's Image upon it, if I do not Forgive. Therefore I will Forgive. My Saviour tells me I muſt Forgive, that I may be like my Father in Heaven, Matth. 5.45. And his Apoſtle tells me, I muſt not let the Sun go down upon my Wrath, [my Unforgiving Wrath] leſt I give place [or entertainment] to the Devil. Epheſ. 4.26, 27. What then, ſhall I ſay in the Language of Practice, I will not be like God, I will be like the Devil? God forbid.
6. I muſt not Pray with any hope of God's granting my Prayer, if I do not Forgive. Therefore I will Forgive. In Nature, I can't Live without Breathing, nor in Grace without Praying. But, if no Forgiving, there is no Praying. There is no right Lifting up of the holieſt Hands, but without VVrath, 1 Tim. 2.8. Chriſt's Rule for Prayer is utterly broke by the leaſt Unforgiving Anger. Vainly I bow my Knees, if I do not Forgive my Enemies. And vainly, and worſe I Live, if I do not Pray. If I were never to pray any more, I were better Live no more: Yea, though I ſunk into the Lake of Fire. But, My Saviour is expreſs, If you forgive not Men, neither will your Father forgive your Treſpaſſes. Matth. 6.15.
7. I muſt not come to the Lord's Table, unleſs I Forgive. Therefore I will Forgive. Fearful! Fearful! What ſhall I be kept away as a Dog, from the Table of my Lord? Yes: For, if I have not Charity, I am Nothing. 1 Cor. 13. 2, 3, 7. And who will admit to the Holy Feaſt, a Wretch that hath nothing appearing of the Holy Spirit? As long as I am Unreconciled to Men, I am excommunicated from the gracious Preſence of God. But forbid, good God, that it ſhould be ſaid of my Perſon, Purge out that old (ſowr) Leaven, that ye may be a new Lump, (a Holy Society)! 1 Cor. 5.7.
8. I ſhall not be able to Hear the Word of God with hope of Profit, if I do not Forgive. Therefore I will Forgive. Wo is me! I cannot look to have God to be my Saviour, if his Word be not his Power to my Salvation. But, for ought I ſee, his Word is not likely to ſave any Soul, ſave ſuch as do receive it with Meekneſs. That is, with an humble ſubmiſſive frame of Spirit. Jam. 1.21. But where is my Meekneſs, when God, Men and my own Heart ſee my Stubborneſs? And my Implacableneſs ſaith in the Language of Practice, If God will teach none but meek Sinners, I will be none of his Scholars! while I am ſo Croſs, I am plainly under God's Curſe. But I do not Submit to my God, if I do not Remit all whom he commands me.
9. I ſhall not be taken into the Company of any good and wiſe Man, if I do not Forgive. Therefore I will Forgive. 'Tis Hell upon Earth to be in ill Company: 'tis the Curſe of Curſes therefore, to be caſt off by good Company. But what a word is that, Make no friendſhip with an ANGRY Man, [or an Unforgiving one;] and with a FƲ RIOƲS Man thou ſhalt not go, [thou ſhalt not Converſe with him;] Leſt thou learn his Ways, and get a Snare to thy Soul. Prov. 22.24, 25. What remains then, but that I reſolve to forgive every Enemy, or Live without one Friend? For till I do forgive, God, Angels and Saints turn from me. And I have only the Devil, and his ill Men and Angels for my Company. Well, if it were but for the company of God's Servants, I would put up a thouſand Affronts.
10. I ſhall Sin wilfully, and not of Infirmity, if I do not Forgive. Therefore I will Forgive. O what is all Sin? but of all, of what a Crimſon die is wilful Sin? Now, let me think; I am Ʋnregenerate, or Regenerate. If Ʋnregenerate; ſuch Mens Ʋnableneſs to obey God, is certainly, their Ʋnwillingneſs. Their Impotence is a Moral one. But, if I am Regenerate, 'tis ſure, I am able to overcome Evil with Good.
In firſt Converſion, the holy Spirit giveth an ability to obey all God's Commands with a Sincerity that ſhall be accepted; that through the Grace of the New Covenant, ſhall be accepted. I believe that Text; Whatſoever is born of God, overcometh the World; i. e. the World's Temptations to diſobey God. 1 John 5.4. A wilful Sinner, is the Devil's livelieſt Picture!
11. I ſhall either Convert my Enemies, or be Rewarded of God for endeavouring it, if I do Forgive them. Therefore I will Forgive. To Convert one Soul, is more than to ſave the Lives of all the Bodies in this World. And to Forgive an injurious Man's Sin, is a direct means to convert his Soul: At leaſt, to endear him; and ſo make him Attentive, and Flexible, to my Counſels for his Salvation. O that Rom. 12.10. were duly ſtudied! But, what if my Kindneſs doth not Convert my Enemy? Will not God accept my good Will, Yes; he will reward it, and praiſe it. He will ſay to me, as he did to David, For as much as it was in thine Heart,—thou didſt well that it was in thine Heart. 2 Chron. 6.8.
12. I ſhall not be able to reſt in all other poſſible Evidences for Heaven, if this one of Forgiving my Enemies be wanting. Therefore I will Forgive. Miſerable is every Life on Earth, that is without Evidences for Heaven. But imperfect are all Evidences, and Ʋndemonſtrative, if this indiſpenſable one, be miſſing. Let me be ever of his Mind, who was a Man after God's own Heart; So let me think as he thought and ſpoke; Then ſhall I not be Aſhamed when I have reſpect to all thy Commandments, Pſal. 119.6. All the Evidences that can be heaped together will ſignify little in a dying Hour; unleſs Conſcience telleth us, that we have been like Zacharias and his Wife; Righteous before God, walking in All the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameleſs. Luke 1.6.