tied it fafter. He hath not only given us a fpecial law concerning it, but he hath caufed us to acknowledge it daily in our prayers; and that, at the fame time when we desire forgiveness of God our felves, and defire to be forgiven as we forgive others.

And now that you may fee the utmost ftrength of this obligation, I shall add, that we ought not to efteem it fo difficult to forgive, as it appears at first, and as most men make it; becaufe, there is much more reason why we should forgive others, than why we should expect that God will forgive us.

It happens very frequently amongst men, that those who are injured gave some provocation beforehand. Where wrong is complained of, the fault is often on both fides, though more perhaps on the one fide than on the other. But this cannot be faid, to excufe our fins against God. He never did us any harm, nor can we lay any matter of accufation against him. Now should it not be an eafy thing for us to forgive, who ftand in need to be forgiven, not only by God, but by our neighbour too? And yet

it is commonly observed, that they who are most ready to do injuries, are the most backward to forgive them, but in reason they fhould be moft forward.

Moreover; When a man is wronged upon a provocation given, yet the injury that is done to him is not capable of thofe aggravations, which his own fins against God are loaded with. For no man is or can be fo obliged to another, as every man is to God. Therefore let us fuppofe, that another man hath requited us evil for good, which is the highest kind of aggravation that one man's fins against another can admit; yet what is the benefit, which we can pretend to be the authors of to him, to those innumerable bleffings which God conferred upon our felves? Did he not give us our being? Doth he not daily preferve us? Hath he not given his only fon to die for us; and promised us an everlasting reward in the kingdom of heaven? Are not these benefits infinitely beyond any thing, or all those things put together, for which we may pretend to deferve well of our neighbour, if they were ten thousand times greater than they are? And therefore we defire of God

to forgive us greater fins and trefpaffes, which we have committed against God, than we can forgive another.

More particularly; The measure of our forgiveness may be estimated from the following inftances.

First of all, We defire to be forgiven all the fins that we have been guilty of: We would not have God enter into judgment with us for any of them, much less for the greatest of all. And therefore, if we forgive, as we defire to be forgiven, it is very plain, that we muft alfo forgive all, even the greatest wrongs, that are done to us by our neighbour, without referving ill will to his perfon, upon the account of

any, tho' the greatest affront and injury that we ever received from him.

But, alas, how contrary is our practice to our prayers? We have much ado, and it is not without much struggling with our selves, that we can settle our paffions, that we can clear our felves of fpiteful and malicious thoughts, when we have received a very fmall and inconfiderable wrong. What hurt is done to us in comparison, if when we are in health and at eafe, when we are

under no ftraits, and in no distress, when we live in plenty, and in good fecurity; what great hurt, I fay, is done to us by a difgraceful word, by a spiteful infinuation, or a base reflection? How many bleffings have we about us, to yield us good comfort, which contribute incomparably more to our welfare, than fo petty an affault can do to our harm? And yet we have much ado, to keep our hearts from boiling into refentment and difdain against the injurious man, though he hath done us no mischief that deferves our confideration.

But if we overcome our felves upon these trifling accounts, and are in charity with the wrong doer, this is yet but the very leaft part of our duty; for we were obliged to forgive him, though the injury had been never fo great. But this is what we use to say upon fuch occafions: If it had not been fo violent an affront, fo undoing a flander, fo intolerable a wrong, I could. have paffed it by, I could eafily have admitted terms of reconciliation; but this is beyond all fufferance, and I cannot bring my felf to be in charity with so great an enemy, or to forbear revenge.

But now that which I fay is this: Would we have God thus to deal with us? Do we defire him to forgive us only our least and moft excufable offences, and to treasure up wrath against us for the greatest of all! Or rather, do we not intend to beg his pardon of the greateft, with the greatest concern? But then let us have a care that we do not baffle this intention, by our revengefulness upon receiving great injuries from others; but let us forgive them all, if we defire that God fhould do fo by us.

Again: We defire to be forgiven Speedily. We would not have the wrath of God to rest upon us, for a day, or a moment; left we should be cut off in his juft displeasure. Now it is well, if moft men can obtain of themselves, to forgive after some time, when they have had leifure to cool, and begin to be tired with their own anger and paffionate refentments. But if we would forgive, as we defire to be forgiven, we must make hafte to be reconciled, we muft not let the fun go down upon our wrath.

Very unfit therefore are we for God's forgiveness, when our hearts fwell with malice and difdain, and fret with bitter and re

vengeful