and that without any just provocation; "but, on condition I might do your soul "good, I would give you leave to dash ❝out all the rest." Here is the excellency of a christian's spirit, above all the attainments of moral heathens: though they were excellent at many other things, yet they could never attain this forgiving spirit. It is the first office of justice (said Tully) to hurt no body, unless first provoked by an injury whereupon Lactantius, O quam simplicem veramque sententiam duorum verborum adjectione corrupit! What a dainty sentence spoiled the orator by adding those two last words! Strive then for this excellency of spirit, which is the proper excellency of christians; do some singular thing that others cannot do, and then you will have a testimony in their consciences: when Moses out did the magicions, they were forced to confess the finger of God in that business.

3 Rem. Consider well the quality of the person that hath wronged thee. Either he is a good man, or a wicked man, that hath done thee the injury: if he be a good man, there is light and tenderness in his conscience, and that will bring him at last to a sense of the evil he hath done; however Christ hath forgiven him greater injories than these, and why shouldst not

thou? Will not Christ upbraid him with any of those wrongs done to him, but frankly forgives him all; and wilt thou take him by the throat for some petty abuse that he hath done to thee?

Or, is he a wicked man? If so, truly you have more need to exercise pity than revenge towards him, and that upon a double account: for, 1, he is beside himself, so indeed is every unconverted singer, Luke xv. 17. Should you go into Bedlam, and there hear one rail at you, another mock you, and a third threaten you; would you say, I will be revenged upon them? No, you would rather go away pitying them. Alas, poor creatures! they are out of their wits, and know not what they do. Besides, 2, there is a day a coming, if they repent not, when they will have more misery than you can find in your hearts to wish them you need not study revenge, God's vengeance sleepeth not, and will shortly take place upon them; and is not that enough? Have they not an eternity of misery coming? If they repent not, this must be the portion of their cup; and, if ever they do repent, they will be ready to make you reparation.

4 Rem. Keep down thy heart by this consideration, that by revenge thou canst

but satisfy a lust, but by forgiveness thou shalt conquer a lust.

Suppose by revenge thou shouldst destroy one enemy, I will shew thee how by forgiving thou shalt conquer three; thine own lust, the devil's temptation, and thine enemy's heart and is not this a more glorious conquest? If by revenge thou overcome thine enemy, yet (as Bernard saith) unhappy victory, when, by overcoming another man, thou art overcome by thine own corruption : but this way you may obtain a glorious conquest indeed. What an honourable and dry victory did David this way obtain over Saul? 1 Sam. xxiv. 16, 17. And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words, that Saul lift up his voice and wept; and he said to David, thou art more righteous than I.

It must be a very disingenuous nature indeed, upon which meekness and forgivehess will not work; a stony heart, which this fire will not melt. To this sense is that, Prov. xxv. 21. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Some will have it a sin punishing fire, but others an heart melting fire to be sure, it will either melt his heart, or aggravate bis

misery. Augustine thinks that Stephen's prayers for his enemies, was the great ineans of Paul's conversion.

5 Rem. Seriously propound this question to thy own heart, have I got any good by the wrongs and injuries received, or have I not? If they have done you no good, turn the revenge upon yourselves : O that I should have such a bad heart, that can get no good out of such troubles! O that my spirit should be so unlike to Christ's! The patience and meekness of other christians have turned ail the inju ries thrown at them, into precious stones; the spirits of others have been raised in blessing God: when they have been loaded with reproaches by the world, they have bound them as an ornament to their necks. I could even be proud upon it, (said Luther) that I have a bad name among wicked men. To the same purpose Jerome sweetly, I thank my God, that I am worthy to be hated of the world. Thus their hearts were provoked by injuries to magnify God, and bless him for them; it it work contrary with me, I have cause enough to be filled with self displacency.

If you have got any good by them, if the reproaches and wrongs you have received, have made you search your bearts the more, watch your ways the more mar

rowly; if their wronging you, have made you see how you have wronged God; then let me say for them, as Paul did for himself, pray forgive them this wrong.

What, can you not find an heart to forgive one that hath been instrumental of so much good to you? That is strange ! What though they meant it for evil? Yet, it God hath turned it to good, you have no more reason to rage against the instrument, than he had, who received a wound from his enemy, which only brake and let out that imposthume, which otherwise had been his death.

6 Rem. It is of excellent use to keep the heart from revenge, to look up and eye the first cause by which all our troubles are ordered.

This will calm and meeken our spirits quickly. Never did a wicked tongue try the patience of a saint more than David's was tried by that railing Shimei; yet the spirit of this good man was not at all poisoned with revenge, though he goes along cursing and casting stones at him all the way; yea, though Abishai offered David, if he pleased, the head of that enemy: but the king said, what have I to do with you, ye son of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the Lord said, unto him, curse David : who shall then say