In order to come to a full knowledge of thefe words, we must first enquire in what extent they are to be understood; for in the fame extent that we pray to be forgiven, it is our duty to forgive. Now when we pray to God to forgive us our trespasses, we do not only mean that he shall not punish us for them, but also that he should restore us to the fame degree of love and favour that we stood in before we finned, that he would extend the goodness of his Providence to us, and vouchfafe us both temporal and eternal bleffings. Of what great importance it is to us to be thus restored to God's favour is obvious to any one; but there is one condition annexed to it which is to be feared does fometimes prevent men from attempting it, and this is the forgiveness of our enemies; by which we are not to understand the mere abstaining

from

from hurting them, but also the seeking every opportunity to do them good.

We ought according to our Saviour's command to love our enemies, bless them that curfe us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which defpitefully use and perfecute us. This is the defcription that our Saviour gives us of this duty, and the greatest objection against the practice of it arises from the vaft difficulty that is fuppofed to attend it. Many have gone fo far as to fay it might be performed by an holy Apostle or perfect Saviour, but was without the reach of a common Christian; and indeed in our prefent circumstances, the corruption of our nature, the violence of our paffions, and the mistaken notions of the world confidered, it is of all Christian duties by far the most difficult to perform. But fince God has made it the condition

upon which we are to expect forgiveness, it is abfolutely neceffary for us to perform it, before we can have any title to the promife; for as our Saviour affures us, if ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trefpaffes.

If we confider in how much greater a degree we have offended against God, than it is poffible for any one to offend against us, we fhall foon fee the reasonableness of performing the condition for the reward annexed to it. The hopes of having our fins pardoned, and obtaining eternal falvation fhould certainly appear of fuch value in our fight, as no labour however hard, no tafk however difficult fhould deter us from fuch great expectations, much lefs fhould

the

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the reasonable duty of doing as we would be done by, of forgiving others that we ourfelves may obtain forgiveness. If God is willing to remit to us a debt of fo vaft amount as ten thousand talents, fhall we, with the wicked fervant in the Gospel, rigorously exact from a fellow fervant the payment of an hundred pence? Should not we also have compaffion on our fellow fervants even as God has pity on us?

There are many motives to enforce the forgiveness of injuries befides this, and one of these is, that it is an action truly great and honourable. Whatever advantages an high and revengeful spirit may have in the eyes of the world, and however mean it may be esteemed to put up and forgive injuries, Religion teaches us quite a different leffon. It inftructs us that nothing can be truly honourable, which is not truly good, that

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that nothing can be truly good which is not agreeable to the will of God; and that nothing can be agreeable to the will of God which is contrary to the laws his bleffed Son has given us in the Gofpel; and these prescribe to us to be meek as he is meek, and lowly as he is lowly.

But to defcend from Religion to the opinion of the world. If there is any honour in gaining a victory, then is the forgiveness of injuries truly honourable. It places us in eminence above our enemy, it gives us an invinfible fuperiority over him, it makes us proof against all his devices, and unhurt by all his attacks; we either make him our friend, or convince mankind that he ought not to be our enemy; we either deprive him of the inclination to prejudice us, or fubject him to the contempt of all good men if he perfeveres in it;

and