fo much Paffion and Inadvertency, as have SERM, made, and will again make him, ftand in X. Need of his Neighbour's Forgiveness, no Doubt but he will allow others to be full as weak as himself, And how then can he deny them the Indulgence which he wants and defires upon Occafion, and to which they have the fame Title and Neceffity. But if he enter into Comparisons, and will judge others more, and more frequently, faulty; Are they not alfo more unhappy of Temper, more light and feeble of Judgment and Refolution? That will probably be granted; and then the fame must be granted a good Ground for the Forgiving greater and frequenter Faults, For he cannot be clear that they are at all greater or more frequent than his own, with Proportion to each Perfon's different Abilities and Tempers. This Doctrine then is plainly a Branch of that great Rule, All Things whatsoever ye would that Men bould do to you, do ye even fo to them: That Rule which is the Law and the Prophets, and the Gospel too: That Rule which no Man in the World ever lived fo much in Defiance of, as not to ap

SERM, prove (many Times at leaft) within his
X. own Heart. Thus you fee a Concurrence

of all Authorities, of Reafon and of Re-
ligion, binding us to forgive our
our Bro-
ther that trefpaffes against us, and turns.
again to us, and fhews his Repentance of
the Injury.

And as the Equity and Obligation of this Duty are fignally great, fo the Occafions to practise it are to many Men extremely frequent. We live in the Midft of Frailty and Prefumption, of poor Apprehenfions, fhort and weak Reafoning joined in Company with high Confidence, ftrong Defires, and fierce Refentments. And what can be the Fruits of all this, but an almost continual Offending, and making Satisfaction, and (if we will do our Duty) forgiving one another? But befides the Real Occafions of forgiving, there may be a Multitude of Inftances, wherein fomething may be required of us under that Name and Pretence, or our own Thoughts may moleft us with Scruples, in Matters upon which the Law of God has made no Determination. We have therefore great Caufe to ftudy well the

X.

Extent of this Duty, and the ftrong Mo- SER M. tives, fo neceffary to the Peace of our Confcience and the Title of our Salvation, and of fuch daily Ufe; when yet our Ignorance or Difobedience in it brings an Ab-1 furdity at least, and Disablement, upon our daily Prayers, Forgive us as we forgive.

For this Reafon, the two remaining Points of my former Difcourfe fhall be examin'd. They are the Reparation of Damage fuftained, and the Provifion for Security in' the Time to come: And to these the Condition in the Text, if he repent, is clearly applicable. For Reafon teaches us, that we have a natural Right to be indemnified for what we have wrongfully fuffer'd, at the Charge of the Wrongdoer; and to use a special Caution for the Future against the Perfons that have mark'd themselves with the Character of Injurious. And although the Exerting thefe Rights be fometimes called revenging ourselves, yet is it not, strictly speaking, of that Nature, but a Pursuit of Justice and may be (as it ought to be) abftracted from all Malevolence and Paffion that delights in Evil. There is indeed apt to

be

SERM. be a faulty Mixture; and when People are X. profecuting the Recovery of their Lofs, or

guarding against farther Mischief, they entertain often a malicious Joy in the deferved Sufferings of the Offender. But this is to be purged out. For Charity can allow us to take no Pleasure at the Suffering of any Man, unless in the pure View of Difcipline, Example, and Amendment. For want of diftinguishing these Things, and by mifunderstanding a Paf fage in St. Paul, fome have taught, that Christianity forbids us going to Law. But fuch Refinements ferve only to vex inno eent People with Scruples, and expofe Religion to others as irrational and impracti cable. Indeed, if Men cannot go to Law without Fraud and Covetoufnefs, vexatious Arts, and Breach of Charity, then they muft not; for thefe Things are forbidden. But fince they may be feparated from our Suits, though it is done (it must be con+ fefs'd) too too feldom; the Command had need be very plain and direct, (and we know of none fuch) that should disarm us of the Inftruments of Security provided by the Justice and Prudence of Ages, and

at

at once cut the main Bond of Civil So- SERM? ciety and all Temporal Enjoyments.

Let us therefore return to the Points propounded and first, Reparation. 'A Man has fuffer'd in his Perfon, or Sub ftance, or good Name, by the Fault of another, whether of Malice, or Co vetoufnefs, or Neglect of any Truft or Duty; it is natural, I fay, for him to think of being restored to the Condition he was in before, and that by the fame Hand by which he loft it; or, if that is in Nature impoffible, to obtain something in↓ ftead of it, as near as may be of equal Value to him, We are to examine, whe ther the Law of Religion forbid the Pro fecuting this Thought. Now for the bet ter determining this, and clearing the whole Matter, where our Duty to forgive, and our Right to be repaired, come under joint Confideration; it may be neceffary to lay down diftinct States of the various Circumftances which occur, because the Diversity of Circumftances diverfifies our Obligation..

First, we will fuppofe 'the offending Party condemns his own Action, and, bei

ing

X.