A01975:1422
A guide to go to GodA guide to goe to God
A guide to go to God: or, An explanation of the perfect pattern of prayer, the Lords prayer. By William Gouge, B. in D. and minister of Gods Word in Black-Friars LondonA guide to goe to God: or, An explanation of the perfect patterne of prayer, the Lords prayer. By William Gouge, B. in D. and minister of Gods Word in Black-Friers London
London: printed by G. Miller for Edward Brewster, 1626
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Q. What if by the wrong a man doth me, I observe such infirmity, yea and iniquity to be in him,1 as by experience I find him to be a far other man then at first I supposed him to be, ought I notwithstanding to make such account of him as I did before?
Q. What if by the wrong a man doth me, I obserue such infirmitie, yea and iniquitie to be in him,1 as by experience I finde him to bee a farre other man then at first I supposed him to bee, ought I notwithstanding to make such account of him as I did before?
- 1Direction for carriage of our selves to wrongdoets.Direction for cariage of our selues to wrongdoets.
A. We must put difference betwixt a wrong done upon such an occasion as may afterwards be avoided, and that which ⟨p. 187⟩is done upon an evil disposition, which remaining in a man, may be a means to make him continue to do more and more wrongs. The wrong of the former must be so forgiven, as the wrong doer be so accepted as if he had done no wrong at all. As for the latter, we are to try if he may be brought to sight of his evil disposition, and to repentance for the same. If he be, then ought we to esteem him as if he never had done us any hurt. But if obstinately he persist in that evil disposition, and be like, on all occasions, again and again to wrong us, though we do, as we ought, fully forgive all the wrongs done, and neither take any present revenge, nor keep them in mind and memory for any future revenge, yet may we in our judgement esteem him to be such an one as we find him to be.1 (Woe to them that call evil good: that put light for darkness, and sweet for bitter.) For example, if I find one of whom I have had a very good account, and thereupon used him very familiarly, to have no command of his tongue, but on all occasions to be ready to blab out, and blaze abroad whatsoever he seeth or heareth, if therein he have wronged me, I may forbear to use him so familiarly as I did before, and take heed what secrets I communicate to him, though I fully forgive the wrong that is past. Or if I have accounted one to be an entire friend to me, but by experience find him to be hollow-hearted, and maliciously minded against me, I ought wisely and warily to avoid his society, and to take heed of the snares which he layeth for me.