3. The Sons of God imitate God in his Love and Goodness to all Men. Our Saviour amplifies this excellent property of God, He causeth his Sun to shine upon good and bad; and thence he concludeth, Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1Goodness to bad men is the highest degree of Grace, and as it were the perfection of all: O my Soul, Canst thou imitate God in this? Consider how thy Father bears it; though the wicked provoke him day by day, yet for all that he doth not quickly revenge; ⟨p. 150⟩vengeance indeed is only his, and he may in justice do what he will that way; and 'tis the opinion of some, that if the most patient man in the world should but sit in Gods Throne one day, and see, and observe the doings, and miscarriages of the Sons of Men, he would quickly set all the World on Fire; yet God seeth all, and for all that He doth not make the Earth presently to gape, and devour us; He puts not out the glorious Light of the Sun, He doth not dissolve the Work of Creation, He doth not for Mans Sin presently blast every thing into Dust: What an excellent pattern is this for thee to Write after? Canst thou but forgive thy Enemies? Do well to them that do evil to thee? O this is a sure sign of Grace and Sonship! It is storied of some Heathens, who beating a Christian almost to Death, asked him, What great matter Christ did ever do for him? Even this (said the Christian) That I can forgive you, though you use me thus cruelly; here was a Child of God indeed: It is a sweet resemblance of our Father, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, to Love our Enemies, to Bless them that Curse us, to do Good unto them that Hate us, to Pray for them that Despitefully use us, and Persecute us. O my Soul look to this,2 consult this ground of Hope; if this Law be written in thy Heart, write it down amongst thy Evidences, that thou art Gods Son, yea that even unto thee a Son is given.
3. The Sons of God imitate God in his Love and Goodness to all Men. Our Saviour amplifies this excellent property of God, He causeth his Sun to shine upon good and bad; and thence he concludeth, Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1Goodness to bad men is the highest degree of Grace, and as it were the perfection of all: O my Soul, Canst thou imitate God in this? Consider how thy Father bears it; though the wicked provoke him day by day, yet for all that he doth not quickly revenge; ⟨p. 150⟩vengeance indeed is only his, and he may in justice do what he will that way; and 'tis the opinion of some, that if the most patient man in the world should but sit in Gods Throne one day, and see, and observe the doings, and miscarriges of the Sons of Men, he would quickly set all the World on Fire; yet God seeth all, and for all that He doth not make the Earth presently to gape, and devour us; He puts not out the glorious Light of the Sun, He doth not dissolve the Work of Creation, He doth not for Mans Sin presently blast every thing into Dust: What an excellent pattern is this for thee to Write after? Canst thou but forgive thy Enemies? Do well to them that do evil to thee? O this is a sure sign of Grace and Sonship! It is storyed of some Heathens, who beating a Christian almost to Death, asked him, What great matter Christ did ever do for him? Even this (said the Christian) That I can forgive you, though you use me thus cruelly; here was a Child of God indeed: It is a sweet resemblance of our Father, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, to Love our Enemies, to Bless them that Curse us, to do Good unto them that Hate us, to Pray for them that Despitefully use us, and Persecute us. O my Soul look to this,2 consult this ground of Hope; if this Law be written in thy Heart, write it down amongst thy Evidences, that thou art Gods Son, yea that even unto thee a Son is given.
- 1Mat. 5.48.
- 25.44.
