An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…

So the man, who having suffered wrong, goes about to revenge himself, takes revenging work out of Gods hand, and shall be righted no further then he can right himself, which is but little, if any thing at all; whereas if he would give place to the wrath of God; that is, Let God alone, by such ways as his Justice shall raise up, to right him, against his adversary, he would right him fully. So that our Interest doth not lye in returning evil for evil, but in returning good for evil to our enemies; as Saint Paul concludes (Rom. 13.20.) Therefore if thine Enemy hunger, feed him, of he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. That is, thou shalt either melt and mollify his spirit towards thee, as hardest metals are by coals of fire (some such melting we may see in Saul towards David, when he forbore to take vengeance on him (1 Sam. 24.16. Chap. 26.21.) or thou shalt heap coals of divine vengeance upon him, by making his malice and hatred against thee more inexcusable: Which latter though it may be looked upon as a consequent of our doing good to our Enemies, yet we must take heed of making it the end why we do so, for that were to seek revenge while we forbear it, and to do good for that end, were to be overcome of evil; which the Apostle forbids in the close of that Chapter.

So the man, who having suffered wrong, goes about to revenge himselfe, takes revenging worke out of Gods hand, and shall be righted no further then hee can right himselfe, which is but little, if any thing at all; whereas if he would give place to the wrath of God; that is, Let God alone, by such wayes as his Justice shall raise up, to right him, against his adversary, he would right him fully. So that our Interest doth not lye in returning evill for evill, but in returning good for evill to our enemies; as Saint Paul concludes (Rom. 13.20.) Therefore if thine Enemy hunger, feed him, of he thirst, give him drinke; for in so doing, thou shalt heape cooles of fire on his head. That is, thou shalt eyther melt and mollifie his spirit towards thee, as hardest mettals are by coales of fire (some such melting we may see in Saul towards David, when he forbore to take vengeance on him (1 Sam. 24.16. Chap. 26.21.) or thou shalt heape coales of divine vengeance upon him, by making his malice and hatred against thee more inexcusable: Which latter though it may be looked upon as a consequent of our doing good to our Enemies, yet we must take heed of making it the end why we doe so, for that were to seeke revenge while we forbeare it, and to doe good for that end, were to be overcome of evill; which the Apostle forbids in the close of that Chapter.