A Saint Indeed

1. Remed. Urge upon thy heart the seve•e prohibitions of revenge by the law of God. Remember that this is forbidden fruit, how pleasing and luscious soever it be to our vitiated appetites, O saith nature, revenge is sweet; O but saith God, the effects thereof shall be bitter: how plainly hath God interdicted this flesh pleasing sin, Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recompense evil. Prov. 24. 29. Say not I w•ll do so to him as he hath done to me. Rom. 12. 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil. and v. 19. Avenge not your selves but rather give place to wrath: nay that's not all, but Prov. 25. 21. If thine enemy •unger, feed him, if he thirst give him drink. The word feed him, as Critics observe, signifies to feed cheerfully and tenderly, as birds do their young ones: The Scripture is a great friend to the peace and tranquillity of humane societies, which can never be preserved, if revenge be not deposed; it was wont to be an argument urged by the Christians to prove their religion to be supernatural ⟨p. 119⟩and pure, that it forbids revenge which is so sweet to nature; and verily 'tis a thousand pities such an argument should be lost. Well then awe your hearts with the authority of God in these Scriptures: and when carnal reason saith, mine enemy deserves to be hated, let Conscience reply, but doth God deserve to be disobeyed? thus, and thus he hath done, and so he hath wronged me: but what hath God done that I should wrong him? if he dare be so bold to break the peace, shall I be so wicked to break the precept? i• he fears not to wrong me, shall not I fear to wrong God? O let the fear of Gods threatenings repress such sinful motions.

1. Remed. Urge upon thy heart the seve•e prohibitions of revenge by the law of God. Remember that this is f•rbidden fruit, how pleasing and luscious soever it be to our vitiated appetites, O saith nature, revenge is sweet; O but saith God, the effects thereof shall be bitter: how plainly hath God interdicted this flesh pleasing sin,