Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…

IV. Having made thy peace with God, then make thy peace with ⟨p. 70⟩men, by an hearty forgiving of all who have wronged thee. This is a duty to be performed by thee in the whole course of thy life, as any occasion thereof is given, without which the Lord will not accept of any Christian service, and sacrifice that thou offerest unto him; and therefore saith our Saviour,¹ When thou standest praying, forgive, if thou hast ought against any; for indeed, how canst thou ask God forgiveness of thy sins, when thou wilt not forgive man his offences against thee? How canst thou beg peace and reconciliation with thy heavenly Father, when thou wilt not be reconciled on earth to thy Brother? As therefore this Duty is to be performed by thee in the whole course of thy life, so especially in thy last Sickness, for thereby thou mayest gain some assurance in thine own Soul of the forgiveness of thy Sins committed against God; which our Saviour implieth in that expression of his, If ye forgive men their trespasses, ²your heavenly Father will also forgive you; wouldst thou therefore be assured of Gods mercy towards thee in the forgiveness of thy sins committed against him? search narrowly into thine own soul, and if thou canst find thou dost as heartily forgive thy Brother, as thou dost desire forgiveness of God, then mayest thou assure thy self of Gods mercy to thee in the forgiveness of thy sins committed against him; so much is hinted to us in the fifth Petition of the Lords Prayer, Forgive us our trespasses, ³as we forgive them that trespass against us; which latter clause is added, partly to stir us up, readily to forgive those who have wronged us; and partly to strengthen our faith in the assurance of the forgiveness of our sins committed against God, from our readiness to forgive those who have wronged us; in that our forgiving of our Brother is a fruit proceeding from Gods forgiving of us.

IV. Having made thy peace with God, then make thy peace with ⟨p. 70⟩men, by an hearty forgiving of all who have wronged thee. This is a duty to be perormed by thee in the whole course of thy life, as any occasion thereof is given, without which the Lord will not accept of any Christian service, and sacrifice that thou offerest unto him; and therefore saith our Saviour,