"If thy brother trefpafs against thee, go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone. If he fhall hear thee, thou haft gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more," and we are not to renounce all friendship with him, unless he refufe to hear the church, or the public congregation, who fhall approve our conduct, and cenfure his; which will shew that he was incorrigibly injurious, and not worthy of our friendship.

When Peter, alluding probably to fome maxims of the Scribes and Pharisees, asked Jefus (Matt.xviii. 21) how often he should forgive an offending brother, whether seven times? he answered, "I fay not unto thee until feven times, but until seventy times feven;" and upon this he recited the parable of the king who forgave one of his fervants a debt of a thoufand talents; but afterwards infifted upon the payment of it, when he heard that this very fervant, who had been fo greatly favoured, was inexorable to the intreaties of a fellow fervant, who owed him only a hundred pence; adding, (verfe 35) "So likewife fhall my heavenly Fa

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ther do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brethren their trefpaffes." When he taught his difciples how to pray, he laid particular stress, as we have feen, on this circumftance. For when we pray for the forgiveness of our fins, we are at the fame time to exprefs our readinefs to forgive those who trefpass against us; and after he had given his excellent form of prayer, he added, as if this had been that part of it which he thought to be of particular confequence, (Matt. vi. 14) "For if ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will your heavenly father forgive your trefpaffes." The duty of forgiveness, after the example of the divine compaffion to returning penitents, is likewife finely illuftrated in the parable of the prodigal fon, that was mentioned before.

Jefus was particularly careful to reprefs every thing that favoured of a spirit of revenge, and perfecution. When two of his difciples, James and John, were provoked at the behaviour of the inhabitants of fome village of the Samaritans, who refused to entertain them, and propofed to call for fire. from

from heaven to deftroy them, he turned and rebuked them; faying, (Luke ix. 55) "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the fon of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to fave them." And when he foretold, in his parable of the tares and the wheat, that corruptions would be introduced into his doctrine, he advised forbearance in the correction of them, and to leave all judgment to God, who would administer it at the proper time. For when the fervants of the perfon who had fowed the wheat obferved the tares among it, and afked him whether they should not go and pull them up, he said, (Matt. xiii. 29)“ No, left while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest, I will fay to the reapers, Gather ye first together the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barns."

With a view to enforce the duty of compaffion, forgiveness, generofity, and in short every focial duty, Jefus, in his firft difcourse, delivered this univerfal, moft excellent,

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lent, and useful maxim, being capable of the eafieft application. (Matt. vii. 12) "AlL things, whatfoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even fo to them; for this is the law and the prophets." This precept comprehends every branch of the duty that man owes to man.

Though we are not required to forgive, except in cafe of repentance, we are to entertain good will towards all perfons, even our declared enemies. This is one of the moft fublime precepts of the Gospel, and which Jefus enforced by the example of God, the univerfal parent. (Matt. v. 43) "Ye have heard that it has been faid, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I fay unto you, love your enemies. Blefs them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that defpitefully ufe you and perfecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven. For he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on the good, and fendeth rain on the juft and on the unjuft. For if ye love them who love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the pub

licans the fame? And if ye falute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans fo? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect."

In agreement with this, Jefus recommended a paffive difpofition as the reverse of a revengeful one, not indeed inviting, but not resisting injuries, (Matt. v. 38) "Ye have heard that it has been faid, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I fay unto you, that ye refift not evil, but whosoever fhall fmite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other alfo. And if any man will fue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him take thy cloak alfo." But that this language, which has the air of a proverbial manner of speaking, was only meant to indicate the general difpofition, and was not intended to be understood literally, is evident from our Saviour's own conduct. For when he was fmitten on his trial before the high priest, he did not invite farther abuse, but very properly remonstrated with the person who

fmote him.

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