PLINY writes of two ill-natured goats that met upon a narrow bridge, over a great stream. The bridge was so narrow that the one could not pass by the other; and if they had striven, and fought it out, it had been present danger of drowning to them both; but at last, one of them lying down, and becoming a bridge to the other, both were saved.
The example of that brute beast may tell us it is better to let persons trample upon us sometimes, than, by squabbling and discord, to endanger the drowning and destroying of both ourselves and others. A man, meditating revenge, cannot go to God and say, as Christ hath taught him: “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive them that trespass against us.” If you say this petition, with a heart full of revenge, you do nothing but imprecate a curse upon yourself; and that God would deal with you as you deal with your brother. If you are careless about prayer, God’s anger is ready to be poured out (Jer. x. 25). If you do pray, then your prayer is a cart rope, to pull down vengeance upon you. “But,” say you, “should my neighbour abuse me at this rate?” No, indeed; but, because he hath broken one command, in wronging you, will you break another in malicious revenge against him? You answer, “Flesh and blood cannot endure the wrong I sustain.” I reply, “Flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore if you come there, flesh and blood will be mortified, and not consulted with.” “Why,” say you, “I shall be reckoned a fool, a sot, an idiot, if I should put up with such an affront?” But hear, the wisdom of God by the mouth of Solomon, saith, “It is the glory of a man to pass by an injury.” And what doth your carnal wisdom, in opposition to God’s wisdom?
Ah! let the world judge as they please, it is greater credit for a man to overcome himself and his revengeful affections than to overcome his enemies, either at the bar or in the field. “Well,” say you, “I shall forgive you, but I cannot forget.” Observe what one remarks in Cyprian—that though he had an excellent memory for all things else, yet he could never remember an injury; so ill was his memory on that score, which was his excellence. But we may observe, on the contrary, that men have such ill memories that they forget all things else almost; yet they have such good memories that they will remember injuries never so long—yea, they will never forget them, but mind to resent and revenge them after many years. Ask many a person concerning a sermon. “Alas! I have the worst memory in the world; I am so forgetful. I would give anything for a good memory.” And yet, perhaps, they will mind an injury for twenty years. O! if God so forgives our sins as yet not to forget them, what would become of us?—Extracted.