The great difficulty of forgiving one another. [ 609]
IT is worthy observation,* 1.1 and such as are conversant amongst little children, know it to be true, That when they are taught to say the Lords Prayer, they are usually out at that Petition, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that tres∣pass against us, The reason is, because of the harshnesse of the sound, the reiterati∣on of one and the same words, the multiplicity of the Consonants, and the like. It were to be wished, that that which they are so often out at, we could be more frequently in at, that what is not easie for their shallow heads to conceive, may not be too hard for our more experimental hearts to practise; But it is hard indeed, why else did Christ make a Comment on that Petition,* 1.2 passing by the other five, when he taught his Disciples to pray? And hence it is that injuries are registred in sheets of Marble to all Posterity, whilst benefits are written in the sand, ready to be dashed out by the foot of the next that passeth by.