of our accounts; yet they imply something of modesty and ingenuous acknowledgement, and men may repent and forsake what they already condemn. But in the instance of loving enemies, and pardoning offences, many are so bold and impudent, that, instead of obeying, they quarrel with the law as impossible and unjust; passing sentence upon that by which themselves must be judged. How unreasonable is it (say they) that we should love those that hate us? What congruity between that act and those objects! Can cold snow produce heat, or enmity beget affection? Must we be insensible of the injuries we meet with, or reward him that offers them? Must we dissolve the principles of our nature, and cease to be men, that we may become Christians? These, and such like, are either the expressions or thoughts of too many among us! and either Christ must come down in his offers, and remit somewhat of the rigour of his laws, or else all the promises of the gospel, all the pleasures of the other world, shall not engage them to his obedience. They will rather choose to burn in eternal flames of fury and discord, than live at peace with those that have wronged them.

It can therefore never be unseasonable to press a duty so very necessary, yet so much neglected. The text I have chosen for this purpose is very plain and clear:Love your enemies. But, because many do strain the precept to some such sense as may suit with their own practice, we shall first search into the importance of it, and then persuade you to perform it. The full meaning and importance of the precept will appear, if we consider, first, Who they are whom we are commanded to love; and secondly, Wherein the love we owe them does consist.

The persons whom we are commanded to love, are called our enemies. And lest we should istake them, they are clearly described in the following words:-The fountain of their enmity is within. They are those who hate us; who envy our happiness, who wish our misery, and abhor our persons and society. But, were this fire kept within their breast, it might well scorch themselves,

it could not prejudice us: but out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; their malice does sharpen their tongues. They are farther described as those that curse us; they vent their wrath in oaths and imprecations, secret calumnies, and open reproaches. Nor are their hands always bound up; they use us despitefully, and procure us mischief. Now, if our love must be extended to all these, we shall hardly find any whom we dare safely exclude. Of our private enemies there can be no question. But what shall be said of the enemies of our country, I see no warrant to exclude them from our charity. We may indeed lawfully oppose their violent invasion, and defend our rights with the sword, under the banner of the public magistrate, to whom such authority is committed: but all this may be done with as little malice and hatred as a judge may punish a malefactor; the general may be as void of passion as the lord chief justice; and the soldier, as the executioner. But charity will oblige a prince never to have recourse to the sword, till all other remedies fail; to blunt the edge of war, by sparing as much as may be the shedding of innocent blood, with all other barbarities that use to accompany it; and to accept of any reasonable capitulation.

We come next to the enemies of our religion; and indeed there are many who are so far from thinking them to be among the number of those whom they are obliged to love, that they look upon it as a part of their duty to hate and malign them. Their zeal is continually venting itself in fierce invectives against Antichrist, and every thing they are pleased to call antichristian; and they are ready to apply all the prophecies and imprecations of the Old Testament, in their very prayers, against those that differ from them. And ordinarily the animosities are greatest where the differences are least; and one party of a reformed church shall be more incensed against another, than either against the superstition and tyranny of Rome, or the carnality of the Mahometan faith. Yea, perhaps you may find some who agree in opinion, and only differ in several ways of expressing

the same thing, and yet can scarce look on one another without displeasure and aversion. But, alas! how much do these men disparage that religion for which they appear so zealous, how much do they mistake the spirit of christianity! Are the persons whom they hate, greater enemies to religion, than those who persecuted the apostles and martyrs for professing it? And yet these were the persons whom our Saviour commanded his disciples to love: and himself did pray for those that crucified him; and severely checked the disciples, when, by a precedent brought from the Old Testament, they would have called for fire from heaven on those who would not receive them; telling them, They knew not what spirit they were of: i. e. They did not consider by what spirit they were prompted to such cruel inclinations; or, as others explain it, they did not yet sufficiently understand the temper and genius of christianity; which is pure and peaceable, gentle and meek: full of sweetness, and full of love. If men would impartially examine their hatred and animosity against the enemies of their religion, I fear they would find them proceed from a principle which themselves would not willingly Pride and self-conceit will make a man disdain those of a different persuasion; and think it a disparagement to his judgment, that any should differ from it. Mere nature and self-love will make a man hate those who oppose the interest and advancement of that party which himself has espoused. Hence men are many times more displeased at some small mistakes in judgment, than the greatest immoralities in practice! yea, perhaps, they will find a secret pleasure, and wicked satisfaction, in hearing or reporting the faults or scandal of their adversaries. Certainly the power of religion rightly prevailing in the soul, would mould us into another temper: it would teach us to love and pity, and pray for the person, as well as hate and condemn the errors they are supposed to espouse: it would make us wish their conversion rather than their confusion; and be more desirous that God would fit them for another world, than that he would take them out of this. We may in

own.

deed wish the disappointment of their wicked purposes; for this is charity to them, to keep them from being the unhappy instruments of mischief in the world: but he that can wish plagues and ruin to their persons, and delights in their sins, or in their misery, hath more of the devil than the christian.

Thus you have seen who those enemies are to whom our charity must be extended. It follows to be considered, what is the nature of the love we owe them. I shall not now spend your time in any nice or curious speculations about the nature of this master-passion. It is the prime affection of the soul, which gives measures, and sets bounds to all the rest; every man's hatred, grief, and joy, depending upon, and flowing from his love. I'shall now only observe to you, that there is a sensible kind of love, a certain tenderness and melting affection implanted in us by nature towards our nearest relations, on purpose to engage us to those peculiar services we owe them; and there is an intimacy and delightful union between friends, arising from some especial sympathy of humours, and referring to the maintenance of such correspondences. These are not always at our command; nor are we obliged to love either strangers or enemies at this rate. It is not to be expected, that at first sight of a person, who hath nothing singularly taking, we should find such a special kindness and tenderness arising for him in our hearts; much less can fondness and passionate affection proceed from the sense of any harm received from him. The command in the text does not amount to this, (though there be a great advantage in a tender and affectionate disposition, both to secure and facilitate our duty;) but we are certainly obliged to such a sincere and cordial good-will to all men, as will incline us to perform all the good offices we can, even to those who have offended us. But the nature and measures of this love will more fully appear, if we consider what it does exclude, and what it does imply.

First, then, it excludes all harsh thoughts and groundless suspicions. The Apostle telleth us, that charity thinketh no evil; that it hopeth all things, believeth all

things. To entertain, with pleasure, every bad report of those who have offended us, and to put the worst construction on their doubtful actions, is both a clear evidence of our hatred, and an unhappy method to continue it. Were once the love we recommend seated in the soul, it would soon cast out those restless jealousies, sour suspicions, harsh surmises, and imbittered thoughts; and display itself in a more candid and gentle disposition; in fair glosses, and friendly censures; in a favourable extenuation of greater faults, and covering of lesser. It would make a man interpret all things in the best meaning they are capable of; and choose rather to be mistaken to his own prejudice, by a too favourable opinion, than to his neighbour's, by a groundless jealousy. And even in this sense it may be, that charity covereth a multitude of sins.

Again, the love which we owe to enemies, excludes all causeless and immoderate anger: It suffereth long, and is not easily provoked; endureth all things. Our Saviour tells us, that whoso is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment; and if his anger exceed the cause he is equally guilty. All anger is not vicious; we may be angry, and not sin. This passion, as all others implanted in us by God, is innocent when kept within its due bounds: it has its proper office in the mind, as the spleen in the body; but its excess and distemper swells into a disease. Το make it allowable, it must not exceed the value of the cause, nor the proportion of the circumstances. It must be governed by discretion, and kept within the bounds of reason, that it break not forth into indecent expressions, or violent and blamable actions. And further, it must not be too permanent and lasting; we must not let the sun set upon our anger. Plutarch tells us, that the Pythagoreans were careful to observe the very letter of this precept: for if anger had boiled up to the height of an injury or reproach, before sunset they would salute each other, and renew their friendship; they were ashamed that the same anger which had disturbed the counsels of the day, should also trouble the