our apostle quotes this proverb, as tending, in perfect harmony with the mercies of the gospel dispensation, to illustrate the peaceful and blessed triumphs of Christian love? It is, therefore, as if St. Paul had said; If you seek revenge, here you may find it; a noble revenge, and the only one which you are permitted to take. Be avenged on your adversary by acts of kindness. Shame him by your forbearance. Wound him by your generosity. Touch to the quick all that is open and ingenuous in his nature. And if you persevere in the exercise of Christian forbearance, you may indulge the belief that, under the divine blessing, you will bring your adversary to more than even silence, shame, or pain. You may indulge the belief that, with the assistance of God's holy Spirit, conviction will follow the pain and shame, and that confession will spring out of the reflections of silence. And what will this be but melting down his obdurate heart with the flames of heavenly love? 6

This interpretation of the scope of the pro verbial expression here employed by the apostle, would seem to derive confirmation from the words which accompany it, both in the Old and New Testament. For if we look to the book of Proverbs, we shall find that after using the language which the apostle here repeats, Solomon adds,

6 Archdeacon Hoare's Sermons on the Christian Character. 7 Prov. xxv. 22.

"and the Lord shall reward thee." Words which, taken in this connexion, may be thus interpreted: "The Lord will reward thee," as one who has imitated his goodness, and who has thus been a subor. dinate benefactor to himself; for "he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust." And when we regard the connexion in which the words are placed by the apostle, we find that he follows up the above proverb by saying, be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. The forbearance of Christians will make them glorious conquerors; and they shall comprehend, from their own happy experience, the full purport of the wise man's declaration, in another part of the book of Proverbs, viz. "he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city."9

I would add, in conclusion, brethren, that the same view of the passage before us, is adopted by the good Bishop Latimer, in one of his sermons on the Lord's Prayer. When we are about to do our enemy a foul turn,' says our venerable reformer, then he hath gotten the victory over us; then he hath made us as wicked as himself. But we ought to overcome evil with goodness; we should overcome our enemy with well-doing.' He then goes on to say, with his characteristic simplicity, that when he was in Cambridge, he heard

8 Matt. v. 45.

? Prov. xvi. 32,

a minister of the gospel expounding the epistle to the Romans, and then when the preacher came to this passage, he brought in an example, saying, that he knew in London a great rich merchant, which merchant had a very poor neighbour. Yet, for all his poverty, he loved him very well, and lent him money at his need, and let him come to his table whensoever he would. In process of time, the rich man forsook the errors of the Romish church; but the poor man remained a Papist still; and, upon one occasion, he took great displeasure against his rich neighbour, which he manifested in various ways. The rich man did everything in his power to conciliate him, but all in vain; till, one day, meeting him in a narrow passage, he caught him by the hand, and said, Neighbour, what is come into your heart, to take such displeasure against me? what have I done against you? Tell me, and I will be ready at all times to make you amends.' Finally, he spake so gently, so charitably, so lovingly, and so friendly, that it wrought upon the poor man's heart, who fell down upon his knees and asked his forgiveness. The rich man forgave him, and so took him again to his favour; and they loved as well as ever they did before. And here,' adds the single-hearted Latimer, you see an example of the practice of God's word, in such sort that the poor man, having great hatred and malice against the rich man, was brought through the meekness and gentleness of

6

6

the latter, from his error and wickedness, to the knowledge of God's word. I wish you would consider this example well, and follow it.'

My Christian brethren, you must feel that the above narrative admirably illustrates the spirit of peaceableness, which St. Paul is here desiring to enforce. And if your hearts are touched with this simple but powerful representation of the peaceful and blessed triumphs of Christian love; if you really regard this narrative, as beautifully exhibit ing the manner in which the coals of Christian love are able to melt down the proud, rebellious, unforgiving heart of man; you will pray to him, who has "taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth," and who only can

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pour into our hearts this most excellent gift of charity," beseeching him to grant that, as the disciples of Jesus Christ, who repaid our "evil" with "good," and our "hatred" with "love," you may have grace not to be overcome of evil, but, at all times and under all circumstances, to overcome evil with good.*

Collect for Quinquagesima Sunday.

*See Note 71.

2 See Ps. cix. 5.

* See Note 72.

SECTION XLI.

CHAP, XIII. ver. 1-7.

DUTIES OF CHRISTIANS AS MEMBERS OF THE STATE.

The wisdom and goodness of God, which shine so conspicuously in the natural order and dependence of things in the frame of the universe, appear also very plainly, and commend themselves to us very powerfully, in the civil order, which he has instituted in the societies of men, in the world which we inhabit: so that, whether we consider the Most High, as "making the outgoings of the morning and evening to praise him," or as restraining" the madness of the people,"1 we are constrained to acknowledge that "he hath not left himself without witness."2 The illustrious characters of his Godhead shine everywhere; and we may rest assured, that he will assert his right in this lower world; for it is a part of his creation, though but a meaner part. He rules in the kingdoms of men; and he that rules, will judge. Let men beware, then, how they employ the language of mockery on a subject like this; for,' as Lord Bacon has so solemnly observed, the jests and

1 Ps. lxv. 7, 8

2 Acts xiv. 17.