SERMON XIII.

The Love of Enemies.

MATTH. V. Part of the 44th Verse.

Τ

But I fay unto you,

love your enemies.

HE verfe immediately foregoing, with which thefe words are connected, runs thus: Ye have heard that it hath been faid, thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy: and then it follows, But I fay unto you, love your enemies, &c. From hence we must not conclude that fuch any precept was ever given the Jews, as that of hating their enemies, or indeed any part of mankind. It had undoubtedly been faid among them; that is, delivered down among their corrupt traditions; but given in command by their divine legislator it never was, never could be.

They

They had formerly, by exprefs order, executed the vengeance of Heaven on several idolatrous nations round about them, whofe impieties had been great, and the measure of their iniquities filled up; but this amounted to no fuch precept as we are speaking of. They were only the inftruments of God's righteous judgments; which neither required nor implied any other hatred than that of the crimes and abominations for which fuch punishments were inflicted. Certainly the execution of juftice no way infers the deftruction of humanity. The Jews indeed were very prone to confound these ideas, however clear and diftin&t they may be in themselves. Partial to their own nation, they not only confirmed their affections and regards thereto, but generally pursued the reft of mankind with animofity or difdain.

-In oppofition to a temper and practice fo inhuman, our bleffed Saviour lays down his fublime doctrine, his divine morality; requiring men not only to suppress all principles of difaffection, but to entertain univerfal benevolence towards their fellow-creatures to be fo far from despifing aliens and strangers, as to honour all men; and instead of restraining their good-will to their friends, kindred, or country, to spread it

every where, and extend it even to their very enemies.—In treating of this subject I shall briefly endeavour,

First, To explain and ftate the duty; and,

Secondly, To fhew the grounds on which it ftands, and the obligations incumbent on us to obferve and practise it.

First, I am to explain and state the duty here laid down. Which is the more requifite, in order to avoid that misconstruction, and those misreprefentations, which it has frequently met with. -Moft evident it is,

that the actions and qualities of men are in their own nature widely different; and not only different, but oftentimes contrary to each other. Good and evil, virtue and vicé, are effentially as oppofite as pain and pleasure, light and darkness. If therefore some actions and qualities are neceffarily approved, others must neceffarily be disapproved: if fome are naturally amiable; others must be naturally odious. And fince our faculties can neither alter their proper objects, nor make them appear otherwife than they are, they must needs affect VOL. I. e

Our

our minds accordingly. It is not then in our power to approve base actions, or be pleased with vicious characters. More particularly, if men are unjuft and injurious; we cannot poffibly esteem them as fuch: on the contrary, we must unavoidably diflike and condemn them in that refpect. And fuppofing this to be the cafe of our enemies, we cannot love them in this fenfe of the word; nor, by confequence, be required fo to do. It is a contradiction to nature and reason, that we should think well of them; or regard them with esteem and complacency.-We may, indeed, and ought to acknowledge and value fuch good qualities as they are really poffeffed of; but, confidered as unreasonable and injurious, we must dislike and disesteem them, and cannot do otherwife. We cannot fee other men wronged and ill-ufed without a fenfible difpleafure; and we never fail to blame the authors of it. But when fuch wrongs are done to ourselves, and we feel them as well as fee them, there is ftill a greater neceffity for blaming and condemning the doers of them.

By that love then which is required towards our enemies, we are not to understand the love of esteem or complacency, which in fome refpects is unreafonable and impoffible;

but