fore never to lose the Remembrance of his past Sins; but keep them always in View, as the Royal Prophet did; to ferve him as a Spur to excite him to a more than ordinary Zeal and Fervour, in every Thing relating to God's fervice; the Effect whereof will be, to edify his Neighbour as much now by his fober, regular, and Christian Behavour, as he dif-edified him before by his Irregularities and Disorders. Thus will he become a true and faithful Follower of Christ, a Disciple worthy of fo good a Mafter, an Imitator of him in this Life, and a Partaker of his eternal Crown hereafter.

The XLIXth ENTERTAINMent.

It is our Duty to Love our Enemies. Love your Enemies; do good to them that bate you. Matt. v. 44.

TH

HESE Words being precife and clear, admit of no Interpretation in Favour of corrupt Nature; which, if it pretends to plead for itfelf, by alledging the Impoffibility of loving an Enemy, St. Jerome has already answer'd it, in his Comment upon this very Text, faying, that the

Things

Things commanded by Christ, are perfect indeed, but not impoffible: Which, in Reference to the Duty in Queftion, he proves from the Practice firft, of David returning Good for Evil to Saul, who thirfted after his Blood; 2ly, of St. Stephen praying for those that stoned him; 3dly, of St. Paul wifhing to be anathematized for the Sake of his Perfecutors; and laftly, from the Example of Chrift himself, whose Practice as well as Doctrine, as to what regards the Duty of forgiving and loving our Enemies, fhall be the Subject of this Entertainment.

There is no Duty in the whole Gospel either inculcated with more frequent Repetitions, or recommended by more illuftrious Examples from the Life and Actions of our Saviour Jefus Christ, than that of Love and Charity to our Enemies: To make this evident, let us first examine what he has taught relating to this Subject: For whether we look into the firft or laft Sermon preach'd by him, the one upon the Mount, the other at his laft Supper, we fhall find this Doctrine fo amply treated, both in the one and the other, that there is no Room to doubt but our Saviour's Intention, in thus beginning and ending his Preaching with it, was to give his Difciples both an early Tincture, and lafting Impreffion of it. And truly, confidering what

utter

utter Strangers the Jews were to the Doctrine of pardoning Injuries, and loving their Enemies, it needed all the Recommenda tion poffible, to bring it into Credit.

For the clearer. Understanding whereof you must know, that as in many other Particulars, fo in Reference to brotherly Love and Charity, the Jewish Doctors had very much corrupted the Mofaick Law, by impofing their own Interpretations and Traditions for Law, upon the People. As for Inftance; the fifth Commandement forbids Murder as a heinous Crime, and it was punifh'd with Death: But, because the ufual Steps to it as Anger, Hatred, Enmities, and the like, were not forbid in exprefs Terms; they concluded, that provided they but kept their Hands free from Blood, the foremention'd Paffions might be entertain'd in their Hearts, and exprefs'd in Words, without any Breach of the Commandement.

Now to condemn this Abuse and Mifinterpretation of God's Law, our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount delivers the following Maxims thus. Ye have beard that it hath been faid by them of Old, Thou ·Shall not kill; but I say unto you, that whoever is angry with his Brother without a Caufe, fhall be in Danger of the Judgment; and whoever shall fay to his Brother

Racha,

95

Racha, fhall be in Danger of the Counsel; but whoever shall fay, thou Fool, shall be in Danger of Hell-fire. Matt, v. 2 22. And to exprefs the Hatred Almighty God has of Enmities and Quarrels, he proceeds in this Manner. Therefore if thou bringeft thy Gift to the Altar, and there remembreft that thy Brother has any Thing against thee; leave thy Gift before the Altar, go thy Way, and be firft reconciled to thy Brother. Matt. v. 24. Here you see Christ prefers the Duty of Charity before Sacrifice; which tho' it be the highest Worship we can pay to God, yet we are positively commanded to forbear it, till the Duty of Charity to our Neighbour be first fully fatisfied.

The fecond Corruption of the Mofaick Law relating to this Subject, and corrected by Chrift, was this. The Law was very fevere in all Cafes of Violence committed upon any one's Perfon, and demanded Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth. Now this Law of Retaliation was doubtless only intended as a Rule to publick Minifters of Justice to act by: But the Jewish Doctors, by their corrupt Interpretation, had very much enlarged the Meaning of it, and made it a Rule not only for publiek Justice, but private Revenge in many Cafes. Wherefore, to remedy this Abufe, our Saviour gave the fol lowing Inftructions: You have heard that it

bath

bath been faid, an Eye for an Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth: But I fay unto you, that ye refift not Evil. But whoever shall fmite thee on the right Cheek, turn to him the other alfo; and if any Man will fue thee at Law, and take away thy Coat, let him have thy Cloak alfo; and whoever shall compel thee to go a Mile, go with him two. Matt. v,

38, 39, 40. These are the Words of Chrift; which are so far from allowing us to retaliate Injuries, that they exprefly direct us to encounter the Malice of our Enemies, only with the Arms of Patience; and to purchase Peace and Charity with our Neighbour, even with the Prejudice of our temporal Intereft or Conveniencies.

Laftly, the Jews had a current Tradition amongst them, that they might lawfully hate their Enemies. Because God having commanded them, in the 19th Chapter of Leviticus, to love their Friends and Brethren, without laying any express Command upon them relating to their Enemies; the Jewish Doctors interpreting this Law according to the Inclinations of corrupt Nature, concluded pofitively from it, that they might lawfully bear a Hatred to their Enemies, and do them any Mischief; provided they kept within the Law. And therefore Chrift, to abolish this Error, fet the following Rules, in Contradiction to the corrupt Tradition of the Jews. Ye