knows not what he is doing, for he can never wound his neighbour but through his own sides, nor prejudice another in a trifling interest, without hazarding his own eternal concernment; and therefore he deserves our pity rather than our hatred.

Much more might be brought to demonstrate the reasonableness of what our Saviour calls for in the text: but I hope what has been already said may suffice to stop the mouths of malicious and revengeful men, who are ready to quarrel with it. And, if this or any other duty seem absurd or unreasonable to us, we may learn the cause from the apostle, The carnal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him. It is the carnality of our heart that makes it seem so: and therefore, instead of disputing the duty, let us endeavour to purify our souls, and open the eyes of our mind; and we shall find it to be true, which wisdom said of her doctrines, They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

But, in the third place, the love of enemies is not only necessary and reasonable, but also amiable and delightful; it has a great deal of pleasure and sweetness in it. Of this, I confess, the greatest evidence must be had from the experience and practice of it; the nature even of earthly pleasures being such, that only the enjoyment can make a man know them. But though the full knowledge hereof require a nearer acquaintance, yet even those who look at a distance may perceive something of amiableness in it, especially comparing it with the trouble and uneasiness of that vice it would deliver us from. Malice and revenge are the most restless and tormenting passions that can possess the mind; they keep it in continual hurry and disorder; they gnaw a man's heart with anguish and vexation, and imbitter all his enjoyments; they mar the pleasures of the day, and interrupt the repose of the night. Solomon describes these men, They sleep not except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away except they cause some to fall.

On the other hand, the meek and peaceable man, whose mind is brought to a compliance with this precept, is above the malice of his enemies. It is not in their power to vex him. Amidst all the assaults of injuries and affronts, he is firm as a rock, which no winds can shake; no waves remove. He is happy in the calmness and serenity of his spirit; and is sure either to convert or shame his adversary by his patience and friendly behaviour. And then the consciousness of performing his duty, and assurance of future reward, afford him infinitely more pure and solid pleasure and delight, than any can expect by indulging and gratifying their vengeful humour.

The advantages of this duty will more clearly appear, when we take a view of those prejudices which commonly are entertained against it; which shall be our next work.

First, then, some cry out upon this precept as enjoining impossibilities: doing violence to the very constitution of nature, and obliging men to a debt that no man is able to pay. They will tell you that it is as easy to hate ourselves, as to love our enemies; to love pain, as to bear an injury meekly: flesh and blood cannot endure it. What arrogance and presumption is this, thus to impeach the divine laws. It is impossible; therefore God should not have commanded it. Such is their reasoning. Were it not far more rational to argue thus: It is indispensably commanded, therefore it must needs be possible. And so it has been to all good men that ever lived; and so it will be, by God's assistance, to all that make it their study. Flesh and blood cannot do it. True enough; but then take this into the account, Flesh and blood shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven. It is indeed against the propension of our corrupt nature; but it is the work of Christians to mortify their corruptions. And if we think it impossible, at the command of God, and for the purchase of heaven, to love an enemy, and pardon an injury, how would we bear those hard trials which Christians have suffered by the cruelty of persecutors? Whether it is

easier to suffer a wrong, or to give our body to be burned? Certainly, when we have obeyed this precept, we have not yet resisted unto blood; and therefore that obedience can never be impossible, since harder things may be expected from us. Therefore seriously set about the work, and endeavour to bring your minds to a compliance with it; and then your own experience shall confute these idle pretences, and evince the possibility of the performance.

Another prejudice against this precept, is, That it seems to encourage injuries, by hopes of impunity and reward; giving the delinquent occasion to expect kindness and love, instead of the punishment which he deserves; and so we should draw upon ourselves a second injury by not requiting the first.

But we have already told you, that this precept does not forbid the exercise of justice by those to whom the sword is committed, when the public security calls for it. As a parent may at once love and correct his child, so may a judge be in charity with the person he does punish. And though it should be granted, that, by pardoning injuries, we do expose ourselves to new ones; yet would this amount to no more, but that we may suffer hardships by our obedience to God; which I hope is not enough to dispense with our duty. But truly the matter goes not commonly thus: for if we consult either our own observation, or the experience of others, we shall find, that meek and charitable persons are most seldom exposed to injuries, or engaged in troubles. He must needs be a desperately wicked person, who will offer a second injury to one who hath requited the first with kindness and love. Such a sweet disposition will mollify the hardest hearts, and charm the most froward humours; especially if we carry ourselves with such prudence and discretion, as may testify that we are actuated by a noble and generous charity, and not by a stupid insensibility. How often does a soft answer turn away wrath? and the overlooking of an injury prevent farther trouble, throwing water upon the spark before it break forth into a flame? Hence, if we look upon meek

and quiet persons, we shall ordinarily find them appy in the peace of their families, and favour and kindness of all their neighbours: whereas the angry, quarrelsome, and malicious person, is an eyesore to all about him; his neighbours shun him, his servants dread him, and all abhor and avoid him. And therefore the observation of this precept of our Lord, is so far from exposing us to new injuries, that by the mercy of God it will prove the best means to secure our tranquillity. Peace shall be the reward of a peaceable temper.

But, lastly, some will tell us, that the love of enemies and pardoning injuries, is inconsistent with the principles of honour; and will expose us to contempt and derision. But, alas! to what a sad pass are we come, if neither reason nor religion may prescribe the rules of honour; if our notions of it must be taken from the language of the sons of Belial, of strife and violence; if to imitate the Deity in his most glorious attribute of mercy and forgiveness, and become perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect, be accounted a base and dishonourable thing; and if from this vain, imaginary, fantastic shadow of reputation, we will violate all laws, human and divine, and forfeit eternal happiness. But who are they that will think the worse of you for your patience? Some vain empty fools, some profane atheistical wretches, whose judgments are not valuable, nor their praise worth the having. Or what can they say of you, but that you are meek and lowly, imitators of that blessed master whom we profess to serve? And why do we own the name of Christians, if we be ashamed of the spirit and life of christianity? Why do we not call ourselves after the name of Cain, Nimrod, or some other angry and revengeful destroyer, if we esteem those qualities more glorious and excellent? But if we have any deference for so wise a man and great a king as Solomon, he will tell us, that it is the honour of a man to cease from strife; and that he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who ruleth his spirit, better than he who taketh a city.

Thus you see how unreasonable those prejudices are

which keep men from the practice of this necessary duty. It remains now, that we hint at some helps for the performance of it.

The heathens were pretty ingenious in devising motives of patience. They would tell us, that if we were newly offended, it was too soon to resent it; if long time since, it was too late. If the offender be too strong for us, it were folly to contend; if he were too weak, it were a shame. Are we offended by a friend, let us remember our old friendship; if by an enemy, let us do him a kindness, and he will do so no more. But christianity will direct us to better means for composing the soul into the meekness and charity which it does require.

The first I shall recommend, is humility. Let us learn to have low thoughts of ourselves; and then we shall have both fewer euemies, and be more inclined to love them. Pride and selfconceit makes us overrate every petty injury, and inclines us to revenge: but if we consider what poor contemptible things we are in ourselves, and what we have deserved, if not from men, yet from God, whose instruments they are for our correction, we shall be little concerned at what the world calls affronts, and easily reconciled to those who have wronged us.

Secondly, let us learn to have a low esteem of the present world, and all things therein; and this will cut off the occasions of our hatred and animosities. Men may wrong us in our fortune or reputation, but they cannot rob us of piety and virtue, of the favour of God, and eternal happiness. And therefore, if our minds be once raised above those transitory vanities, we cannot meet with injuries worth the resenting. If we aim at heaven, and the glory of another world, we shall not stand to quarrel and contend about any trifling interest in our way thither.

Thirdly, the frequent and serious thoughts of death. would conduce much to allay our hatred, and dispose us to meekness and charity. Naturalists tell us, that when swarms of bees fight in the air, they are dispersed by