by, struck Jesus with the palm of the hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil : but if well, why smitest thou me ?" (John xviii. 22.) And St. Paul thought it not inconsistent with his Christian patience to ask, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" (Acts xxii. 25.) So likewise, with respect to alms-giving, the same apostle proves to us, that this duty is intended to have limits, and to be practised with such discretion as not to injure the morals of individuals, or the welfare of the community when he lays down a general maxim, that every man should "eat his own bread," and that "if any will not work, neither should he eat." (2 Thes. iii. 10—12.)

Still it is certain, that expressions strong like these: resist not evil: let thy cloke be taken from thee: yield to those who compel you unjustly give to him that asketh thee:-expressions like these would not be used, if the danger were not the other way, namely, that we should be too impatient, when suffering wrongfully, too eager to seek compensation, too tenacious in maintaining supposed rights, and too apt to look about for reasons, why we should not "give to him that asketh."

What need have we for constant circumspection and prayer, that our spirit and our practice may be "peaceable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy !”

LECTURE XII.

FORGIVENESS OF ENEMIES REQUIRED IN
CHRISTIANS.

MATT. V. 43-48.

43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you :

45. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The words, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, are found in Leviticus xix. 18. It would have been strange indeed, if the second clause, thou shalt hate thine enemy, had made a part of any general law proceeding from God. How little then were the scribes and Pharisees to be trusted, who thus perverted divine truth by their traditions! How truly were they called, "blind guides !”

But I say unto you, Love your enemies. This too is required in the Old Testament. "If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again." (Ex. xxiii. 4, 5.) Our Lord points it out as the characteristic duty of his religion. He came not to destroy the moral rules which had been before laid down; but he takes the most important precepts of the law of Moses, which the Pharisees had ren

He

dered obsolete, and brings them forward. himself set the first example of the spirit which he here prescribes: when he prayed in behalf of those who had hurried him to execution, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."1 His disciple Stephen followed him with a similar petition, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." 2

It may be asked, perhaps, how can we comply with this precept? To love our friends is easy: but to love our enemies, is unnatural. The answer is, that we must take means with ourselves to overcome the feelings of dislike, or the impulse of passion. We must not dwell upon the malice which others have shown: we must not make it the subject of discourse and complaint. We must call to

mind all the excuses that may be found for them. We must, above all, pray for a forgiving spirit: pray that a sense of God's mercy, and of the goodness of Christ, may be so fixed and rooted in our hearts, that they may expand in love to all mankind. Thus ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. Such are the grounds of this temper and conduct.

And one great motive to it is, that this is the way in which God acts towards men; and therefore the way in which men ought to act towards one another. God sends the blessings of his providence upon all; upon the just and the unjust: upon those that serve him, and those that serve him not. We have daily experience that he does. For what a spectacle is this world! In arms against God, their righteous governor! refusing his laws,

opposing his dominion. Even in a country like ours, so particularly enjoying the means of grace, how small is the number of those who really live to his glory! Every trifle amuses, employs, engages them, and God is forgotten. Worse still, he is defied defied by open sin; by cursing; by blasphemy. Yet God, though "strong," is "patient;" though "provoked every day," he does not bring down that vengeance upon his enemies which they incur, or even imprecate upon themselves. He bears long with them: so long indeed, that men are emboldened to continue in their wickedness, instead of using God's mercy as he intended. "The long suffering of God leadeth to repentance." "Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily." He "is not willing that any should perish :" and therefore, he makes his sun to shine upon the evil and upon the good, and sendeth rain upon the just and on the unjust. This thought should incline all Christians to bless those that persecute them, to pray for those who despitefully use them. A blessing often accompanies such a spirit of meekness; as was signally exemplified on an occasion which deserves to be recorded, when the simple prayer of a negro slave for his master, which the master unexpectedly overheard, was the means of converting his heart "from the power of Satan unto God."

In all this, however, nothing unreasonable is required: we are not expected to cherish sentiments which it is impossible we should command. The natural inclination of man would lead him to 66 recompense evil for evil." Against this the di

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vine injunction is directed, and demands, that we overcome evil with good." We are not enjoined to seek out our enemies as our chief companions; but to be benevolent, instead of revengeful, towards them.

Such indeed is the example set before us for imitation. Our Father which is in heaven, maketh his sun to rise upon the evil and upon the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust : he bestows his common and ordinary blessings upon all alike. But for his faithful servants, for the good, the just, he does this, and more also; he has a greater treasure of mercies in store for them: for the promise is, "If any man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." So the Christian loves all men, "honours all men," as the creatures of his God, "made in his own image ;" but this does not hinder his especially loving those who are united to him by the peculiar ties of kindred, obligation, similar sentiments, or reciprocal affection.

46. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?

47. And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so?

48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

This passage indisputably requires, that the sincere and earnest servants of Christ should be known from others by a different course of conduct. The publicans ;-those who professed nothing, and of whom nothing was expected, are ready to assist