[SERM. 5. Let us confider that we have the greatest Affurance that all Actions of that nature shall be amply rewarded; and the contrary Uncharitablenefs and Hard-heartedness punished (a). If ye forgive Men their Trefpaffes, your Heavenly Father will alfo forgive you: But if ye forgive not Men their Trefpaffes, neither will your Father forgive your Trespalles.

6. Laftly, It will be found, that the contrary Practices proceed always from fome base Principle or other; fuch as Pride, Frowardnefs, Cruelty, Jealoufy, Cowardife, Ingratitude, Morofenefs, and the Want of Generofity. But I fhall not fpend your Time now to defcribe it in it's proper Colours Our Saviour infifts more fully on our Duty to Enemies in the Words immediately following; and therefore I fhall here difmifs this Text, after I have drawn this one Corollary or Inference, namely,

That if we are to carry ourselves fo kindly and obligingly to our very Enemies, as to fupply them when they are in Want, and to lend our Help and Affiftance to them, according to their several Occafions and Neceffities; then furely we are much more obliged to do so to others, particularly to our Friends, to whom we are under greater Qbligations of Gratitude. Some indeed do not reftrain the Words, as I have done, to our Duty to those that have injured us, as I think the Context directs, but interpret them in a greater Latitude, for a general Duty to all Men, and fo perhaps our Interpreters understood them. But though I think the other the righter Way, this you fee will fairly

(a) Mat. vi. 14, 15.

follow

follow from it by way of Confequence; and so I recommend it, and leave it with you. Give to him that afketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away. I fhall conclude with that excellent Collect of our Church.

O Lord, who has taught us that all our Doings without Charity are nothing worth, fend thy Holy Ghoft, and pour into our Hearts that most excellent Gift of Charity, the very Bond of Peace, and of all Virtues; Without which, whofoever Liveth, is counted Dead before thee. Grant this for thy only Son Jefus Chrift's fake.

Now to him, with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, be all Praife, &c.

SERM

SERMON XXIX.

MATT. V. 43.

Ye have heard that it hath been faid, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy. Ver. 44. But I fay unto you, love your Enemies, bless them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and perfecute you.

Ver. 45. That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven, for he maketh his Sun to rife on the Evil, and on the Good, and fendeth Rain on the Fuft, and on the Unjuft.

Ver. 46. For if ye love them which love you, what Reward have ye? Do not even the Publicans the fame?

Ver. 47. And if ye falute your Brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the Publicans fo?

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

W

The First Sermon on this Text.

E are come now to the laft Inftance our Saviour gives of the Scribes and Pharifees, their defective Interpretation of the Law of Moses; namely, in the Matter of Love and Charity,

which they restrained to their Neighbour, in the narrow Notion they had of that Word, understanding thereby one of the fame Nation or Religion; which love our Saviour commands here to be extended to all Mankind, even our bitterest Enemies.

In the Words I have read, we have these three Things to be confidered.

I. The corrupt Interpretation of the Duty of Love and Charity, as it had been taught by the Jewish Doctors at the 43d Verfe. Ye have heard that it hath been faid, thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy.

II. Our Saviour's Correction and Improvement of that Doctrine, by extending it to all, even our bitterest Enemies, at the 44th Verfe. But I

fay unto you, love your Enemies, bless them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which difpitefully ufe you, and perfecute

you.

III. The Confirmation of this Doctrine, by fome Arguments taken from the Example of God, and the greater Perfection required of Chriftians, than of either Jews or Heathens, from thence to the End of the Chapter.

I. I begin with the corrupt Interpretation of the Duty of Love and Charity, as it had been taught by the Jewish Doctors. Ye have heard that it bath been faid, thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy. As to the loving of our Neighbour, it is exprefly found in the Law of Mofes. But for the hating of our Enemy, there is no fuch Thing exprefly to be found there; and therefore it is most probable, this was the Comment of the Scribes and Pharifees, which they put upon

the

the Law, rather than found in it. Yet that there was fomewhat to give Colour to this Senfe, cannot be denied. For, 1. The Jews were exprefly commanded to treat the ancient Inhabitants of the Land as Enemies. They were forbid to make any Covenant, or to enter into any Affinity with them; nay, they were commanded to Smite and Destroy them utterly, and not fhew them Mercy; as ye may fee in the vii. Chap. of Deut. at the Beginning. And as for the Amalekites, they were commanded to blot out the Remembrance of them from under Heaven (a). 2. The Reafons given for these Severities, extended a great deal farther than the hating and destroying those particular Nations; for, by a Parity of Reason, they would reach to all that injured their Nation, and all that were not of their Religion, but addicted to any Idolatrous Worship, so as to endanger their spreading of their Idolatry among them, or their Children; for these were given as the Reasons of the Severity to those Nations appointed to Deftruction.TheReason of the Severity against Amalek, was the Oppofition they had met with from him, when they came out of Egypt, Deut. xxv. 17. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the Way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt: How he met thee by the Way, and Smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou waft faint and weary: And he feared not God Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee Reft from all thine Enemies round about, that thou shalt blot out the Remembrance of Amalek from

(a) Deut. xxv. 19,