good Actions of Justice, or Charity, or Civility. First, I fay, fuftice. It is an abominable Principle of fome Men, (as I touched before) that Justice is not due to an Enemy; or, as they word it, that an Enemy deferves no fair play; whereas the true Principle is, that Juftice is not to regard the Perfons of Men, but is equally due to all, Good and Bad, Friend and Foe. Secondly, Charity; If thine Enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him Drink; that is, whatever Straits or Neceffities he is under, help him out. Laftly, Courtefy and Civility; for we are not to falute our Brethren only, as it here follows, but are to be courteous to all; that the good we do, we may do it in a winning way, in a loving and obliging manner, which often takes more than the good Turn itself which is done. 4. The laft Duty to Enemies here mentioned, is praying for them. This was exemplified in our Saviour, who in the midst of his Pain, prayed for his Perfecutors; Father forgive them, for they know not what they do: and in St Stephen, whofe dying Words, when they ftoned him, were, (a) Lord, lay not this Sin to their Charge. So much for the Description of the Object of our Charity in the Text, our Enemies, and the Acts of Charity required towards them. The Reasons of this Duty which follow, I must refer to another Opportunity. Now God blefs what we have heard, and to this great God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all Praife, &c. (4) Acts vii, 60. SERM. ་ SERMON XXX. MATT. V. 45. That ye may be the Children of your Father which Ver. 46. For if ye love them which love you, what do Ver. 47. And if ye falute your Brethren only, what 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. H The Second Sermon on this Text. AVING, in a former Difcourfe on these Words, confidered the defective and corrupt Interpretation of the Scribes and Pharifees, as to the Duty of Love and Charity, together with our Saviour's Correction and Improvement of that Doctrine, by extending our Love to all, even our bitterest Enemies; I proceed now to the next thing in our Saviour's Difcourfe on this Subject, namely, the Confirmation of this his Doctrine concerning the Love of Enemies, by fome Argu ments ments taken from the Example of God, and the greater Perfection required of Chriftians, than of Jews or Heathens. To which is fubjoined a general Corollary to all this Difcourfe, concerning the Interpretation of the Law in the perfecteft Sense; Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. I. I begin with the Arguments here used by our Saviour, to perfuade us to the Love of Enemies; which are two. 1. The first is taken from the Example of God, who makes his Sun to shine on the Evil and the Good, and fendeth Rain on the Juft and Unjuft; and our imitating him in this good Quality, is a Proof of our being his Children; 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 Juft, and on the Unjust. 2. The fecond Argument is taken from the Commonnefs of fhewing Kindness to Friends and Benefactors, among Men of the most indifferent Character; and that higher Degrees of Duty may justly be expected from Chriftians. I. The firft Argument taken from the Example of God, goes upon these two Premiffes: 1. That it is our Duty to imitate God in all imitable Perfections, particularly in his Mercy and Goodness. 2. That God, in this Life, fhews great Beneficence, Goodness, and long-fuffering Patience to all, Good, and Bad, i. e. Friends, and Foes; and therefore fo fhould we. 1. That we are to imitate God in all his imitable Perfections, particularly in his Mercy and Goodness ; [SERM. Goodnefs; That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven. This This was the great Happiness of Man, could he have kept it, that he was made after the Image of God; and the more he recovers of this Image, which is done by advancing in all moral Perfections, fo much the more doth he grow like to God. But whatever is to be faid of fome other Perfections, certainly there can be no doubt, but that we are encouraged to imitate God in those of Patience, Mercy, and Beneficence, fince the Imitation or Refemblance in the Text, doth moft particularly point at thefe 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 Juft, and on the Unjust. Which leads me to the 2. Second Propofition upon which this Conclufion of the Love of Enemies is built, namely, That God, in this Life, fhews great Beneficence, and long-fuffering Patience to all, Good and Bad, instanced here in the Bleffings of Sun and Rain, promifcuously communicated to all. There are feveral important Truths couched in this Propofition, which will require a more particular Confideration. As (1.) That the Providence of God exerts itself in governing the feveral Parts of the Creation, and in directing them to fuch Ufes as he thinks most proper; for he maketh his Sun to rise, and Rain to fall, where he thinks fit. (2.) That Good Men are God's Friends, and bad Men his Enemies. This follows plainly from the Force of the Argument; otherwife, how could could the Duty of Love of Enemies be deduced from this Practice of God's fhewing Kindneffes to Good and Bad. (3.) That there are many common Mercies, which God, in this Life, beftows promifcuously upon all, Good, and Bad, Friends, and Foes. All which, with the Influence they should have on our Practice, it will be fit to touch at more particularly. (1.) The first thing we have to confider here, is the Providence of God in governing the feveral Parts of the Creation, and in directing them to fuch Uses as he thinks moft proper. For the Text doth not fay only, the Sun rifes, and the Rain falls, but he maketh his Sun to rife, and Rain to fall. We are apt to look no higher than to fecond Causes, but our Saviour teaches us here to look up unto God, as the principal Author of all our Mercies and Comforts. Or if we look to God as the Creator of Sun and Rain, and our other Bleffings, we little mind him as the providential Disposer and Manager of them, and di recting them to the various Ufes of Life; otherwife we should be much more affiduous in addreffing him, both by Prayer and Thanksgiving for them. Rare Miracles of Providence indeed we are apt to take notice of; but fuch daily Mercies, as the constant rising and setting, and Influences of the Sun, the Seafonablenefs of the Weather, the fending of refreshing Showers, the regular Productions of Grafs and Corn, and a thoufand other daily Benefits we take no notice` of at all, except we come to be pinched with the Want of them. But the wife Confiderers of God's Providence, take all as from his Hand, and are |