224_ Of Brotherly Kindnefs and Charity. SERhr. he exhorts them thus, love your enemies, Nei; IX. them that turf you, do good to them that (.." hate you, and pray for them which defpiteficlly ufe you and perfécute you. And adds this argument, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven ; for he maketh his fcin to rift on the evil and the good, and fendeth rain on the jufl and the unjufl. Im- mediately, it follows, be ye therefore perfètl as your Father in heaven is perj 1. That is, imitate that glorious perfection of the Deity, his abundant goodnefs and long - fuffering towards his creatures, even thofe of them that are wicked, and whom he can- not approve. And in the parallel place of St. Luke's gofpel *, after the very fame dif- courfe, the conclufion is thus expreffed, Be ye there f ire mercif Id, as your Father is adfö mercifid. So that, evidently, the chriftian perfection which our Lord recommends to his followers, in imitation of God, is the perfeäion of charity and mercy. And thus in the text, when the apoftle had enumerated the other virtues which fhould be added to our faith, and adorn our chriftian profeffion, he mentions as the finifhing part of a religious character, that we fhould add to godlinefs, * Luke vi. 36. and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=