t86 ll!!4• I• Cafes about LolJing .Pmmies. beat ; but b~w can ont be :warm alo~e. Sec that your friendlhip degenerate .not into commo l love, and evaporate not in a barren convcrfe, inflcad of pu.ycr and heavenly difcourfe, and ~;;,~~~~~l watchfulncfs and reproof. Dir.tll• IS• Prepare each other for fulfcring and death, and dwe)l together in the houfe of m _ ing, where you may remember your nearer everlalling fricndlhip : and not only in the houfcof ~ur~ as if it were your work, to make each other forget yo11r lattfr end. nr , CHAP. XXIX. (Afes a11d f>ireflions for Lo1>ing and doing good to enemies. MOLl which belongcth to this fubjed: is faid before Chap. 9• about fOrgiving cn<mies, and therefore thither I refer the Reader. Tit.· 1. . Cafes abotlt lolJing and doing good to enemies. Qgdl. I· wHom mMft I tJCCONHI an tntmy, and lovt under· that namel An[rP. 1- Not every one that is angry with you, or that giveth.you foul words or that.undervalueth you, or that fpeaketh againfi you, or that doth you wrong : But' he that baw h you, and leekcth or dcfitcth your dellrutlion or your hurt as fuch defigncdly : 2. And no man mull be taken for fuch, that doth not manifcfi it, or by whom you cannot prove it. 3· But ifyou have reafon•ble f•fpicion you may carry your .fclf the more n..rily for your own prefervation, leil hefooukl prwe your enemy, and his dcfignslhould take you unprovided. · · ~ell. 2· With what kJnd of Love muft~n enemy be lovuJ l and on wlm accounts l An[w. Primatily with a love ofComplacence, for 11D the good wbich is in him, natural ~r mor11l: · He mufi be loved as a man for the goodnefs of his nature ; and his underHanding and virtue' mult be acknowledged asfrcely,and loved as fully, as if he were no enemy of ours: Ernnity mufi: not blind and pervert our judgement of him, and hinder us from dif<erning all that is amiable in him ; nor mufi it corrupt our affeCtions, and hinder us from lpving ir and him. 2 • Seconduily we muft love him with a love ofbenevolence, dcfiring him all that happinefs which we defirc to our fclves and endeavouring it according to our opportunhic!. , (l!!ell. 3• Muft I dtfire that (jod wiU pardonand [avt him, while be repenltlb n01 of tbt .,rangb. ~I> me1 and being impenitent, is .uncapable of p"don l An[w. 1 , You mufi defirc at once that God will give him r~pentance and forgivenefs. • · If he be impenitent in a fiate and life ?f l!!lgQdlindS, or in. a known an~ wilful fin , he is indeed· uncapa~ b!e of Gods pardon and falvatoon m that cafe : But rf you know hrm not to be ungodly, and if mi– _llake or paffion only, or fome perfonal offence or ulling out, have mad~ him your enemy ; and you ·are not fure that the enmity is fo predominant as to exclude all true charity ; or if he think you ro. be a bad perfon, and be your cn~my on that acco4nt, you mull pray for his pardon and falvation, though he lhould not particularly repent. · Q!!ell. 4• What if be be my enemy ~pon tht accsont ofRtligum, avrl fo an tnemy to God? An[w. There are too many who have too much (nrnity to each other; upon the accounr of different opinions and parties in Religion, in an erroneous zeal for Godlincfs; who arc not to betaken for.ene– mies to God. What a8:s of hofiility have in this age been ufed by fcvctal Setls of zealous Chrifii– ans, againfi each other ? 2.lf you know them to be enemies of God and Godlinefs, you mull hate .thei1 {in, and love their humanity ~nd all that is good in them, ~.nd wi{h their repentance, :welfare and falvation. . Q!!_efi. 5• Wb., mujl I do for 4H enemies good, ~t~hen my benejiu "'' bot lib,.e IQemboldm, encourage a11d enable IJim to do ht~rt, to me or othtrs? ·) Anf"'· 1o Ufually kindncfs tendeth to convi~ce and melt an enemy, and to hinder him from doing hprt. 2· Such wayes of kind.ncfs mufi be ch9!en, as do moll engage an enemy to returns of kind– nefs, without giving him ability or opportunity to do mifchiet in cafe he prove implacabk. You may
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=