. Of' lo·viJrJg our E11emie:r. I 43 t~1emfelves n1uft be judged. How un– reafonahle is it (fay they) that we fhould love thofe that ·hate us? What congruity between that act and thofe obj eCl:s? Can cold UTOW produce heat, or enn1ity beget affeCtion? Mufl: we be infenfib1c of the injuries we n1eet with, or reward hin1 that offers rhen1! Mufl we diffolve the principles of our nature, and ceafe to be men, that v.re m.ay become Chr{fiians? Thefe, and · fuch' like, are either the expreffions or thoughts of too n1any an1ong_us; and– either Chrifi: mufi come down in his of- _fers, and remit fon1ewhat of the rigour of his laws, or elfe all the promifes of the gofpel, all the pleafurcs of the other world, fhall not engage ' them - to his obedi~nce. -· They will rather, chufe to burn in eternal flan1es of fury and difcord, than live at peace with thofe that have wronged then1. It can therefore never be unfeafonable to prefs a duty fo very neceffary, yet fo much neglected. The text I have chofen for this purpofe, is very plain and clear : Love your enemies. But, pecaufe m'any do fhain the pre-cept to fo1ne {u~h fenfe as may fuit with t11eir own praCl:ice, we fhal_l firfi: fearch into the in1portar:ce of it, and then perfuadeyou to perforn1 it. The full . n1ean1ng
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