Of lrxuing our Enemies r5:9 ourprayers with hi:m, and make hin1 par– take of the fruits of our devotion ; and, · to· have· that fan-1e concernn1ent for his ·in– tercfl:s as for our own, at once re€ommend~· . ing thbn both to our heavenly .:Father. - By this tin1e I hope you underftand th £ import~nce of this precept of our Saviour, Love yottr ennnies: it ren1ains, that we ex– hort yo~ to the pe~forn1ance. And I fhaU begin with :an argu1nent, which n1ay be of · force to give the fidl affault to our rebellious: .inclinations, and make .way for further and more mild perfuafions; and it !hall be, the· indifpenfable neccffity of the duty. \V.e muft not look upon this as a matter which we n1ay do or 0·mit at pleafi.ue; nor yet a~ a counfel of perft::Etion, highly commen– dable, but not abfolutely ne,e!fary to falva– tion. It is as. indifpenfably-required as any other duty ofour religion; and hewh:0 re– folves not to obey in th :s inftance, n1ay re– nounce his baptifm, and abandon eh rifl:ia– nity, _ None can efcape the obligation of the precept, unlcfs hebs fo rarely happy as· to have no enen1ics; nor muft any think to ~edee~n thcn1-felves fron1 t:his ·by (on1e other perf6rn1ance. Let our opinions be never fo orthodox, atid our zeal in n1ai-ntalning thetn - never fo fervent j let our prayers he never· 0 z fo.
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