SECTION XIX. ass their shape, their motion, their dress, their poverty, their want of breeding, their name, their family, &c. And this, in a little time, will settle into aversion, or antipathy, and grow up into malice and hatred, especially upon the least disgust. While you are too fond of yourself, and of your own possessions, your own honours, your own family, your own pleasures, you will be ever jealous and suspicious that others stand in your way, and youwill too easily indulgemalice and envy to rise against them. Where- as if you abated a little of your self-love, and increased and en- larged your generous benevolence and love to mankind, it would have-a happy tendencyto suppress your hatred and envy of par- ticular persons. 2, Consider whetherthe persons youhate are good or not. If they are good and pious, your hatred has a double guilt in it, since you are bound to love them both as men and as christians. Will you hate those whom God loves ? Will youhate those who have the image of Christ? And in whom the Spirit of God in- habits? If they have any blameable qualities in them, let your charity cover those faults and follies Let your thoughts dwell rather upon their virtues, and their sacred relation to God. This will have a happy influence to turn your hatred into love. Think of them as'members of Christ, and you cannot hate them, if you are of that blessed body. If they are persons who neglect religion, and have not the fear of God, yet they may have some good qualities in them, some moral or social virtues, or some natural excellencies, which may merit your esteem, and invite your love : At least these agreeable qualities may diminish your aversion, and abate your hatred. I confess it is the nature of malice and envy, to over- look all that is good and amiable in a person, and to remark only what is evil and hateful : But this is not the spirit and temper of achristian, nor of Jesus Christ our master. Therewas a young man who loved his riches so well, that he refused to become a disciple ; yet our blessed Lord saw some good qualities in him, ke looked upon him and loved him Mark x. 21. But if the persons whom you hate, have nothing good in them that you can find, then they ought to be pitied rather than to be hated* : They are not worthy of your envy, nor do they need the punishment of your malice in this world : who expose themselves to the wrath and vengeance of God in the world to come. Will you say, they are so impious before God, and so injurious to men, that they deserve to be hated? but consider, if you were but punished in every respect as you deserve, both for * Miseriesof the soul are worse than those of the body ; but both of them should excite our compassionate regard. If we take all proper occasions to ex- ercise pity and compassion towards the unhappy, it will have a verygood lone- coca tocure a malicious and envious temper. ah3
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