s s8 An Expofitiion upon tertained Angels, Heb. 13.2. See Deut. 10.18.19. God loveth £}rangers, and your felves were ûrangers, therefore be kinde and beneficial; to them. T I M. DYbat is the meaning of the next precept ? S 1 I. As before Paul taught what our behaviour fhould be towards friends,. and the honfhold of faith,fo he now teácheth duty towards them which are without which are enemies, whom he willeth us to [ bleffe,] that is, both to with well onto them, and to fpeak well of them (as farre as we may with mat- ter of truth;) both to pray for, and to praife them according to their unwor- thineffe, yea,and to do good unto them alfo,ifthey need it, In that Paul repea- teth the word [ Bleffe] twice, and then lets it forth by the contrary word [CurJe,] he puts us in miede how hard a worke this is, being a worke of the Spirit, and not of the (leih, as being contrary to our corrupt nature. Alto, that we fhould nos:: do is by fits, but be confiant in blaring. Pau! borroweth this prefect from the words of Chrift, Math. 5. 24. We have Chrift him - lelfeapatterneof it, Efay 35. 12. and Stephen 411.7. 6. and t Pet. 2. 22. all Chriftians are called to imitate the ex- ample of Chrifis patience towards their enemies. The pra&ife of this duty is the very touchftone and triall of all Chrifian charity. For to fpeake well, and doe well unto fuch as love Its, is no fingular matter : it is common to Gods children with Publicans and finners : but to love and ble&c an enemy, is the peculiar worke of a godly perfon : fee Matth.5. 45, 46. Luke 6.27,31' . This forbidding to curie, mull be meant of private ene- mies. Again , from this precept we may learn , that Gods children muff make account, that there will never want wicked men to perfecute them both with their tongues by raylings, flanderings, and calumnies ; and with their fwords or hand, by lo& of goads, imprifonment,death, &c. and that for truth and righteoufneffe fake. Hereof Chrift forewarned his Difciples, Math. Bleffe, what it is. Where were pari- ence,or es. ',science, or hope without thefeperfe- curious or wicked men, faith Chryfoff. 5. to. The heft remedy we have in Web cafes,to breake the malice and cruelty of wicked men,is by patience and weldoing 1 Pet. 4. 19. T F M.What is required more in the mxt precept ? S t L. Mutuall affe &ion between Chrifians in both effares, adverfity and profperity, to rejoyce together in the one and to mourne together in the other. And it is to be noted, that this precept reacheth more unto fpirituall, then unto temporali cafes; for we are bound more to lament the fpirituall de- cayes of our brethren, then for their worldly loffes : alto more bound to rejoyce for their graces, then the riches of our brethren. The reefon of this fym- paehy,is that wbich is rendted of the Apoflle, I Cor. 12. 26. becaufe we are members one of another;; and if one member fuffer, all ought to fuller with them : and if one rejoyce, all to rejoyce with them;fo it mutt be amongl Chadi- ans. lIl Examples hereof we have in the kinsfolke of Elizabeth, Luke 1.58.and in Paul, Phil. 1.3. Col. t. t Tiiej.1. a yob. t. 2. Rom. 16. 19. Ti M. What uteofthi!pant S I L. It ferves to reprove Inch en- vious'perfons which fret and repine at the good and happy eftate of their bre- thren, as Cain envied Abel,. Saul Da- vid, and the Pharifees Chrift; and the malicious alto, who in Read of mour- ning together for the loffes of others, are well pleafcd and make themfelves merry and fportfuli with the millries of theírneighbours ; this is a wickedneffe again£; which yob doth protef, Chap. 31, ver. 29. and for the which God threatneth the Edomites in Obadiah, ver fer 12, 13. It is the part of all Chri fiians to be unlike unto both there, and by fymfathy and fellow - feeling of other mens both joyes and forrowes , to ex- preffe our own love to our brethren, ! and to thew that we are void of envy,'' and to enlarge their love again towards us, when they (hall fee us ready to communicate with them, both in their gladne(fe and heavineffe: and finally fomewhat to cafe and le(Ten thegriefes and Mutual] aáedioa.
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