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By fuch a love to our enemies, as his example has traced out to us, we fhould be beft able to fatisfy our felves, and to convince the world, that we are the children of him, whofe infinite goodness we endeavour to exprefs in our behaviour, though in degrees far fhort of it, and with much of childish imperfection: And as this attribute is that, which of all others renders the divine Being it felf most amiable, a resemblance of it in us would be most to our praise and honour.

(2.) A fecond argument is from the reward which Chriftians expect. It is but reasonable, that fince Chrift affures us of eternal happiness upon our obedience, that we fhould be willing to obey his commands, how difagreeable foever they may be to our corrupt natures: For furely we who live under more glorious promifes and hopes, fhould be ready to do more than thofe, who have no fuch expectation. If our love to thofe about us be only a return for favours received, or to oblige them to farther kindneffes, 'tis mean and mercenary, we have had our reward here, and what can we expect hereafter? In truth, a due obfervance of the other laws of Chriftianity, fuch as humility, and a low esteem of the treasures of this world, would make the love of our enemies, which feems fo difficult a duty, more eafy: For pride and covetoufnefs are the great obftructions to the practice of this love, by raifing in us falfe notions of honour and felf-intereft, and fo making us to look upon the duty as too fevere, when all the difficulty proceeds from those paffions, which ought to be fubdued and kept under.

(3.) ANOTHER argument is from the practice of the Publicans, who, in the esteem of the Jews,

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CHAP. XV. were the worst of men, yet even these knew how to be kind and courteous to their friends, their neighbours, or their kindred; and if our love extends no farther, it is a fign that it proceeds not from a principle of religion, but from the mere force of natural civility, or from the mechanifm of education. For certainly, nature, good breeding, or intereft, may have power enough over thofe, who make no pretenfions to religion, to oblige them to return a courtesy or a complement, whoever it is that gives it, whether a friend or an enemy; to falute those that falute them, nay, and often, (as occafion makes it neceffary) to treat with abundance of good words and outward candour, those whom they really hate, and who they know hate them. But nothing less than a sense of duty and obligations from religion, can ever carry a man fo far as to love an enemy in good earneft, and not only to speak him fair, but to demonstrate his fincerity, by a conftant readiness to do him fervice, an uniform generofity of carriage and behaviour towards him. By this therefore we muft diftinguish our felves as Chriftians, under the power of fpiritual principles and heavenly grace; which will enable to perform what nature, worldly policy, or custom can never reach to.

OUR Saviour concludes all with this exhortation; Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect: And a very proper conclufion it is, both with respect to this particular fublime duty, of loving our enemies, and to the reft of the improvements of the Decalogue, which went before. It's true, no man can be perfect, as God is perfect. I mean as to the degree, becaufe God is infinitely fo, and therefore it may look as if Christ commanded an impoffible thing; but that perfection which the Gofpel requires is a moft earnest and diligent

diligent endeavour after goodness, efpecially charity: and this is certainly in our power. We must strive to resemble the infinite goodness, as far as we are able, and that because of the relation Chrif tians bear to their heavenly Father, by regeneration and adoption; * They are the children of God, by faith in Chrift Jefus; and therefore must put on his nature by a transformation of their own, into as near a fimilitude to his in every perfection as is poffible, especially in that of love: For fo fays St. John, Let us love one another for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God.

*Gal. iii. 26.

+ John iv. 7.

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CHAP.

262

CHA P. XVI,

Of ALMS-GIVING.

MATTH. vi. I, 2, 3, 4.

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Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be feen of them: otherwife ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven, Therefore, when thou doft thine alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the fynagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I Say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth;

That thine alms may be in fecret; and thy Fa ther which feeth in fecret, himself shall reward thee openly,

UR Lord having in the foregoing paragraphs corrected certain errors in the Jewish explications of the Decalogue, and fome other popular mistakes among them, the clearing of which was requifite to the inftructing his Disciples rightly in his own religion, he proceeds now to give fome cautions for the better performance of the three great

duties,

duties, as they are esteem'd in most religions (and particularly were fo in that of the Jews) almf-giving, prayer, and fafting. This paragraph is about almf-giving, and the caution is, that we should not do it out of oftentation, which, in other words, would be to this effect.

"WHATEVER others do, I would have you, my Difciples, when ye bestow a gift on any poor “ man, to be very careful, that ye do it not out of "a vain defire of being applauded for your chari66 ty: For if this be your defign, ye have received 66 your reward already in that applaufe, and must "expect none hereafter in the kingdom of heaven: "Therefore chufe not public places, as the hypo"crites do, for diftributions of your charity, as if "ye were rather marketing for fame and reputa"tion, than difcharging a good conscience towards "God, and kindness to the poor; or as if your "virtue would be wholly loft, if the parade and

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pomp of it did not draw an admiring croud a"bout you. On the contrary, be ye fo afraid of "deceiving your felves by a vanity of this nature,

as to chufe the most retired places, where ye may "bestow your alms with the greateft fecrecy, except, when ye may reasonably hope to do good "by your good example, and that be the true rea

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fon of your appearing. And God, who knows "the fecret thoughts of your hearts, and the prin"ciple and defign of your actions, will certainly "at the great day of account, reward you openly "before angels and men; fo that ye fhall by no

means lofe the credit of your good works, by "denying your felves the feeking of that praile "from men, but fhall receive the honour of it," "with more lafting and substantial glory, from the "unerring mouth of God.

Now almf-giving, tho' not exprefly commanded in this paragraph, is yet by our Saviour's caution T 4

for

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