Again, further, according to the benevolent scheme of Religion in the Gospel, so far are all our selfish feelings and passions to be subdued, that even our enemies—our personal and prejudiced enemies—such as hate us without any reason at all—such as are inveterate in their hatred are to be embraced in the arms of benevolent compassion—the love of pity not of complacence.—This however doth not imply that we have any complacential affection towards them, or that we willingly put ourselves in their power, or give them the means and opportunity of injuring us. On the other hand we may and ought to be displeased with their evil ways, their causeless hatred of us, and to be cautiously upon our guard against the efforts of their malice. Malice is always active. An enemy to you is commonly restless and uneasy, unless, by revenge, he is gratifying his ill-nature. It is always unwise to put ourselves into the power of any who are malicious and inimical to us. Religion doth not require us to consider enemies as friends, or to treat them in the same manner. This would be both absurd and unsafe. But we are to extend to them our benevolence, or love of compassion. But I say unto you love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you, that you may be the Children of your Father who is in heaven; for he madeth his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust. Here is our duty to enemies of all kinds. No system of morals or philosophy ever taught man this great and difficult duty in its true nature and proper extent, but the Gospel. The love of enemies in its just nature is an article no where found in nature’s Creed. We have no hints scarcely about it among the sages of pagan antiquity. The divine philosophy of Jesus alone teaches it, in its true sense.—A regard therefore to the good of others and even of those who hate us, must govern us, or we are not the real disciples of him, who laid down his life for us. He laid down his life for his enemies, those who hated him without a cause. God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Here is an example for us. We are to do good to others, even while our enemies. In all our words and actions a higher aim than self must bear sway. For if ye love them that love you what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only? What do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? There is no moral excellence or virtue in our friendships and complaisant treatment of others, if we go no higher than self: or if our own ease, good, honour, or advantage be our ultimate end or ruling motive. The sum of Christian duty is contained in the moral law; and the sum of the moral law is contained in these two Commandments, the love of God, and the love of man. There is therefore nothing of a selfish nature; mean, or base belonging to christianity. It will not even suffer us to retaliate, or to revenge an injury for the sake of punishing; or to delight in the pains and sufferings of others; or to take any measures to hurt them, that are contrary to what is right and fit, or to reason. It expels, in fine, every false Virtue, enjoins only every real virtue, though exploded by the world:—it pays no attention to the usages, opinions, and laws of the world any further, than they are the eternal laws of reason and rectitude. It will not allow its followers to think an evil thought—or speak an evil word—or to do an evil action to man. But it commands us to forgive injuries on the penalty of exclusion from the forgiving pity of our heavenly Father. Philosophy has often recommended the contempt, but rarely the forgiveness of injuries. It is a doctrine not indeed above the reach of reason, but reason is too weak to establish it as a general principle of action.—Our Lord presses it upon man, in the most solemn manner, as he would hope or expect pardon from God. For if ye forgive man their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not man their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Christianity is then a religion of benevolence, forbearance, forgiveness of injuries, and meekness and condescension, which can be said in truth of no religion that was ever among any of the heathen nations, antient or modern—in earlier or later times. It is therefore as different from, and as much above, in its principles, in its doctrines, in its hopes, and in its aim, all the schemes of religion, which have been broached by cunning and artful impostors, as the one true God, is different from and above all Idols; or holiness above sin, or light preferable to darkness.
It teaches us the infinite benevolence of the Deity. That he is good, and does good—is slow to anger—long-suffering—and that his tender mercies are over all his works. There is none good but one that is God. He is one boundless ocean of benevolence. There is nothing in him, or done by him which is contrary to, or irreconcilable with, infinite, universal, and impartial benevolence. It declares to us that its great Founder is the image of his Father who is in heaven—full of grace and truth—all benevolence indeed and condescension. It requires of all the Children of men the same mind that was in Christ, perfect benevolence. And when completed in glory, all its friends will form one kingdom of peace—one society of pure and perfect benevolence: where no competitors struggle; no factions contend; no rivals supplant each other. “The voice of discord never rises, the whisper of suspicion never circulates, among those innocent and benevolent spirits. Each, happy in himself, participates in the happiness of all the rest; and by reciprocal communications of love and friendship, at once receives from, and adds to, the sum of general felicity.”
While in this world of sorrow and tears, the Gospel most strictly requires of all, that we should cultivate and practise universal benevolence, and in all our respective places be careful to do unto others, as we would that they should do unto us in similar circumstances—which is the most excellent compend of moral duty.—The Christian Religion therefore must appear to all candid minds, to be a system of benevolence and good will. And on this account it is a system of religion deserving of our admiration, and love.—Inattentive to its very genius are those, and strange as it may seem, there have been some such among its enemies, who accuse it as defective in kindness and beneficence, and call it a mercenary and selfish system.
It encourages us along in duty, we grant, from the hope of reward, and dissuades us from sin, by fear of misery. And hence some infidel writers whose attacks against it, have been read, with great avidity, have taken occasion to say that it is a mercenary, and selfish religion; and therefore, unworthy of God to institute or man to receive. Nothing can betray their partiality more, or exhibit in a more conspicuous light their unfairness, and their ignorance of the nature of this system or religion than to bestow upon it, the epithets of mercenary and selfish. They tell us that the excellence and glory of Virtue should be the only motive to persuade us to embrace it in our hearts, and to pursue it in our lives: that interested motives, or motives drawn from the rewards of virtue, or ill-effects of vice, are unworthy of God to use with us; and only build up a selfish system.——Why interested motives are made use of by the Supreme Being to persuade us to accept of the offers of the Gospel is a question of some importance, and seems incumbent on me here to discuss. And that the hearer may gain satisfaction he is requested to attend to the following remarks.
1stly. The supreme inherent excellence of Virtue, or moral goodness would perhaps be the best and most suitable motive to be used with angels, or beings who had never apostatised from God. Because they could perceive all its richness and worthiness. As it is the most noble, so with them it might be the most influential. They, it will be granted, have a clear and direct view of the nature and of the charms of holiness. It shines before them, in all its native splendor, and is possessed and exercised by them, without any mixture of evil. They see all the loveliness of Virtue, and actually experience a fulness of joy from it. And of course it will have all its due weight with them. But man is plunged in sin and guilt.—And is guilty because sinful. These, sin and guilt, intercept, as an intervening cloud, his vision of the glory and excellence of Virtue. He cannot therefore be so entirely influenced by them. For what is not fully perceived cannot operate as a motive in all its weight and importance. Besides, this is a state of probation and trial; and man, accordingly, is treated in the Gospel as in such a state. And if he were not treated as in such a state, he would not be treated either justly or truly, either according to the nature, or the fitness of things.
2dly. Further, human nature, in a religion which is from God or which would do any good, must be taken as it is, and treated agreeably to truth and fact. Did Christianity consider and treat man as an angel, we certainly should be furnished with an unanswerable argument against it, and ought not to receive it; or if we should receive it, it could do us no essential good, because not adapted either to our nature or necessities—to our circumstances as degenerate and fallen Creatures.——Therefore
3dly. While in the body, motives drawn from the prospect of a recompence beyond the grave, to excite our hopes, and from the threatenings of endless misery, as the native result of our ill-conduct to awaken our fears must be altogether proper and reasonable. As long as hope and fear are the two great springs of human action, so long will both reason and philosophy, as well as propriety, require that they should be alternately addressed, and be made to assist the cause of Virtue. When, therefore, the Christian Religion employs interested motives to work upon the human mind, it carries a clear mark of its reasonableness, and adaptedness to the circumstances, in which we are placed in this world, and is no proof, consequently, of its being defective in benevolence, or a mercenary and selfish religion.——Again,
4thly. If Virtue or holiness shall be rewarded forever, and Vice or wickedness shall be punished forever: or if the effects of the one shall be the most happy, and of the other the most unhappy. Ought not this to be known? Is it not fit and proper that the exact truth, in things of such infinite moment, should be revealed? Must the truth be secreted lest it should have weight to induce us to act agreeably to it. If God have annexed, in his Providence, or in the nature of things a reward to piety, and evil to impiety, where can be the harm for us to be plainly informed of it, that we may practise the one, and shun the other?
We proceed—to observe—on the great subject before us—