Motive II. Jesus Christ was incarnate to set us a pattern, especially of this virtue: he sought the salvation of his enemies; he went up and down doing good among them. He died for his enemies: he prayeth for them even in his sufferings on the cross: he wept over them when he foresaw their ruin. When he was reviled, he reviled not again. This is the pattern which we must imitate.
Motive III. God loved even us ourselves when we were his enemies; or else what had become of us? And Christ died even for us, as enemies, to reconcile us by his death to God, Rom. v. 9, 10. Therefore we are specially obliged to this duty.
Motive IV. To be God's enemies is to be wicked and unlovely; so that in such God could see nothing amiable, but our nature and those poor remainders of virtue in it, and our capacity of being made better by his grace; and yet he then loved us: but to be an enemy to you or me, is not to be ungodly or wicked as such; it is an enmity but against a vile, unworthy worm, and therefore is a smaller fault.
Motive V. We do more against ourselves than any enemy or devils, and yet we love ourselves; why then should we not love another who doth less against us.
Motive VI. All that is of God and is good must be loved; but there may be much of God, and much natural and moral good, in some enemies of ours.
Motive VII. To love an enemy signifieth a mind that is impartial, and loveth purely on God's account, and for goodness' sake; but the contrary showeth a selfish mind, that loveth only on his own account.
Motive VIII. If you love only those that love you, you do no more than the worst man in the world may do; but christians must do more than others, Matt. v. 47; or else they must expect no more than others.
Motive IX. Loving and doing good to enemies is the way to win them and to save them. If there be any spark of true humanity left in them, they will love you when they perceive indeed that you love them. A man can hardly continue long to hate him whom he perceiveth unfeignedly to love him. And this will draw him to love religion for your sake, when he discerneth the fruits of it.
Motive X. If he be implacable, it will put you into a condition fit for God to own you in, and to judge you according to your innocency. These two together contain the sense of "heaping coals of fire on his head:" that is, q. d. If he be not implacable, you will melt and win him; and if he be implacable, you will engage God in your cause, who best knoweth when and how to revenge.