this, he was brother to Gallio, the proconful of Achaia, before whofe tribunal St. Paul was brought by the Jews at Corinth. From him he would of courfe receive much information refpecting this new religion, and the principal characters concerned in it; and from the extraordinary things he would hear of it from such authentic fources, his curiofity would naturally be excited to look a little further into it, and to perufe the writings that contained the history and the doctrines of this new school of philof ophy. This, and this only, can account for the fine strains of morality we fometimes meet with in Seneca, Plutarch, Marcus Antoninus, Epictetus, and the other philofophers who wrote after the Chriftian æra, and the vifible fuperiority of their ethics to thofe of their predeceffors before that period. But to return.

It has been objected to this command of loving our enemies, that it is extravagant and impracticable; that it is impoffible for any man to bring himself to entertain any real love for his enemies: and that human nature revolts and recoils against so unreasonable a requifition.

This objection evidently goes upon the fuppofition that we are to love our enemies in the fame manner and degree, and with the fame cordiality and ardour of affection, that we do our relations and friends. And if this were required, it might indeed be confidered as a harsh injunction. But our Lord was not so severe a task-master as to expect this at our hands. There are different degrees of love as well as of every other human affection; and thefe degrees are to be duly proportioned to the different objects of our regard. There is one degree due to our relations, another to our benefactors, another to our friends, another to ftrangers, another to our enemies. There is no need to define the precife fhades and limits of each, our own feelings will fave us that trouble; and in that on cafe where our feelings are likely to lead us wrong, this precept of our Lord will direct us right.

And it exacts nothing but what is both reasonable and practicable. It explains what is meant by loving our

† Acts xviii, 14.

enemies in the words that immediately follow; "Blefs them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you" that is, do not retaliate upon your enemy; do not return his execrations, his injuries, and his perfecutions, with fimilar treatment; do not turn upon him his own weapons, but endeavor to fubdue him with weapons of a celestial temper, with kindness and compaffion. This is of all others the moft effectual way of vanquishing an enraged adversary. The interpretation here given is amply confirmed by St. Paul in his epistle to the Romans, which is an admirable comment on this paffage. "Dearly beloved, fays he, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for vengeance is mine, I will repay, faith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good*." This then is the love that we are to fhow our enemies; not that ardour of affection which we feel towards our friends, but that lower kind of love, which is called Chriftian charity (for it is the fame word in the original) and which we ought to exercife toward every human being, especially in diftrefs. If even our enemy hunger, we are to feed him; if he thirst, we are to give him drink; and thus fhall obtain the noblest of all triumphs, "we shall overcome evil with good.” The world if they please may call this meannefs of fpirit; but it is in fact the trueft magnanimity and elevation of foul. It is far more glorious and more difficult to fubdue our own refentments, and to act with generofity and kindnefs to our adverfary, than to make him feel the feverest effects of our vengeance. It is this nobleft act of felfgovernment, this conqueft over our strongest paffions, which our Saviour here requires. It is what conftitutes the highest perfection of our nature: and it is this perfection which is meant in the concluding verfe of this chapter; Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," that is, in your conduct towards your enemies approach as near as you are able to that perfection of mercy which your heavenly Father manifefts towards + Matth. v. 48. I

Rom. xii. 19-21.

his enemies, towards the evil and the unjust, on whom he maketh his fun to rife as well as on the righteous and the juft. This fenfe of the word perfed is eftablifhed beyond controverfy by the parallel paffages in St. Luke; where, instead of the terms made ufe of by St. Matthew, "Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," the evangelift exprefsly fays, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father alfo is merciful.*

This then is the perfection which you are to exert your utmost efforts to attain; and if you fucceed in your attempt, your reward fhall be great indeed; you fhall, as our Lord affures you, be the children of the Moft High.t

Having now brought thefe Lectures to a conclufion for the prefent year, I cannot take my leave of you without expreffing the great comfort and fatisfaction I have derived from the appearance of fuch numerous and attentive congregations as I have seen in this place. That fatisfaction, if I can at all judge of my own fentiments and feelings, does not originate from any felfifh gratification, but from the real intereft I take in the welfare, the eternal welfare of every one here prefent; from the hope I entertain that fome ufeful impreffions may have been made upon your minds; and from the evidence which this general earnestness to hear the word of God explained and recommeded affords, that a deeper fenfe of duty, a more ferious attention to the great concerns of eternity, has, by the bleffing of God been awakened in your fouls. If this be fo, allow me most earnestly to entreat you not to let this ardour cool; not to let thefe pious fentiments die away; not to let thefe good feeds be choaked by the returning cares and pleasures of the world. But go, retire into your closets, fall down upon your knees before your Maker, and fervently implore him to pour down upon you the overruling influences of his Holy Spirit; to enlighten your underftandings, to fanctify your hearts, to fubdue your paffions, to confirm your good refolutions, and enable you to refift every enemy of your falvation.

* Luke vi. 36. + Matth. v. 45.

The world will foon again display all its attractions before you, and endeavor to extinguish every good principle you have imbibed. But if the divine truths you have heard explained and enforced in these Lectures have taken any firm root in your minds; if you are seriously convin ced that Chrift and his religion came from heaven, and that he is able to make good whatever he has promised and whatever he has threatened, there is nothing furely in this world that can induce you to rifque you the lofs of eternal happiness, or the infliction of never-ceafing punishment.

Least of all, will you think that this is the precife moment for fetting your affections on this world and its enjoyments; that thefe are the times for engaging in eager pursuits after the advantages, the honors, the pleasures of the prefent life; for plunging into vice, for diffolving in gaiety and pleasures, for fuffering every trivial, every infignificant object, to banish the remembrance of your Maker and Redeemer from your hearts, where they ought to reign unrivalled and fupreme. Surely amidst the dark clouds that now hang over us,* these are not the things that will brighten up our profpects, that will leffen our danger, that will calm our apprehenfions, and fpeak peace and comfort to our fouls. No, it must be fornething of a very different nature; a deep sense of our own unworthinefs, a fincere contrition for our past offences, a proftration of ourselves in all humility before the throne of grace, an earnest application for pardon and acceptance through the merits of him who died for us (whofe death and sufferings for our fakes the approaching week will bring freih before our view,) an ardent defire to manifeft our love and gratitude, our devotion and attachment to our Maker and our Redeemer, by giving them a decided priority and predominance in our affections and our hearts; by making their will the ruling principle of our conduct; the attainment of their favor, the advancement of their glory, the chief object of our wishes and defires. Thefe are the fentiments we ought to cultivate and cherish if we wish for any folid comfort under calamity or affliction, any confi

In March 1798.

dence in the favor and protection of Heaven; these alone can support and fuftain our fouls in the midst of danger and diftrefs, at the hour of death, and in the day of judg

ment.

And how then, are thefe holy fentiments, thefe heavenly affections to be excited in our hearts? Most certainly not by giving up all our time and all our thoughts to the endlefs occupations, the never-ceafing gaities and amufe ments of this diffipated metropolis; but by withdrawing ourfelves frequently from this tumultuous fcene, by retiring into our chamber, by communing with our own hearts, by fervent prayer, by holding high converfe with our Maker, and cultivating fome acquaintance with that unseen world to which we are all hastening, and which, in one way or other, must be our portion for ever.

Many of those whom I now fee before me have, from their high rank and fituation in life, full leisure and ample opportunities for all these important purposes; and let them be affured, that a strict account will one day be demanded of them in what manner and with what effect they have employed the talents, the time, and the many other advantages with which their gracious Maker has indulged them.

And even those who are most engaged in the bufy and laborious fcenes of life, have at least one day in the week which they may, and which they ought to dedicate to the great concerns of religion. Let then that day be kept facred to its original deftination by all ranks of men, from the highest to the loweft. Let it not be profaned by needlefs journeys, by splendid entertainments, by crowded af femblies, by any thing in fhort which precludes either ourfelves, our families, or our domeftics, from the exercife of religious duties, or the improvement of thofe pious fentiments and affections which it was meant to infpire. Let me not, however, be mifunderstood. I mean not that it should be either to the rich or the poor, or to any human being whatever, a day of gloom and melancholy, a day of fuperftitious rigor, and of abfolute exclufion from all fociety and all innocent recreation. I know of