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them, and against the inftruments of it, the Apoftle tells us in the next words, y 11. Now all these things hap→ pened unto them for enfamples, or types: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Let us not tempt Chrift, who is now beginning the glorious deliverance of his church from the tyranny of antichrist.

To draw now towards a conclusion: I will comprehend my advice to you upon the whole matter, in as few words as I can.

Let us ufe this great deliverance which God hath given us, fách a deliverance as this, from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us ; not by using them as they would have done us, had we fallen under their power, with great infolence, and rage, and cruelty; but with great moderation and clemency, making as few examples of feverity as will be confiftent with our future fecurity from the like attempts upon our religion and laws. And even in the execution of justice upon the greatest offenders, let us not give fo much countenance to the ill examples which have been fet of extravagant fines and punishments, as to imitate those patterns, which with fo much reafon we abhor; no, not in the punishment of the authors of them.

And let us endeavour, for once, to be fo wife, as not to forfeit the fruits of this deliverance, and to hinder ourselves of the benefit and advantage of it, by breaches and divifions among ourselves. As we have no reafon to defire it, fo I think we can hardly ever hope to understand Popery better, and the cruel defigns of it, than we do already; both from the long trial and experience which we have had of it in this nation, and likewife from that difmal and horrid view, which hath of late been given us of the true fpirit and temper of it, in one of our neighbour nations, which hath long pretended to the profeffion of the most refined and moderate Popery in the world; but hath now at laft fhewed itself in its true colours, and in the perfection of a perfecuting fpirit; and hath therein given us a moft fad and deplorable inftance of a religion corrupted and degenerated into that which, if it be poffible, is worfe than none. And fince, by the undeferved mercy of God to us,

we

we have upon fuch eafy terms, in comparison, efcaped their rage and fury; let us now,at length refolve, never to join in affinity with the people of thefe abominations ; fince our alliances with them by marriage have had fo fatal an influence, both upon the publick peace and tranquillity of the nation, and upon the welfare also of private families. I have known many inftances of this kind, but hardly ever yet faw one that proved happy; but a great many, that have been pernicious and ruinous to thofe Proteftant families in which fuch unequal, and, as I think, unlawful matches have been made: not that fuch marriages are void in themselves; but yet for all that finful; becaufe of the apparent danger and temptation to which thofe of our church and religion that enter into them, do evidently expofe themfelves, of being feduced from their religion; not by the good arguments which the other can offer to that purpofe, but by the ill arts which they have the confidence and the confcience to make ufe of, in the making of profelytes.

And let us pay our most hearty and thankful acknowledgments, chiefly, and in the first place, to almighty God, the bleffed author of this deliverance; and, under him, to that happy inftrument whom God hath been pleased, in great pity to this finful and unworthy nation, to raise up on purpose for it, his Highnefs the Prince of Orange; and, to that end, did in his all-wife providence lay the foundation of our then future deliverance, in that aufpicious match, which was concluded here in England about eleven years ago, between this renowned Prince and our excellent Princefs.

This is that most illuftrious houfe of Naffau and Orange, which God hath fo highly honoured above all the families of the earth, to give a check to the two great afpiring monarchies of the Weft, and bold attempters upon the liberties of Europe; to the one in the last age, and to the other in the prefent: as if the Princes of this valiant and victorious line had been of the race of Hercules, born to rescue mankind from oppression, and to quell monsters.

And, laftly, let us befeech almighty God, all whose ways and works are perfect, that he would establis

that

that which he hath wrought, and still carry it on to farther and greater perfection. Which, after fuch an earnest of his favour and good will to us, we have no reason to doubt, but that he is ready to do for us. If by our own ficklenefs and inconftancy, difgufting the deliverance now it is come, which we fo earnestly defired before it came; if by our ungrateful murmurings and discontents, by our own foolish heats and animofities, kindled and carried on by the ill defigns of fome, working upon the tendernefs and fcruples of others, under the fpecious pretences of confcience and loyalty: I fay, if by fome or all these ways we do not refufe the bleffing which God now offers, and defeat and fruftrate the merciful defign of this wonderful revolution, God will still rejoice over us, to do us good, and think thoughts of peace towards us, thoughts of good, and not of evil, to give us an expected end of our long troubles and confufions.

But, if we will not know in this our day the things which belong to our peace, our destruction will then be of ourselves; and there will be no need that God fhould be angry with us; for we fhall be undone by our own differences and quarrels about the way and means of our being faved, and fo be angry with one another till we be confumed. Which God, of his infinite goodness, give us all the grace and wisdom to prevent, for his mercies fake in Jefus Chrift. To whom, with thee, O Father, and the Holy Ghoft, be all honour and glory, thanksgiving and praise, both now and ever. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON

239

XXXIII.

Of forgiveness of injuries, and against re

venge.

Preached before the Queen, at Whitehall, March 8. 1688-9.

MATTH. v. 44.

But I fay unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them that defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you.

T

HE gospel hath promised forgiveness of fins to us, upon two conditions: That we fincerely repent of the fins which we have committed against God; and, That we heartily forgive to men the injuries and offences which they have been guilty of towards us.

I fhall at this time, by God's affistance, treat of the latter of thefe, from the words which I have recited to you; which are part of our Saviour's excellent fermon upon the mount in which, he doth not only explain, but enlarge and perfect the moral and natural law, by adding to it precepts and prohibitions of greater perfection, than either the law of Mofes, or the natural law, in their largest extent, did contain.

He forbids polygamy, and divorce, except only in the cafe of adultery, and likewife revenge; none of which were forbidden, either by the law of nature, or by the law which was given by Mofes.

And to these prohibitions our bleffed Saviour adds feveral new precepts, of greater perfection than any laws that were extant before. But I fay unto you, Love your enemies. The Jewish law commanded them to love their neighbours, meaning their brethren, and those of their own nation: but our Saviour, by commanding us to

love our enemies, hath, in the most emphatical manner that can be, commanded us to love all men. For, if any were to be excluded from our charity, none fo likely to be fo as our enemies. So that, after a command to love our enemies, it was needlefs to name any others, because men are naturally apt to love thofe that love them.

I fay unto you, Love your enemies: here the inward affection is required. Blefs them that curfe you here outward civility and affability are required, in oppofition to rude and uncivil language; for fo bleffing and curfing do in fcripture frequently fignify. Do good to them that hate you: here real acts of kindness are commanded to be done by us to our bittereft and most malicious enemies. Pray for them that defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you: thefe are the highest expreffions of enmity that can be, calumny and cruelty; and yet we are commanded to pray for thofe that touch us in these two tendereft points of all other, our reputation and our life. And to fecure the fincerity of our charity towards our enemies, we are required to exprefs it by our hearty prayers to God for them: to God, I fay, before whom it is both impious and dangerous to diffemble; and from whom we can expect no mercy for ourselves, if with feigned lips we beg it of him for others.

You see what is the duty here required; That we bear a fincere affection to our most malicious and implacable enemies, and be ready upon occafion to give real testimony of it.

And, because this may feem a hard duty, and not fo eafy to be reconciled either to our inclination or our reafon, I fhall endeavour to fhew, that this law is not only reasonable, but much more perfect and excellent, and the practice of it more eafy and delightful, and upon all accounts much more for our benefit and advantage, than the contrary: and that upon four confiderations; which I fhall endeavour to represent with their just advantage, and fo, as may, I hope, not only convince our judgments of the reafonableness of this precept, but likewife bend and fway our wills to the obedience and practice of it.

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