Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 44
vers. 44.
But I say vntounto you, LoueLove your enemies: blesse them that curse you: doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you.
Here our Sauiour Christ propounds his Answer vntounto the former false doctrine of the Iewish Teachers, for the hating of an enemie. Wherein first he laies downe a generall Rule, containing the summe of his whole answer, saying, LoueLove your enemies: then he expounds that Rule in the same v. and after prooueth it, v. 45, 46. Of these in order.
For the first, LoueLove your enemies. In this Rule two things must be knowne: I. what is an enemie: II. what it is to louelove our enemie: both these are euident in the words following, wherein Christ expounds this rule, Blesse them that curse you, &c. An enemie then, is any one that ofAn enemie described. hatred doth wrong vntounto his neighbour, either in word by cursing or euill speaking; or deede, by striking and persecuting him. But what isWhat it is to louelove an enemie. it to louelove our enemie? LoueLove properly is an affection of the heart, whereby one is well pleased with an other. But here more generally, louelove comprehendeth these two things▪ first, to be louingly affected in heart towards an enemie; secondly, to vse an enemie louingly in speech and action: so it is taken, 1▪ Ioh. 3. 18. LoueLove not in word and tongue onelyonly▪ but in deed and truth. And Rom. 10. 1…. LoueLove is the fulfilling of the Law. For the first, louelove in the heart comprehendeth all good affections that one man beareth to another; a… merciemercy, compassion▪ meekenesse, and desire to doe vntounto them what good we can; as it is more plainely expressed, Luk. 6. 36. Bee ye therefore mercifull▪ as your heauenly father is mercifull. And for the second▪ that kinde vsage which louelove expresseth in word and deede, is here set out vntounto vsus in three branches▪ First, blesse them that curse you▪ where is commaunded all good speech, both vntounto our enemie, and of our enemie. The second, Do good to them that hate you: where is prescribed all louing vsage in action, by affoarding them helpe, reliefe, and comfort, any way we can. The third, Praie for them that persecute you: that is, for their good estate in this life, so farre forth as it serueth for Gods glorie, and for their conuersion and saluation in the world to come.
See the euidence of these things in examples; for the affection of the heart, take Christs example, who so loued his enemies, that he was contented to shed his owne hearts blood for them, and to suffer the pangs of hell vponupon the crosse for their saluation. For louelove in courteous speech▪ see Dauid's practise towards Saul his professed enemie▪ for though Dauid had him in his hands, and might hauehave killed him sundrie times; nay, though he was prouoked thereunto by his a1. S… …4 7. & ch. 26. 9. 10seruants, yet hee spared him, and with all tearmes of reuerence towards Saul appeased his seruants, calling Saul his master, and the Lords annointed. Thus louingly also in speech did Paul behaue himselfe to bAct. 16. 25. & 27.Fest…s & Agrippa, though they were heathen men, and his enemies. For doing good in action to an enemie▪ read Exod. 2…. 4, 5. If thou meete thine enemies Oxe or his Asse going astraie, thou shalt bring him to him againe: and if thou seest thine enemies Asse lying vnderunder his burden, wilt thou cease to helpe him? thou shalt helpe him vp againe with it: and Prou. 25. 21. If thine enemie bee hungrie▪ giuegive him bread to eate …f he thirst▪ giuegive him drinke. See the practise hereof in … Elisha, when God deliue…ed them into his hands, that… ▪ …1. sought his life, he brought them to Samaria; and when the king of Israel would hauehave slaine them, hee forbade him: nay, he caused the King to refresh them with bread and water, and so sent them to their owne master▪ For praying for our enemies, wee hauehave the example of the Prophe… ▪ of …our Sauiour Christ; and of … A… ▪ …. 60.Steuen▪ who praied for those that put him to death.
Obiect. … ▪ It will be said, the Scripture else-where seemes to makeOf … towards enemies. against thi… ▪ as Psal 139▪ 21, 22▪ Do not I hate them, O Lord, (saith Dauid) that hate thee▪ and doe I not earnestly contend with them, that rise vp against thee? I hate them with an vn…ained hatred▪ wherby it seemes, that in some cases a man may▪ hate his enemies▪ Answ. First, we must put a difference betweene our enemies cause, and his person▪ their euill causes, and their s…s must be ha…, and we must giuegive no approbation thereso: but yet their persons beeing Gods creatures, and be a …ng his image in some sort, must bee loued. Againe, enemies bee of two…w… …ind of enemies. sorts, priuate, and publike; a priunte enemie is he that hateth a man for some priuate cause in himselfe, or concerning his affaires: and such a one we must louelove, and not hate, as Christ here commandeth. A publike enemie, is he that hates a man for Gods cause, for religion and the gospels sake; and these publike enemies be of two sorts▪ curable, and incurable: If our publike enemies be curable, we must praie for their conuersion, hating their conditions: If they bee incurable, and wee hauehave plaine signes of their small impeni…e, the… we may hate them; for so we hate the deuill▪ So Paul saith, f1. Co…. 1…. 22.If any man louelove not the Lord …esion, An…thema, Mara…tha, let him b…e finally▪ and wholly accursed. And yet this we must knowe, that wee ought to direct our hatred to their sinnes, and for their sinnes hate their persons, and no otherwise. Now Dauid in that Psalme, speaketh not of priuate, but of publike enemies, who hated not onelyonly him, but God also in his religion, and were also incurable.
Obiect. 2. But the practise of Gods children seemes to bee otherwise, for Dauid often curseth his enemies, and praieth for the destruction of them and …heirs, Psal. 109. 6, 9, 10. And Peter wisheth, that gAct. 8. …2.Simon M…gus may perish with his money▪ and Paul praieth the Lord, …o reward Alexander the copper-smith according to his … ▪ 2▪ Tim. …4. 14. How can this stand with the i…? Answ. There bee …n interpretations of these shots▪ Some say (which …) that in Dauids Psalmes, his curses are in proper sense, prophe…ies of the destruction of publike incurable enemies of Gods Church, and are onelyonly propounded in the forme of praiers. Againe▪ Dauid Peter, and Paul, were enlightened by Gods spirit▪ and saw into the small estate of these their enemies whom they cursed, and therefore doe they wish for their confusion, not for their owne cause; in way of priuate reuenge, but vponupon a desire of the furtherance of Gods glorie, in the execution of his iustice vponupon them whom he had forsaken. And it is not vnlawfull for Gods children, to praie that God in iustice would glorifie his name in the iust punishment of impen…ent sinners, that be cruel enemies to his Church.
Obiect. 3. God gaue commandement to his people the …ewes, hDeut. 7. 2.to destroy the Can…nites, and to r…e out their enemies … of the Land: now, how could they louelove them, whom they must so cruelly kill? Ans. We must onelyonly louelove the Lord absolutely, and others in God, and for God: that is, so farre forth as it standeth with his pleasure: and therefore when he commandeth to kill, wee may lawfully kill. And this wee may doe by way of punishment appointed by God, not onelyonly without hatred, but in louelove, both forgiuing the wrong which concernes vsus, and also praying for grace and merciemercy for the partie, if hee belong to God▪
4. Obiect. There be some that sinne a sinne vntounto death, for whom we are forbidden to praie, 1. Ioh. 5. 16. and therefore wee may not alwaies pray for all our enemies? Ans. Christs commandement to pray for our enemies, admitteth this exception, vnlesse they sinne a sinne vntounto death, but that sinne is hardly knowne of the Church of God: & therefore priuate m…n must not in a conceit thereof, surcease this dutie, to pray for their enemies. Thus then is this Text to be vnderstood; LoueLove your enemies, that is, your priuate enemies, and doe good vntounto them, vnlesse God commaund you otherwise, and praie for them, if they sinne not that sinne vntounto death.
Here is confuted the old receiued doctrine of the Church of Rome,Vses 1. Popist… doctrine of louing our enemies. touching the louelove of our enemie…, as comming neere to the doctrine of these Pharisies: They teach, that a man is bound alwaies, not to hate his enemies; but for louing them in good vsage outwardly, a man is not bound, saue in two cases: aAqui. 2. 2. q. 25. art. 8, 9. …onau in. 3. sent. d. 30. q. 4. & 5.First, when our enemie is in necessitie, and danger of life, then he must be relieued and helped. Secondly, bTollet. instruct. Sacer. l. 4. c. 10.in the case of scandall, when as by not helping or releeuing him, wee giuegive offence vntounto others: but out of these two cases to shew kindnesse to an enemie, is a matter of counsell, and of perfection▪ But this doctrine is damnable, flat against this Text, and the practise of Gods seruants expressed in his word; and therefore we must renounce it, and acknowledge that we are bound in conscience, on eueryevery occasion, to shew our louelove in word and deed vntounto our priuate enemies.
Secondly, hereby is condemned the commō practise of men in these2 To wrong an enemie, vnlawfull.daies; which is, to wrong their priuate enemies any way they can, by word or deed…: some will raile vponupon them, as i2. Sam. 16. 7▪Shemei did on Dauid, and as kIsay 36. 4. 6. 12.Rabshekah did on Hezekias, and the people of God, yea on God himselfe. This is a damnable practise, flat against this commandement of Christ and his holy practise, 1. Pet. 2. 23. Nay, Michael the Arch-angel, durst …t blam… the deuil with cursed speaking, when he stroue against him, Iude 9.
Thirdly, that fruit of rancour is here likewise reprooued, whereby3 men will professe they will neuer forget their enemies, though they doOld grudges vnlawfull. forgiue them. It is indeed agreeable to our corrupt nature, to keepe a grudge long in minde, and to reuiue old wrongs; but this commandement of Christ condemneth this practise, and bindeth vsus both to forgiue and forget: and therefore we must labour to beate downe this spirit of reuenge, and endeauour to louelove our enemies in word and deed.
Fourthly, here also see, that it is not lawfull to professe enmitie to any4 Ha…e no m… person.mans person, for we should louelove eueryevery man. But how can wee louelove him, to whom we professe our selues enemies, Christianitie and priuate enmitie cannot stand together; and therefore we must labour to abandon out of our hearts, the hatred of any mans person, and striue to shew forth louing vsage, euen towards our enemies, though it be against our nature, both by speaking well of them vntounto others, and shewing kindnesse vntounto them, both in word and deed; we must pray for them, and goe so farre in all good duties towards them, that by our well-doing, Rom. …2. 20we may heape coales of fire vponupon their heads: that is, cause their consciences like a fire to burne within them, accusing them of their ill dealing towards vsus, and not suffering them to rest, till they laie away their enmitie and malitiousnesse against vsus.
Fiftly, this commandement of louing our enemies in word and deed,5 shewes it to be vnlawful for any man to vtter euill speeches of another, at any time, vnlesse the occasion bee iust, and hee bee lawfully called thereunto; for louelove couers a multitude of sinnes, but disgracing specches are fruits of hatred. Though Saul were Dauids professed enemie, and sought his blood, yet Dauid neuer reuiled him; and wee ought to follow his good example.