Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n
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A58125
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The Christian monitor containing an earnest exhortation to an holy life, with some directions in order thereto : written in a plain and easie style, for all sorts of people.
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Rawlet, John, 1642-1686.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing R347A; ESTC R32275
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44,028
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60
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overcome evil by doing of good If another strike us we may not strike again if he rail upon us and revile us we must not return the same ill Language but either by silence or by gentle and soft answers endeavour to appease his wrath For the Rule is not to deal with others as they deal with me but as I in reason desire to be dealt with and another Man's fault will not excuse mine If he do me an injury I must not be judge in my own Cause nor take upon me to revenge it but in weighty Cases may fly to the Magistrate for relief But upon no account whatever may we bear any grudge or hatred in our Hearts against any Man though never so wicked or never so much our enemy but we must pity him and pray for him that God would give him a better mind If ever we hope to find mercy with God and have our trespasses forgiven we must forgive those that offend us as we learn from the Lord's Prayer and many most plain places of Scripture See Matth. 5. 44 c. Matth. 18. 21. to the end Rom. 12. 14. to the end We must shew meekness and gentleness to all men and never willingly say or do any thing to provoke another to anger nor should we be easily provoked but very easily appeased and reconciled It 's very sad to consider what wretched and miserable Lives many of the poorer sort lead by their continual brawling and scolding quarrelling and contending with one another and sometimes when they have scarce Money to buy Bread they 'l throw it away in vexatious Law-Suits meerly out of Spite and Revenge And the People of this Rank ought especially to beware of envying those that are in better Condition than themselves We ought to have that true kindness and good will for all Men that we should be glad of their prosperity though we our selves be in affliction as on the other hand we ought to have great compassion for those in misery though we be in prosperity And let such that are in want take heed that their Necessities put them upon no unlawful Course for their Relief Particularly beware of stealing any thing though of a small value By degrees it 's to be feared you will go on to greater matters and so may bring your selves to shame and punishment in this World as well as that to come The best way to avoid this is to be very diligent in your lawful Calling as the Apostle directs in that place before named Eph. 4. 28. If you are not able to work it 's lawful to beg But by no means betake your selves to this lazy unprofitable Life of begging if you are able to subsist by any other lawful course He that will not work when he can deserves not to eat But rather than either steal or starve you may seek for Relief from your Neighbour's Charity But do not go about to deceive him by borrowing what you know you are never like to pay for this is downright cheating Rather deal plainly and make known your Necessities If you trust in God and do your duty he will take care of you And though you may be in straits sometimes yet still you will find a supply And to prevent your poverty let me especially warn you against that common bruitish sin of Drunkenness which brings both this and many other mischiefs along with it as I have before told you Indeed it hinders every thing that 's good and leads Men into all manner both of sin and misery This Vice it is that makes more Beggars than any other cause Wherefore if you have any regard to your Families any love to Soul or Body avoid all riot and excess Eat and drink moderately as may tend to keep you best in health and make you most fit for the service of God and your own Callings And lastly beware of that filthy sin of Whoredom which very often goes along with Drunkenness and as often brings the curse of God both upon Men's Bodies and Estates And to keep you innocent avoid idleness as well as intemperance And flie from all lewd and wicked company where you are in danger of being enticed and ensnared and do not so much as allow your selves in any unclean thoughts or desires nor in filthy Discourses or in any wanton carriage and behaviour For the preventing of all wickedness in this kind God hath allowed Marriage which is said to be honourable in all but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Hib. 13. 4. Wherefore let them who are in that state keep strictly true to their Marriage Vow And all both Married and Single preserve both Body and Soul so chast and pure that the holy Spirit of God may now dwell in their hearts and they may be fit to dwell for ever in the presence of the most holy God And thus I have briefly given you an account wherein consists that holiness of life to which all Christians are obliged by the Precepts of our Blessed Saviour and by their Baptismal Vow which binds them to keep his Precepts and to follow his Example who himself lived in the same holy manner that he taught and hath commanded all that say they abide in him to walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2. 6. The summ of all you have in few words which the Gospel teaches even that we should deny ungodliness and all wordly lusts and live soberly righteously and piously in the World Tit. 2. 11 12. And now let me again beseech you seriously to consider whether it has been your care to live such holy and good lives yea or no. And whereinsoever your Conscience does accuse you that you have neglected the duties God has commanded or committed those sins which he hath forbidden do you humbly acknowledge and confess the same to Almighty God with true godly sorrow for the same earnestly begging Mercy and Pardon for Christs sake who dyed on the Cross for sinners and through whom all that confess and forsake their sins shall find mercy Wherefore do you henceforward resolve by his Grace that you will forsake your sins and amend your lives and make it your chief business to keep Consciences void of offence toward God and Man not allowing your selves in any known sin nor in the wilful neglect of any known Duty Do not object against this and say that it is impossible to lead such an holy Life For thousands in the World of all Ranks and Conditions have done it in all Ages by the assistance of God's Grace which you shall never want if you seek it earnestly and improve it diligently And though there may at first be some difficulty in leaving an ill course yet by degrees it will grow easie and you will then find nothing so sweet and pleasant as Religion and Vertue And do not I beseech you fancy that it is not for poor people to think of being so Religious and godly that this is only for the Rich who have
your direction if you have no Books on this Subject yet read seriously the Office for the Communion in the Common Prayer and you may find very great assistance from it It 's very fit also to consult with your Minister especially the first time you receive Assure your selves it 's a very hainous sin to live one year after another in the neglect of this weighty Duty and argues a very great contempt of our Saviour's Authority and of his infinite love and kindness Before I leave speaking of your Duty to God let me beseech you carefully to abstain from that common hainous sin of Swearing A most sensless piece of wickedness that brings neither pleasure nor profit along with it When you are called before the Magistrate in weighty Cases you may lawfully swear Heb. 6. 16. but take great care to swear the Truth and nothing but the Truth for otherwise you call the true God to witness a Lie and do even call for his vengeance upon your selves In your ordinary communication avoid all manner of swearing either by the sacred Name of God or by any Creature Matth. 5. 34. Jam. 5. 12. Use not such Expressions As you hope to be sav'd As you hope for mercy with others the like which are great Oaths though frequently used upon every slight occasion Do not so much as rashly and carelesly mention the holy Name of God or Christ but let your inward Reverence be manifested in your outward Expressions And to this I may fitly joyn as earnest Caution against the sin of Cursing in which the Name of God is often dishonoured when men wish that God's Curse may light upon others sometimes on their very Children and nearest Relations sometimes on their Neighbours and sometimes on their Cattel Some profane wretches wish damnation to those they quarrel with yea even to themselves And how common is it to hear Men in their wrath wish the Pox or Plague or Hanging to their Neighbour or bidding the Devil take them Indeed they themselves seem to be possest by him whilst they vent this Language of Hell and do take the ready way to bring all manner of Curses both on their own Soul and Body Psal. 109. 17 18. This wicked Custom proceeds both from the want of the true fear of God in Men's Hearts and also from want of Kindness and Charity to one another of which I am next to speak a few words Next to the love of God above all the loving of our Neighbours as our selves is the great Duty of a Christian as our Saviour teaches in that same place Matth. 22. 39 40. And Love is said to be the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 8 9 10. Nothing more becomes a Disciple of Jesus Christ than to live in love and charity with all Men doing all the good we can to others but doing no manner of evil to any Read 1 Cor. 13. This is most frequently and strictly commanded in the Gospel and made the very badge and character of a Christian Joh. 13. 34 35. This makes us most like to our blessed Lord and Master who went about continually doing good both to the Souls and Bodies of Men even to the very worst of Men and his most bitter Enemies did he shew great charity and kindness And herein let us study to be like him to the utmost of our power If we have true love for all Men we shall then easily and readily perform all those Duties which we owe to them in the several places and relations wherein we stand of which I must not here go about to give a particular account But in general Husbands and Wives ought most entirely to love each other and study to render one another's Lives happy here and their Souls hereafter For if they live in discord and wrath they have an Hell upon Earth whilst they live and have reason to expect the eternal torments of Hell when they die Parents ought to love their Children and take due care of them both as to Soul and Body and Children ought to honour and obey their Parents and relieve them if they stand in need Masters must be gentle and kind toward their Servants and Servants must be faithful and obedient to their Masters even to the froward and severe Subjects must yield obedience to all the lawful Commands of their Rulers and patiently submit to what Punishments they inflict and upon no Pretence whatever may they rebel against them â—oâ— it is most expresly forbidden in Scripture and damnation threatned to those that are guilty Rom. 13. 1 2. And commonly Treason and Rebellion bring nothing but ruin and misery in this World as well as the next The People ought to esteem and love their Ministers to follow their godly Admonitions and Examples and afford them due Maintenance In brief we must carefully abstain from doing any injury to any Man of what rank or condition soever either in his Soul or Body his Estate or good Name but must be ever ready to do all manner of good to all Men according to our ability and opportunity And hereby we are to shew that we love our Neighbours as our selves by dealing with all Men so truly and justly so mercifully and kindly as we desire to be dealt with our selves This is the great Rule of the Gospel Matt. 7. 12. And by this Rule ought we to govern our selves in all our carriage toward others both in buying and selling and in our whole Conversation This is a very plain and easie Rule to walk by and is most just and equal and very large and comprehensive so that if a Man will honestly and faithfully attend to it he need not go far to seek for direction how to behave himself in most Cases that may happen betwixt him and his Neighbour Would I be reviled and slandered cheated and cozened beaten and hurt or any other way abus'd if not then let me not use another at this rate Would I be despis'd or derided for my faults or for my poverty and misfortune Would I not rather in reason desire to be kindly instructed assisted and relieved Thus then let me deal with my Neigbour and according to my power with meekness and true kindness instruct the ignorant reclaim the vicious and erroneous comfort the sad relieve the oppressed feed the hungry and clothe the naked Even those that are of a mean condition must be ready to help such as are in greater want than themselves The Man that lives by his Labour is not wholly excused from works of Charity Eph. 4. 28. The Widow's Mite is very acceptable to God and a cup of cold water shall not lose it's reward A willing charitable mind it is that God chiefly looks at and calls for and this the poorest may have if it be not their own fault And our Charity and Kindness is not only to be shewn to our Friends but to our very Enemies themselves We may not render evil for evil but must study to