Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.

§. IV.

The inordinateness of our love difficilitateth this Duty, dissimulation in this conformity reproached, and many benefits derivable from a sincere compliance, represented: As also presumption upon the Theory of this Duty, disswaded.

THe misapprehension of the Nature of Love seemeth a great occasion of our mindes being so aliened from the love of enemies; pleasing objects do common∣ly strain our affections into such excesses, as we of∣ten know no love, but under the notion of a distemper in the concupiscing faculty; and while our affections are ac∣customed to this inordinateness, we can hardly comprehend how love should be compatible with displeasures and con∣trarieties: So that the perversion of our amities, induceth this alienation from our enemies: Could we then hold love from straining into passion, we might easily stay anger from passing into sin, as is evidenced by the lives of all those who have discarded the pleasures of this age, whom we see keep in their hands so contentedly the injuries and offences thereof: We finde it verified in such estates, the growing po∣tent when they are infirm, and the imitation of receiving Judas with, Friend, why art thou come? they who are past be∣ing betrayed by the worlds kisses, are beyond the being dis∣ordered by the spittings of his ministers: But that even those, who are not called to this upper story of Christiani∣ty, may not mistake the nature of this love assigned to ene∣mies by the image of that love they figure due to friends, they may be satisfied, That we are not enjoyned the same

state and composure of minde to the adversaries and offen∣dors, as to the friends and allies of our Nature.

There is a certain inviscerate tenderness of affection, growing in our hearts for children and kindred, which is a kinde of spring of natural love, rising in our mindes, and running from thence in our blood, through our senses, and carrying with it a sensible joy and delectation in such affe∣ctions: This sort of love is not ordained to be communi∣cated to enemies; and there is an intimacy and union be∣tween friends, resulting from an intercourse of mutual sym∣pathy, which raiseth a pleasant alteration in the sensitive appetite, referring to such correspondencies: These sorts of consonancies and kindeness, are not assigned by God to the persons of our enemies and maligners; this constraint is not put upon our Nature: To finde a refreshing air in the furnace of Babylon, is a transcendent grace, and rarely con∣ferred * 1.1 but upon such as have been polluted with the meats of the Kings Table: Those who from their youth have dis∣relished the vain pleasures and honors of the world, may be gratified with this special benediction, of being tenderly affected to the persons of enemies, and the being solicitous to serve them, in conformity to the perfection of our patern, our Savior Christ.

But our precise obligation reacheth no farther, then a sin∣cere and cordial remission and forgiveness of all our offen∣dors; never seeking the least indirect retaliation upon the per∣sons, fame or fortunes of our enemies. Upon the defici∣ency in these points, is our Saviors judgement denounced in * 1.2 the Parable, of our being delivered over to the Tormentors, in case every one forgive not his brother from his heart; and in point of benefiting of enemies, the disposition is onely exacted, in order to their extreme necessities; so that a tem∣perate consideration of the terms of this Duty, will easily resolve with the Apostle of love, That even this command * 1.3 ment is not heavy.

We must remember then, that this order doth not allow

the common shift of the world, which is, The raking up our passion in the ashes of civil prudence, where malice is still kept alive, though it neither blaze nor smoke, to the perce∣ption of others: This allowance would make this precept the easiest to be observed, where it seemeth now the most incompetent; namely, in courts where hatred, as well as * 1.4 many other mean things, is usually dressed up in so fine clothes, with so much art and dissimulation, as it looketh familiarly liker all things, then what it is.

This disguise is the more criminal, as it seemeth to make even God of the party, by putting out his colours of love and sincerity, when all the exterior civilities and correspon∣dencies are but set out as false flags, by which the enemy may be boarded with the more safety: for here the acts of enmity are commonly suspended, not so much out of fear of Gods prohibition, as of his defeature of the success, which is Judas's art, this watching an opportunity that the people might not spoil his bargain; and so the attempt of revenge is but deferred by many, till it seem sure to the wis∣dom of the flesh, which we know is an enemy to God: In this sort * 1.5 Gods enemy shroudeth himself under his wings, while ma∣lice remaineth masked with sociable civility; but indeed this dissimulation is so mean and irreligious a thing, as it may be said to brave God, and to fear Man: And having brand∣ed it with this infamous Character, I hope I shall not need press any farther the detestation of this counterfeit con∣formity.

There may be so great advantage made of enemies, as certainly no ill-willer would act his malice upon one from whom he expected but a return of love: For the scope and aim of all violence and mischief, is the pain and resentment of the patient; so that did we believe our harms designed would prove satisfaction instead of sorrow, malice would ne∣ver alow the maligned party this gain upon her; Envy would never set up her frames, if she thought that she did but weave her Rivals Nuptial garment: Christian Charity maketh this

conversion of the works of her enemies, she cloatheth and adorneth her self by the same hands that invade her.

Therefore we see most commonly, that they are such as are little skill'd in the nature of Charity, that offer injuries and studies revenges; and it must needs be, upon their ex∣pecting such a temper of grieving and vexation in their pa∣tient, as they finde in themselves, otherwise they could not assail an enemy whom they conceived they should fortisie by their attempt: But true Christian Charity hath this ex∣cellent property, unknown to such strangers, and so impro∣veth by her invaders by this unexpected capacity; for there may be truly affirmed much more of the vertue of Charity, then was fained of the estate of Antheus, who was said to raise new strength from his fall, but this was onely after his being overcome; he had been more invincible then Hercu∣les, if he had doubled his forces by the gripes and compres∣sions of his Adversary; and this is the Prerogative of Cha∣rity, which therefore is insuperable by all violences, because she deriveth fresh vigor, even from the pressures of the hands that impugn her: In order to this, I have seen Charity paint∣ed with her hand upon a Compass, and this Motto, While I am press'd, I am inlarged, which aptly expresseth her true nature, and informeth us, That if we do not finde this open∣ing and dilatation of ours, upon the pressures of enemies, we should resort to Christ with this sute of his Apostles upon this same occasion, Lord, increase our Faith: This re∣quest sincerely pursued in all our provocations, is always * 1.6 answered with this grant Saint Paul proclaimeth, of glory∣ing in our probation, as it produceth hope, which is not to be confounded, because the Charity of God is poured forth * 1.7 in our hearts by the Holy Ghost; and this infused love can be tested at nothing more approving, then Enemies and Persecuters: for true Charity must not onely have the clarity of Christal, but the solidity of Gold, it must not onely be lucid and shining in good Works, and firm, until some Violence strike upon it, but it

must be like gold, by which it is so often symbolized, malle∣able and induring all percussions, without shivering or dis∣sipation.

This sort of Charity, hammered by the hands of ene∣mies, and refined in the ardors of persecution, is that fire∣tryed gold, which the faithful and true Witness counselleth us * 1.8 to buy of him to be made rich; but this precaution is very re∣quisite to be given such as intend this purchase, not to reckon on the possession thereof, until they have actually laid out some of it, since this error of the Angel of Laodicea is very familiar, to account our selves rich in it, when we are poor and void of it; for the speculative promises we make to our selves of this treasure, are but such an account, as if one should calculate his wealth upon great Bonds and Obliga∣tions which he had made to himself; our perswasions of this capacity proving often such self-deceivings, when this Cha∣rity is to be issued out in practise: For while the will may take this vertue upon trust, and pay no ready constraint and pain for it, upon these terms it freely engageth it self for fu∣ture discharges of this Obligation; but commonly when God sendeth enemies, affronts and indignities, to call in for the discharge of this Charity, our will doth oftner break and run away from them, then make good and acquit our Con∣tracts: It is therefore but very bad Security which we use to give our selves, the presumption on this vertuous habit, before the practical demonstration; for sure there is no precept of Christianity, wherein the speculation and the practise are more distant from one another then in this of, Loving our enemies, and benefiting our disobligers.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dan. 1.
• * 1.2

  Mat. 18. 32.
• * 1.3

  1 John 5.
• * 1.4

  Luke 22.
• * 1.5

  Rom. 8.
• * 1.6

  Luke 17. 5.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 5.
• * 1.8

  Apoc. 3.