The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-04-07
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. ."-1Osth Psalm.

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. ."-1O9th Psalm.
To love our enemies is conceded by all to
be one of the tests of our Christian charac-
ter, as the opposite feeling is evidence that
we have never ''passed from death unto
life. "GOd is loves" while We were yet
sinners and his enemies, he loved us, and
gave his Son, and his Son gave himself to
die for US. "God commeOdeth his love to-
wards us, in that while we were yet sinners
Christ died for US. Hate, and malice and
revenge belong to devils and poor fallen un-
regenerate man.
1t is related of the celebrated John Ran
dolph, (who at one time made professions of
being Christian, of which he said he was as
certain as that DR., Brockenbrough owed him
one thousand dollars that on a certain oc-
casion, being in one of his pious moods, he
was reading the Bible to some of his friends,
and commenting on it, when he came to the
passage, "fOrgive your enemies, he closed
the book saying, ''all my friends know l
don't do that" The great orator could not
stand this test.
Let us remember that, in the pardon of
our sins, God graciOusly forgives us more
than we can ever forgive each other. Our
sins against him are infinite, and in every
trespass we commit against our neighbOr, we
in the very act sin more against God. Da-
vid's sin against Uriah, was as great as one
man can commit against another, and yet
David in the 51st Psalm says, against
thee, thee only have | sinned"
How can any one who has looked at the
"hole of the pit from which he has been
digged, entertain feelings of hate and re-
venge? He feels and knows that, if Gods
grace prevents not, he is capable of any and
every sin. Well might John Bunyan exclaim,
on meeting man on his way to execution,
''There goes John Bunyan, but for the grace
of God"
But, in view of all this, cavillers at the
Bible, and even some honest good men, have
been perplexed and grati6ed at the contrary
spirit, the spirit of revenge, which seems to
animate David, the man after Gods own
heart, in many of the Psalms, but especially
in the 109th Psalm.
The history and example of David, espe-
cially in his conduct towards Saul, exhibit
true spirit Of forgiveness. Is there any con-
trsdiction between his example and his pre-
cepts?
Perhaps there cannot be found in the same
space such variety and depths of imprecation
as is contained in this 109th Psalm. Can
there be maledictions deeper than is con-
tanned in these expressions? "Set thou
wicked man over him, and let Satan stand
at his right hand" when he shall be
Judged let him be condemned" and "let his
prayer become SIM" "Let his days be
few" and "let another take his office.
"Let there be none to extend mercy to him,
&c.
So full of seeming hate and revenge is
this Psalm, that on one occasion a soldier on
quitting the army, desired to drink toast
to his old commander, who as a severe dis
ciplinarian, had punished him. He simply
read this whole Psalm as his toast, and as
embOdying his feelings of hate, better than
he could express them.
Let not the revengeful and malicious for
a moment suppose that they can find excuses
for their conduct in any of the teachings of
the Bible. David in this Psalm, as prophet
and type, is evidently speaking of the enc
mics of Christ and his Church, and enemies
of a peculiar kind-such as Judas. What
sort of enemies were they2 They spoke
against him with lying tongue. "They
compassed him about with words of hatred, -
''fougbt against him without cause" ''re-
warded hatred for love-" evil for good;
SHOWED no mercy" prosecuted the poor
and needy;" ''slew the broken in heart"
slowed eursing and delighted not in bless
ing;' such were given over to hardness and
impenitency of heart Christ himself said
of Judas, ''better for that man that he had
never been born; and Paul tells us, 'if any
man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him
be anathema, maranatha.
Watts, in his paraphrase of this Psalm,
call them blasphemous:
God of my mercy aud my praise,
Thy glory is my song,
The sinners speak against thy grace
With 5LaSphemjpg tongue