The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-04

existence, and our belief in God. Surely it must be abnor-
NAL and unnatural to do wrong, surely it is only natural
mans best and highest nature--to do that which man
ought to do. Surely, then, it cannot be unnatural to love
our enemies.
Again our enemy, we may say, is the man who has any
way trespassed against us ; the man who has njured or
wronged us. The man who by word or act has grleved orr
offended US. Now the command is to love such. In the
first place, then, there are a number of things, as lconceve
it, that this does not require. Christ does not ask that we
excuse or palliate wrong doing He does not ask that we
shall overlook or countenance evil in any man. He does
not ask that we shall regard evil as a matter OF no lmPor-|
lance or consequence, and simply treat the offender and
evil doer as though he had done no wrong. The very love
which he asks that we show and exercise would prevent
this the very love we are to have to our enemy would,
perhaps, require US to tell him of his offense, urge him Tor
his own sake to repentance and the making of restitution.
This love, then. that Christ asks Of us is not a full and I'M
limited wiping out Of "old Scores, a treating OF past
wrongs as though they had never occurred, without any
regard to whether your enemy is repentant and willing to
lead a better life in future. The very love you ought to|
bear your enemy-desire for his highest and truest interest
might prevent this. Your very love to hlm-the love
that Christ requires-would prevent you from telling him
that his sin was a trihe any way because sin is not a tribe,
and your love would prevent you from so telling him.
Again, our text does not require that we should not 1eelI
grieved and indignant because of the wrong done us. his
love does not require that we should be Indifferent to the
ofense committed, or feel that it was not an injury. ALI
of these feelings are natural to beings OF developed moral
|sense they are true, and, l do not hesitate to say, are in
no sense evil, but commendable-these feelings of lndlgna-|
ItlOn that we feel IN the presence OF wrong. lICy OCCOhiC
evil when they rise up between US and the man who has
offended; prevent us from doing towards him that duty
5 which we owe-and which on act no his part can excuse
the duty of love and %helpfuless. When Christ asks
us, then, to love our enemies, He does not forD1d
that we shall feel grieved and indignant at the presence
of wrong-doing. Nor does He expect that we shall, in the
exercise of this love, feel an admiration and esteem tor the
man least Of all, that we should be drawn to him IN &C
cord and sympathy Of character and disposition. This Isl
n1nifestly in many cases impossible and in the case we
>lora occuroinO-that r the innocent DartV, and YOUR
enemy the agressor-it might be wrong for you to teel es-
TEEN and sympathy with his life and disposition. This
love, then, is not of esteem and approval, or OF
sympathy of taste and character. What is this
emies? 1t is that we should feel that he, the offender, is
more to be pihed than ], the offended. 1t is a love of
pity and compassion, a love of the mans truest welfare,
and a desire to help him. Out of this pity and comPasslon|
that | bear the man, while | am not in sympathy with his
character, and while | %disapprove of his actions, | must
strive to help him. Because he is not what he ought to|
be, | shall, out of the love and desire have tor his best
welfare, strive to bring him to a better mind. This love,
then, is a concern and solcitude for the true welfare OF the
man who has offended us a love so strong that | will not
harbor resentment in my heart towards him l will not
desire to have revenge for the evil he has done me; but all
that shall be forgotten in the nobler and truer impulse that
comes from the thought of the mans good; his interest and
happiness.
That is what our text requires Of us, then, as | con-
ceive it. Now, can you obey it Can you meet the en-
pectations of the Master Is our week human nature ca
pable of that which the Master expected and believed OF 1t I
1t is not a love of esteem or approval-this love that we
must have for our enemies it is not one OF accord, OIL
sympathy of tastes and feelings. 1t is rather a love OF pity
and compassion that which grows out of the man as|
having interests-joys that he may lose, disasters that he
may encounter-as myself have so | will be a friend to-
him, in spite of his i'll conduct. 1t is such a love, then, that
will make us willing to live with him who has wronged us,
in peaceable relation live by his side as a brother. 1t is
such a love as will leave in you no room from malice and
the desire for revenge, because you desire only his best
welfare. Now, my friends, will you say that you cannot
do this that you cannot exercise love OF this
kind You, a sinner, look to God, not to approve
your evil actions, but to pity and forgive you; yet. cannot
forgive those who have injured you? You lookto God tor
forgiveness and love; and yet you will cherish in your heart
malice against the man who has offended you? You hope
and pray that God will not punish you for your past mis-
deeds and yet you are hoping that some punishment may
befall your enemy? You believe that while we were yet
sinners and enemies of God, He in infinite pity and COM
passion, hating our wrong-doing, but desiring our haPPl-I
ness, came to save us; you, to-day, are rejoicing that God did
so love those who had offended Him that He came to save );
and yet you are not loving but hating those who have IN
iured you You live today in the very thought OF a love
of God which ofenses against Him do not check or de-
stroy, but a love that, in spite of all sin, goes out to seek
and save the lost; and yet you allow ofenses against
yourself to check and to destroy in you all love to the Oh
fender? God loves His enemies; but you won't love your
r enemies. You assume to be unbendIng, and inflexible,
and unforgiving, when the Creator and Ruler OF the univ
erse has not been so. That is what it implies, and is, II
you say that you cannot love your enemies. Again, among
Y all the statements, and terms, that in the Bible are applied
r to God to convey to us some thought and understanding OF