TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER

PENTECOST.

On Loving our Enemies, and pardoning Offences and Injuries.

Sic Pater meus cœlestis faciet vobis, si non remiseritis unus quisque fratri suo de cordibus vestris.

Mat. c, xviii. v. 35.

So shall my heavenly Father do to you, unless every one of you forgive his brother from your heart. Mat. c. xviii. v. 35.

THERE is no valuable quality of the mind more generally approved of in speculation, and less regarded in practice, than that of moderating our resentments, refraining from anger, and treating those who have injured us with meekness and humanity. Yet the Son of God never spoke with greater authority, nor declared his will more decisively, than in regard to this article; for he knew that none but himself could oblige us to forgive and love our enemies sincerely. Sovereigns and magistrates might indeed put a stop to exterior acts of vengeance, and even hinder a furious person from making use of opprobrious language; but to stretch this command to the heart, and compet us to stifle our inward resentments, and return good for evil, was the privilege of God's infinite power and justice. It is for this reason he calls it by excellence his own commandment. The rest he was pleased to promulge by his ministers, but this he promulged himself, as the thing in life he most desired and resolved to have observed most religiously..

That Pagans, darkened with the clouds of infidelity, should despise and reject a law so repugnant to human pride, and so contrary to the impulses of self-love, is not to be wondered at; but that Christians, enlightened with the rays of divine grace, should loudly proclaim, that to bear tamely an affront is to authorize insolence; that Christians, listening to nothing but what the impiety of a degenerate age inspires, or their own depraved nature and weakness of reason suggests and prescribes, should endeavour to extenuate the practice of a law so completely glorious, is what astonishes the preachers of the Word of God, and becomes a subject worthy of their greatest zeal and eloquence. Wherefore, I shall endavour to

shew you that to love your enemies, and do good to those that hate you, is not a simple counsel, but a precept wholly divine and worthy of him, who, in the Scripture is stiled the Prince of Peace, and whose wisdom only could suggest so sublime a law, and contrive so wonderful a means to govern the universe in peace, and to unite the hearts of all the faithful in the bonds of charity. And though this Law is comprized under the general precept of charity, which obliges us to love all mankind without exception or reserve, yet as it is commonly considered a part by itself, as a duty containing two members, namely, that of loving our enemies and pardoning injuries, I shall briefly lay before you the indispensable obligation and necessity of complying both with the one and with the other. But let us first invoke the assistance of the Holy Ghost, through the intercession of that immaculate Virgin, who was replenished with the richest treasures of his divine grace. Ave Maria.

It was a common error among the Jewish sectaries, to confine the love of their neighbour to the sole love of their friends and the people of their own nation, and to exclude all others; nay, the Scribes and Pharisees imagined it lawful to hate their enemies and to retaliate injuries. But our Divine Redeemer, who came down from Heaven to kindle the fire of charity on earth, took care to condemn their erroneous doctrine, and to teach his disciples that brotherly love is a debt which we owe all mankind, and which no provocation or offence can ever cancel. "You have heard," says he in the Gospel, "that it was "said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say to 66 you not to resist the evil.” “You have heard that it was said, "thou shalt love thy neighbour and thou shalt hate thy enemy; "but I say to you, love your enemies, do good to those that ،d hate you, and pray for those who persecute you and utter ca"lumnies against you; to the end you may be the children of your Father who is in Heaven, who maketh his sun rise upon "the good and the bad, and raineth upon the just and unjust; " for if you love those that love you, what reward shall you "have? Do not even the publicans do this? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more? Do not even the publicans do this?" Matt. c. v. It is neither a Moses, nor an Elias, nor any earthly Prince or Judge that lays down these rules, but it is Jesus Christ, whom our sins have fastened to a cross; it is that Sovereign Lord and all-powerful Judge, who is to decide our endless misery or perpetual happiness for time and eternity. He not only inculcated this divine Law by his word at his first and last sermon, but also vouchsafed to enforce it by his own example; for what was his whole life but one continued practice of love and charity to his enemies? Was it not his love for his enemies that brought him down from Heaven, clothed him with the human nature, and made him endure the greatest hardships, humiliations and sufferings? All the base treatment he received from the Jews could not hinder him from

spending three whole years amongst them in continual endeavours to procure their everlasting happiness. He wrought all kind of miracles during that time, for the sake of a people the most ungrateful that ever lived upon the face of the earth, and who, he knew, were to repay all his favours with a most ignominious death. When two of his disciples, John and James, requested that he would cause fire to descend from the Heavens to burn the Samaritans, for having refused him admittance into their city, did he not reprimand them severely, and say, You know not of what spirit you are; the Son of Man is not come to destroy souls, but to save them. At his last supper, did he not prostrate himself at the feet of the traitor Judas with the most amazing humility, and wash and wipe them with the same marks of love and tender affection, as if he were one of his truest friends? Did he not afterwards embrace him most lovingly in the Garden of Olives, and miraculously heal the right ear of Malchus, who came treacherously to seize on his sacred person? If we follow him to Mount Calvary, we shall find him in the midst of his most painful agony on the cross, forgetting himself and imploring mercy and pardon for his cruel executioners, at the very time they were spilling his precious blood. Father forgive them, said he, for they know not what they do. Thus it was, my brethren, that our heavenly Legislator spent his last breath in fervent prayer for his murderers, preaching charity and patience from the pulpit of the cross, and recommending, by his own example, the strict observance of that favourite precept and divine Law, which, during the course of his mortal life he had so warmly and so frequently inculcated, as the characteristic badge and mark that was to distinguish his disciples from the rest of mankind. It is hereby, says he, Jo. c. xiii. v. 35. that all men shall know that you are my disciples if you love one another,

The very genius and spirit of Christianity consists in this godlike disposition, and it is in vain for us without it to assume to ourselves the honour of bearing the name of Christians. In vain do we pretend to be followers of the meek and humble Jesus, unless we be in charity with our brethren, love our enemies, and encounter their malice with the arms of patience, meekness and humility. He that hateth his brother, says St. John, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes, 1 Ep. c. ii. v. 11. and again, c. iii. v. 14, 15. He that loveth not, abideth in death, and every one that hateth his brother is a murderer, because he thereby murders his own soul by depriving it of the life of grace, and the hopes of eternal life. Whilst he remains in that unhappy state his fasts, his prayers and offerings are not acceptable in the sight of God, who prefers the duty of fraternal love to sacrifice, though sacrifice is the highest honour we can pay to his Sovereign Majesty; For this reason Christ our Lord says, in St. Mat, c. v. v. 21, 22. If thou offerest thy

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gift at the altar, and there shalt remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee, leave thy offering before the altar, and first go to be reconciled to thy brother, and then thou shalt come and offer thy gift.

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You will say, perhaps, that it is difficult for flesh and blood to love an enemy, to put up with an injury, and to be reconciled to those that hate us. I own it is difficult to embrace our friends and foes with the same complacency and tenderness of heart; but are we not sensible that the holy religion we profess is not an incentive to flatter our weakness and gratify our senses, but to restrain and enervate our passions, and destroy our prejudices? Do we not know that the kingdom of Heaven is to be carried by an holy violence to our corrupt nature? not the reward of an happy eternity capable of making an impression on our souls and enforcing a passage to our hearts? Is it not possible with the assistance of divine grace, to overcome evil by good, to conquer the malice of an enemy by meckness, and to repay an injury with charity and benevolence? And ought we, who after a thousand reiterated crimes, have received numberless proofs of God's mercy, to think it severe, mean or despicable to love and forgive for his sake tlrose who have injured and offended us ? Are we not happy to have it in our power to obtain the pardon of our manifold offences upon such favourable terins? Our case, in reference to Almighty God on the one hand, and our neighbour on the other, is similar to that of the servant mentioned in this day's Gospel, who being summoned to give up his accounts, and being found indebted to his master in the sum of ten thousand talents, which he was unable to discharge, was forgiven the whole debt upon his humbly imploring mercy; for if we look into the state of our conscience, we shall perhaps have reason to apprehend a more heavy load of debt lying upon our own souls. We shall acknowledge that every mortal sin we have been guilty of in our life is an immense debt, a sum, alas! of ten thousand talents, which we are utterly unable to discharge of ourselves. However, the Lord is as ready to forgive us this immense debt as the master was to forgive his servant, provided we imitate in some measure his goodness, in compassionating our neighbours and forgiving the trifling debt and small offence for which they are indebted to us. But if we imitate the unmerciful servant, who, instead of having patience with his fellow servant, and allowing him some time for the payment of the hundred pence he owed, seized on him with open violence and cast him into confinement; if, I say, we harden our hearts in this manner, and shew no mercy to our brethren, we must expect to be treated hereafter like him with the utmost rigour, and to be delivered over to the ministers of God's severe justice until we shall have paid the last farthing; for, as Christ says in the conclusion of the aforesaid parable, It is thus my heavenly Father shall treat you, unless every one of you

forgive his brother from your heart. Lest we should ever forget or lose sight of this great duty, he has thought proper to insert the following petition in the form of daily prayer which he has taught us, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; after which he took an occasion. to enlarge upon this petition alone, and said, If you forgive others their offences, your heavenly Father will also forgive you your sins; but if you will not pardon men, neither will your Father pardon you your sins, Mat. c. vi. v. 11, 15. This plainly shews that to forgive our brethren sincerely, from the heart all the injuries and offences they commit against us is a condition absolutely necessary, in order to obtain from God the forgiveness of our own sins. How then can we without trembling, repeat these words, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive, if our heart tells us, at the same time, that we do not forgive? Is it not calling for justice instead of mercy, for vengeance instead of compassion, unless we forgive? Is it not bespeaking our own condemna. tion, and a denial of the pardon we sue for in reciting the Lord's Prayer? Christians who are about approaching the sacred tribunal of penance, and who wish to be qualified for the benefit of the sacramental absolution, should reflect seriously on these important truths, and lay aside all rancour and ill-will, resentments and animosities. They must, in the sincerity of their hearts, forgive all those who have offended and injured them, if they expect to be forgiven themselves; for though in other respects they may be seemingly well disposed, yet as long as they persist in an unforgiving, revengeful temper, and harbour hatred and malice in their hearts to any one person in the world, they are utterly unworthy of the mercy they sue for; their repentance is no better in the sight of God than a mockery, their confession is void, the absolution they deceitfully receive is null, and instead of discharging their debts, they only encrease their reckoning, and return back with the additional guilt of sacrilege. What is more, if they die in that state, there is no room for mercy, since, as St. James assures us, c. ii. v. 13. Judgment without mercy shall be dealed out to him who hath not shewn mercy; God will deal with him, in this respect, just as he shall have dealt with his neighbour, according to these words of the Gospel, With what measure you shall measure to others, it shall be measured to you again, Luke, c. vi. v. 38.

If we consult the old Testament, we shall find that the great duty of fraternal love for enemies, and of forgiving injuries and offences received, was reduced to practice long before the promulgation of the Evangelical Law. What shall we say of the Patriarch Joseph with regard to his brethren, who had combined against his life and sold him as a slave to be carried away from his father's house into Egypt? What an illustrious example of forbearance and charity do we also behold in King David with regard to his mortal enemy Saul, who sought all