to behold you mild, and patient, and moderate, and conceive you disposed to pardon a second injury, very rarely would he proceed to a third. But even in the supposition of his abusing your forbearance, this crime could never justify your departure from duty. The sacrifices which religion requires from her children, be they ever so numerous or painful, can never contract the bounds of their obligations; on the contrary, the more afflictions, and sor. rows, and humiliations they meet with, the more they resemble their crucified Master; and this conformity, especially when resulting from the malicious and uncontrollable passions of fellowmortals, so far from sinking them into despondency and grief, should become the object of their ambition and glory.

Let him wait upon me, therefore, you will say; let that person who has so frequently and so cruelly injured me, make the first advances towards a reconciliation, and I will forget all that is past; I will forgive him every thing; I will sacrifice all my feelings to my religion and duty. When the aggression is manifestly on the part of an adversary, these sentiments appear to be a compliance with the law; for we are then only commanded to leave our gift before the altar, and to go first and be reconciled to our brother, when we remember that he has aught against us: so that the first step to a reconciliation is enjoined on the offender. But when the injury is mutual, as is generally the case, the obligation of making the first advances is mutual also, and the heart truly desirous of Christian harmony and love, will not examine too scrupulously in which scale of the balance the reasons for animosity preponderate. Of this it is fully persuaded, that the sublime efforts of divine and supernatural charity are the distinguishing marks of the disciples of Jesus. "By this," says he, "shall all men know that ye are my disciples." The Publicans, he further tells us, love those who love them, they treat those with indifference from whom they have nothing to expect; but ye, Christians, must love those who hate, and persecute, and offend you. I do not tell you to love them from feelings of taste, sympathy, or inclination, the sweet sources of intimate connexions and friendship, for this would be impossible; I am willing even that you should feel a repugnance to loving them: but my law still is, that you love them notwithstanding this repugnance; that you set aside and disregard the injury which has been done you, at least so far as the affections are concerned; that charity should efface every angry feature from the heart, and instead of the odious representation of an enemy, should exhibit to the mind every human being, friend or enemy, as an image of the Deity, a brother in Christ, a member of his family, and a claimant, under him, of human com miseration and active benevolence. I say active benevolence, for the love of enemies includes also the obligation of rendering them the common services of society. "If your enemy hunger," says Christ, "give him meat, if he be thirsty, give him drink. When unjustly accused, withhold not your patronage; refuse him not such credit as might uphold his tottering fortune; disdain not to

wipe from his eye the tear of affliction. If unable to render him actual services, cherish at least the desire of doing so. Instead of insulting Heaven by horrid imprecations on his head, which are generally the rash dictates of impotent hatred; instead of calling down upon him the vengeance of Heaven; say rather with Stephen, "Lord, lay not this sin to his charge;" I call not on thy avenging arm to punish, but on thy mercy to pardon the injury that has been done me.

Here, my brethren, is the true meaning and spirit of this Gospel law. But you will ask, is this law really practicable in its utmost extent? If we reason dispassionately on the subject, I trust the obstacles on this head will gradually disappear. The only plausible pretext for indulging sentiments of hatred and revenge, is this, that we may ultimately inflict upon an enemy some chastisement for his offence. Now this chastisement must either affect his fortune, his reputation, or his person. To injure his property would be the action of a villain; to defame his reputation the conduct of a slanderer; characters supremely despicable even in the eye of the world, and discountenanced by the established laws of honour, which in these cases bear testimony to the precepts of the Gospel. In these instances, therefore, even worldly men will acknowledge their propriety and obligation. But when personal chastisement is the question, then the world and the Gospel are immediately at variance. Even in this case, however, few can carry their vengeance into effect, and few, of course, can have plausible grounds for indulging the sentiment. The whole of the female sex, and all the labouring classes of society, appear to be happily exempted froin the maintenance of what is ridiculously called the point of honour. This imaginary phantom, this bloody Moloch, is worshiped solely by them, who consider themselves, or wish to be considered, as GENTLEMEN. With respect to these there exists a sanguinary law, prescribing for certain offences, nothing short of mutual and deliberate assassination. In Christian countries, and by Christian professors, this law is systematized, approved, and practised. Men of enlightened minds submit to its folly; men who would spurn at the idea of slavery, bow down, without a blush, to this tyranny of opinion; men who revere religion and its author, in this instance, deliberately bid defiance to both.

*How often, in fact, have humanity and religion wept over the melancholy and infatuated spectacle of warriours renowned for their moderation and wisdom, coolly debasing themselves to the character of gladiators; and thus tarnishing their reputation for intrepidity and courage, by an open avowal of their submission to unquestionable prejudices? Upon the issue of a single combat they risk those lives so often preserved amidst the carnage of

Inserted on the occasion of General Hamilton's death, killed in a duel with Colonel Burr.

war; and expose to legal infamy the glory which they had pur chased amidst torrents of blood? As men of enlightened minds and feeling hearts, they reprobate the despotism of those extravagant and barbarous maxims, which have confounded all the ideas of heroick valour, and savage ferociousness; maxims unknown to the most splendid ages of the world, and the hateful offspring of Vandalism and Gothick barbarity. As Christians they behold the uplifted hand of the Almighty ready to strike them; they shudder at the sight, and deplore the sacrifice exacted at their hands: but the world attaches to it a senseless notion of honour. With minds confused, and agitated, and wrung with desperation, they overlook every idea of family wretchedness and personal guilt. They rashly encounter the danger of rushing into their Maker's presence, in the very act of offending him, and purchase by a most bitter, and I fear, very frequently, an everlasting repentance, the esteem of a murdering world, which will now be nothing more

to them.

You will readily perceive, my brethren, that these general reflections on this criminal and barbarous custom, may in some degree be applied to a recent catastrophe, which has excited in every well regulated bosom the keenest sorrow and regret. Amidst the sighs, however, which we heave at the loss of such a man as ALEXANDER HAMILTON, on whose transcendent abilities and disinterested patriotism, in any other place than this, we might dwell with fond delight and national exultation; let a source of great consolation spring up in a Christian assembly, that time was allowed him for repentance; and that he employed those precious moments in exhibiting every evidence in his power, of a sound belief in the doctrines of the Gospel, of a Christian spirit of magnanimous forgiveness, sealed by the sacrament of love, of a firm and entire reliance on the mercies of the Redeemer, and of an utter detestation and abhorrence of the wicked principles and inhuman practice, to which he fell an ever-to-be-lamented victim.

Now surely a custom thus reprobated by so enlightened a mind, a tyrannical law so wicked in itself, and so mischievous in its consequences, must be founded in some deep-rooted and master depravity. Yes, my brethren, it is founded on that immoderate love of self, which like the fabled box of Pandora, discharges on our race the whole train of moral evil. "Take away this principle," says Bernard, an ancient father," and you destroy the empire of the devil," you annul all the laws which his authority has sanctioned, you put an end to that monstrous usurpation which he has established over the laws of God and society, by placing in the hands of inconsiderate individuals, that exercise of vindictive justice, which must belong exclusively to them.

All the maxims and precepts of the Gospel aim principally at the extinction of this fatal love of self, and to plant the love of God in its stead. That any man, therefore, professing a belief in this Gospel, and an assent to its sanctions, should still cherish a prin. ciple opposed so diametrically to both, is a wicked inconsistency,

too glaring for any rational person to maintain. But when once excited, this master-passion of our nature scruples not to set reason and conscience at defiance; by an excessive overvaluation of character, it teaches that worldly credit is to be preserved at any rate, and disgrace at any rate to be avoided; even by deliberately preferring the estimation of man to the favour and approbation of God.

It would only be a waste of time to pursue this subject any further. Till men of honour, as they call themselves, can plead some special exemption from the laws of charity and forgiveness, in vain will they offer any plausible apology for this barbarous practice; in vain will they allege the preservation of their honour as a pretext for their vengeance. It appears to be the effect of some special subtilty in the grand enemy of our race, that in this point only men should feel so delicately any affront to their honour; for a very little observation will discover, that many who are so sore upon this solitary point, as to risk without remorse their lives and salvation, on many others abandon without scruple the most obvious rules of honourable duty. For we daily behold men of this description prostituting their honour to some worldly interest, which renders them false and hypocritical in their conversation, faithless to their promises, ungrateful, frivolous, and inconstant in their behaviour; which makes them court the favour of the powerful, or of the multitude, by notorious falsehood, dissimulation, and baseness! So that they can sacrifice, without blushing, their honour to the world, to interest, to pleasure, to ambition; while to refuse this sacrifice to the laws of God and society; is deemed the part of an honourable man.

The duties of forgiveness thus thwarting so evidently the dictates of self-love and the sanctions of worldly prejudice, would certainly transcend the powers of human nature, did not the same blessed religion which enjoins them, furnish us with motives sufficiently strong to enforce and render them practicable. These motives, therefore, we are bound to apply. They spring from the inward energies of divine grace, which, like a gentle dew, extinguish the flames of hatred and vengeance, appease the murmurs of irritated nature, calm hostility into peace, and rage, like that of lions, into lamblike meekness and composure; they change a pupil of the world into a disciple of Christ. The forgiveness of injuries, which the world deems so unreasonable, rests, nevertheless, upon the two grand motives of human action;-to wit: upon duty upon interest,-upon what we owe to God, and what we owe to ourselves.. We surely owe to God an unlimited obedience; and what is his command on this subject? " But I say unto you, love your enemies. This is the law, clear and explicit: but selflove whispers, it is too extensive and universal. Let us, however, call to mind, that to enjoin a suppression of the sentiments of revenge, surely bears lighter upon our nature, than to command a tender Father to sacrifice every sentiment of affection, and immolate his beloved and only Son.

and

Assisted by divine grace, Abraham obeyed without hesitation; and the same Almighty succour will not be wanting to us. It will convince us feelingly and effectually, of the folly of bringing upon ourselves a degree of wretchedness infinitely greater than any enemy can inflict. It will induce us to reason thus with our consciences: What the world will say of me, I know not; but this I know, that Jesus says explicitly, "this is my commandment, love your enemies." Weigh against this positive injunction, the mighty prevalence of publick opinion, all the pretensions of pride, all the interests of self-love, all the repugnances of nature, all the laws and usages of the world, and then calmly tell me, which should preponderate. But love, you will say, cannot be a subject of command; your heart cannot love what it does not conceive to be lovely; but God, who has given you this heart, who has formed it with his own hand, who knows all its springs, and has a sovereign right to control all its motions, God proclaims this law, ❝ love your enemies;" love them, not for their own sakes, indeed, but for His sake, for the sake of his beloved Son, who poured out his blood for them and for you.

It is not therefore in the name of an enemy, although a fellow. creature and a member of one family, but in the name of our common Saviour, that we press upon you this Christian duty; but when in doing this we bring to your view all the mighty claims which he has on your hearts, let it not be forgotten that he has transferred these claims to our fellow-men, without exception. Every object of our hatred and vengeance has a right to our forgiveness, founded on our obligations to our common Redeemer. To dispute this right, is to renounce these obligations, to give up the interest purchased for us in the plan of man's redemption, to exclude ourselves from the pardon and acceptance of God.

And here we see that the obligation of duty is enforced by the motives of interest. "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven;" but, assuredly, not otherwise. "Cast the hard-hearted servant into outward darkness." Nay, we are ordered to pray for pardon on this condition only:" Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." In vain, therefore, shall we address our most ardent devotions to the throne of mercy, in vain will be all our professions of faith, all our protestations of duty: unless we forgive our enemies, we shall always find God to be as inflexible and inexorable as ourselves" for he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy*." Thus our essential interests dictate a compliance with this duty. What pretext has passion to counter; balance them? If you plead inability, did not Christ, the Captain of our salvation do so before you? But he was a divine person, you will say, and I but a frail mortal. What will you reply, however, when you read and hear of so many Christians who have observed this law? Did not Stephen, in the agonies of death, cry

James ii. 13.