A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

1. We must bewail the Sins of our bitterest Enemies, as well as of our most beloved Relations. A rare and seldom practised duty I fear that this will be found. I suppose there's no godly man but bitterly mourns for the Impieties of his dear Yoke-fellow, or Child, but to mourn because a cruel Enemy either dishonours God, or damns his own Soul, I doubt there are very few that are conscientious therein. Nothing is more common than to rail at our Enemies for their Impieties, and to expose them to Obloquy, and public Hatred; but I fear there's nothing more unusual than to bewail their Soul, their self-destroying Sins before God in secret. The former, Pride, and Self-love, will easily put us upon; the latter only flows from Christian Charity, and holy sanctified Zeal and Compassion.¹ To embrace the former, and neglect the latter, is to exchange a Duty for a Sin. A miserable exchange! The holy temper of Christ, ²and Paul acted by his Spirit, discovered their bewailings and shedding tears for those that desired to shed their blood. Doubtless such a mourning as this, would, if not prevail for the Conversion of Enemies, yet be a comfortable evidence to our Consciences of the truth, yea the strength of Grace in us, and of pardoning Grace bestowed upon us, who discover so high a degree of forgiving our Enemies. 'Tis a thousand times more eligible that mine Enemies Sins should suffer Shipwreck in a Sea of my tears, than their Persons should be born down by the stream of my Power.

1. We must bewail the Sins of our bitterest Enemies, as well as of our most beloved Relations. A rare and seldom practised duty I fear that this will be found. I suppose there's no godly man but bitterly mourns for the Impieties of his dear Yoke-fellow, or Child, but to mourn because a cruel Enemy either dishonours God, or damns his own Soul, I doubt there are very few that are conscientious therein. Nothing is more common than to rail at our Enemies for their Impieties, and to expose them to Obloquy, and publick Hatred; but I fear there's nothing more unusual than to bewail their Soul, their self-destroying Sins before God in secret. The former, Pride, and Self-love, will easily put us upon; the latter only flows from Christian Charity, and holy sanctified Zeal and Compassion.¹