LOVE YOUR ENEMIES by J. D. Hillis

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 15, 1860

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.

By J. D. Hillis

MATTHEW V, 44, 45. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven."

Christ has also said, "Ye are the salt of the earth." As the property of salt is to keep, and preserve pure all which comes in contact with it, so the influence of Christians will to a great extent control the actions and shape the course of their unconverted friends and neighbors; yes and even your enemies may be brought to a saving knowledge of the blessed Redeemer, by the influence of a meek and lovely spirit, the cultivation of a forbearing disposition before them. "Ye are the light of the world." As light is designed to shed its brilliant rays all around, so will your religious influence and gospel light manifest its power with an irresistible influence upon all within the circle of your acquaintance; even your enemies will forcibly feel its effects.

Christian brethren, do you love your enemies? If so, how? By saying all manner of evil against them, and hating them with all your heart, willing to reject them from your society? That Saviour whom you worship never did so. He took the opposite course, setting a better example, saying, "Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Brethren do you as Christians follow these instructions given by the great Redeemer himself? If not what better are we as a church than Babylon? For observation teaches us that but few in the nominal churches live up to the rule laid down by Christ any better than those of the world. In these latter days it is very difficult to know who are true Christians by their common intercourse with men. While those calling themselves Christians live and act so much like the children of the world, is it any wonder that it is so hard to distinguish one from the other.

We should not only love the brethren, but we should love our enemies as Christ has instructed us. Hold them up in your prayers before God and pray him to bring them to a saving knowledge of his redeeming love, that they may be saved from everlasting destruction.

Do you know of an individual that hates you? Christ says in plain and positive language, Do good unto him. Then if you know of any way for you to do good, how dwells the love of God in you if you fail to do it?

"Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him; if he thirst give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Rom. xii, 19, 20. Strive to live the life of a Christian as well as to sing, talk, pray and preach it; then others observing your upright course, may be brought in with you to enjoy the consolation and reward of christianity.

"Pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Brethren, many of you are scoffed at and buffeted; are hissed at, having the finger of scorn pointed at you; are cast off by your former friends who were near to you by Christian ties, as well as by the ties of nature. Many used to walk hand in hand with you through all the social and rural walks of life, as warm hearted friends; but how is it now since you have embraced the third angel's message, these glorious and heavenly truths? Are you forsaken by former friends and despitefully used by many of your neighbors; rejected and persecuted by your relatives? Remember Christ says, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; and blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. God will take care of you if you live in obedience to his holy laws. It is God who says, Love your enemies, and this is one of his requirements. And the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil; and who is he that will harm you if ye be the followers of that which is good? But if ye suffer for righteousness' sake happy are ye; and be not afraid of their terror neither be troubled. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 1 Pet. iii, 12-15. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed [chap. iv, 16], but let him greatly rejoice on account of it, for the reward is said to be "an exceeding and eternal weight of glory." It is something for which Christians should be willing to make great sacrifices, and suffer much persecution. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God; and if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" 1 Pet. iv, 17, 18. They never can receive that great reward of glory unless they seek for immortality and eternal life through the sufferings, death, and atonement of Christ; for which, dear brethren and sisters let us fervently pray, and use all the means of godliness in our power. And unto godliness we should add brotherly kindness, charity, &c.; and if we fail to do this we "are blind and cannot see afar off," and perhaps have forgotten that we were purged from our sins. Strive for the mastery over your sins, cultivate within you a principle of love; for love worketh no ill to his neighbor, for it is of God; and every one that loveth his brother is born of God. "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us; for God is love;" but if we say we love God, and hate our brother we are guilty of falsehood according to the word of God; for we know that if we love God we love our brother also. Then if we love our brother, we should also love our enemies, to carry out the doctrine taught in the word of God.

Christ says, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them, &c." Perhaps you will ask, what profit shall we have if we love our enemies and pray for them? Much every way; but Christ answers the question and says, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." Then it would seem that we have great honor in being sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, who is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Now brethren we are not in darkness, but in gospel light with the word of God in our hands as a guide and compass pointing us to our home in heaven where the care-worn and weary pilgrims shall forever rest from their toils and cease from their labors. Let us closely observe the pointing of our compass and follow its directions with joy and delight, heed its sure admonitions, trust in God, and at last receive our great reward when we shall "meet in our home in heaven."

Brethren, pray for us here in the far west. J. D. HILLIS. Pleasantville, Iowa, March 1860.