_But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil_――Not thus; not by returning it in kind. _But_ (rather than do this) _whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain._ So invincible let thy meekness be. And be thy love suitable thereto. _Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away._ Only, give not away that which is another man’s, that which is not thine own. Therefore, 1. Take care to owe no man any thing. For what thou owest, is not thy own but another man’s. 2. Provide for those of thine own houshold. This also God hath required of thee: and what is necessary to sustain them in life and godliness, is also not thine own. Then, 3. Give or lend all that remains from day to day, or from year to year. Only first, seeing thou canst not give or lend to all, remember the houshold of faith. 13. The meekness and love we are to feel, the kindness we are to shew to them which persecute us for righteousness sake, our blessed Lord describes farther in the following verses. O that they were graven upon our hearts! [77]_Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy._ (God indeed had said only the former part, _Thou shalt love thy neighbour_. The children of the devil had added the latter, _and hate thy enemy_.) *_But I say unto you_, 1. _Love your enemies_. See that you bear a tender good will, to those who are most bitter of spirit against you, who wish you all manner of evil. 2. _Bless them that curse you._ Are there any whose bitterness of spirit breaks forth in bitter words? Who are continually cursing and reproaching you when you are present, and _saying all evil against you_ when absent? So much the rather do you bless. In conversing with them, use all mildness and softness of language. Reprove them, by repeating a better lesson before them, by shewing them how they ought to have spoken. And in speaking of them, say all the good you can, without violating the rules of truth and justice. 3. _Do good to them that hate you._ Let your actions shew, that you are as real in love as they in hatred. Return good for evil. _Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good._ 4. If you can do nothing more, at least _pray for them that ♦despitefully use you and persecute you_. You can never be disabled from doing this; nor can all their malice or violence hinder you. Pour out your souls to God, not only for those, who did this once, but now repent. This is a little thing. [78]_If thy brother seven times a day, turn and say unto thee, I repent_; that is, if after ever so many relapses, he give thee reason to believe, that he is really and throughly changed, _then thou shalt forgive him_, so as to trust him, to put him in thy bosom, as if he had never sinned against thee at all.