[The Grounds of Christianity Examined by Comparing The New Testament with the Old by George Bethune English]@TWC D-Link bookThe Grounds of Christianity Examined by Comparing The New Testament with the Old CHAPTER X 2/11
" When thine enemy falleth, do not triumph, and when he stumbleth, let not thine heart exult." So also in ch.xxv.
"If thy enemy hunger, give him food; if he thirst, give him to drink." These precepts are to the purpose, and are practicable; but this command of Jesus, " Love your enemies," if by loving he means, "do them good," it is commanded in the above passages in the Hebrew Law.
But if by " love," he means to look upon them with the same affection that we feel for those who love us, and with whom we are connected by the tenderest ties of mature, and friendship, the command is impracticable; and the fulfillment of it contrary to nature, and those very instincts given us by our Creator.
And therefore, whoever thinks he fulfills, really fulfills this command, does in fact play the hypocrite unknown to himself; for though we can, and ought to do good to our enemy, yet to love him is as unnatural as to hate our friends. In Mark ch.ii.25, Jesus says to the Pharisees, "Have ye not read what David did when he hungered, and those that were with him. How that he entered into the house of the Lord, in the time of Abiathar the High Priest, and did eat of the shew-bread, &c." See the same also in Matthew, ch.xii.3.Luke vi.3.Now here is a great blunder; for this thing happened in the time of Achimelech, not in the time of Abiathar; for so it is written, 1 Sam.xxi.
"And David came to Nob, to Achimelech the Priest, &c." And in the 22d chapter it is said that Abiathar was his son. In Luke ch.i.26, The angel Gabriel is said to have come from God to Mary, when she was yet a virgin, espoused to Joseph, who was of the house of David, and announced to her that she should conceive, and bear a son, and should call his name Jesus; that her holy offspring should be called the Son of God, and that God should give unto him "the throne of David his father, and that he should rule the house of Jacob for ever, and that to his kingdom there should be no end." Now this story is encumbered with many difficulties, which I shall not consider; but confine myself to asking wherefore, if these things were true, did not the Mother of Jesus? and his brethren, knowing these extraordinary things, obey his teachings.
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