Romans 12:19-21

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (20) 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. (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

What a very lovely view is here given of the Apostle's mind, in the recommendation he hath here set forth to the Church, in our dealings with our enemies! And how tenderly hath the Apostle enjoined it, as if conscious of the difficulty of the thing itself, in opening what he had to say, with dearly beloved! Reader! was there ever a recommendation like this, discoverable, but in the holy religion of the holy Lord Jesus? I pray the Reader to turn to the words of Jesus, and he will perceive from whom Paul learnt the sweet lesson, which he here recommends to others, Matthew 4:25 and Commentary. And what a beautiful figure is added by the Apostle of heaping coals of fire on the adversary's head. Not to hurt, neither to expose him to the anger of the Lord; but to meltdown his angry passions, and to win him over to the cause of God and Christ, Oh! the blessedness of that grace of the Lord, which, when in lively exercise in the heart, can, and will, enable a poor sinner thus to feel for another poor sinner; and in the contemplation of the blessed Jesus, to recompence good for evil, and to overcome evil with good!