place, that fuch as were truly spiritual in all ages, and under all difpenfations, knew very well that all Outward Inftitutions were in order to fecure, or to promote, or to create, the knowledge and love of God, and of our neighbour, in the world. For this is the meaning of the fcribe's faying, that to love God with all the heart, and with all the foul, is more than whole burnt-offerings and facrifices; not as if facrifices could have been neglected, having been ordained by God, to represent and typify the death of Christ; and . without which (as the apoftle tells us") there was no remiffion of fins.

I obferved, that St. Paul faith the fame in effect of circumcifion, that it is nothing; and of preaching, that he that planteth is nothing: and that St. Peter faith of baptifm, that it is not the outward ordinance that faveth us, but as it fuppofeth a good confcience enquiring of God to know and to love him.

Now, from thefe, and fuch-like facred fcriptures, we learn, that the end and design of all outward ordinances are, and ever were, to bring men to the knowledge and love of God and of our neighbour; and that as, on one hand, outward ordinances are not, at our peril, to be despised or neglected; neither, on the other hand, are they to be depended on as fufficient unto falvation, unless they lead us to the love of God and of our neighbour; which

Heb. ix. 22. с 1 Cor. vii. 19. d 1 Pet. iii. 21.

by

by our Lord are called THE TWO GREAT COMMANDS; because all other commands and ordinances, whether of the law or gofpel, were intended to promote and secure thefe two; and because too, all others might be difpenfed with, if God should think fit. But the love of God and of our neighbour never were, nor ever will be, dispensed with.

I have already fhewn you, that the first four of the ten commandments aim folely at this, to establish and to fecure the love of God in the world. By forbidding any other being to be worshipped or depended on; by forbidding men to worship God by an image, left they should come to have mean thoughts of God, fuppofing him to be like any thing that can be represented by an image; by forbidding men even to use the name of God, but after a ferious manner; and laftly, by obliging us to set one day in feven apart, to be employed in searching after the knowledge of God, in worshipping him, and afking his bleffing, that we may love him more perfectly.

After this I explained three things: what we are to understand by loving God with alb our hearts; how fuch a love is to be obtained; and lastly, what are the natural effects, fruits and figns, of the love of God dwelling in our hearts.

I now come to set before you the fecond branch of Charity, the fecond Great Command, (as our Saviour calls it) that is, to love our Neighbour

VOL. II.

Neighbour as ourselves; which if we do fincerely, the apostle affures us, we fulfil the whole law relating to our neighbour. So that it concerns us, above all things, to understand a law on which fo much depends.

you,

I will therefore endeavour to fhew ift. The meaning of this command. 2dly. The obligations we lie under to receive, and to obey it.

3dly. I will fet before you fuch inftances and expreffions of this love to our neighbour as are every where difperfed through the word of God.

And,

Laftly, Because these, very many of them, are very hard to flesh and blood, we will confider what helps God has afforded and directed us to, in order to enable us to do our duty in this particular.

I. We will first confider the meaning of this command. Love or Charity, then, is fuch a temper as difpofeth a man to wifh well, and do well, to others; it is an hearty good-will to mankind, proceeding from a love for God, whofe creatures we all are, and all more or less partakers of his image; it is, moreover, a grace or gift of God, which he bestows where he fees men defirous of and difpofed for fuch a favour: for such a difpofition to do good is not naturally in any man; the heart being (as the prophet fpeaks) defperately wicked, and, without the grace of God, would devise mischief instead of good. It is true, men may

Rom. xiii. 8, 9.

have

have their favourites; may wish well to their friends; may fhew kindnesses for very ill ends; but this is not the love which God infpires, or which he will ever reward. That must proceed from himself; and he bestows it on those only who love him fincerely, and who fincerely defire to please him.

But who is our neighbour, whom we are commanded to love? Why, Jefus Christ has taught us in the gofpel, that every man is our neighbour and our brother, though never fo mean, though never so different in manners, in opinion, or complexion; for we are all of one blood, all redeemed by Jesus Christ, and all capable of the fame happiness. And as long as God thinks any man worthy to live, we are bound to treat him as our neighbour, that is, with love and kindness; for life is more than meat, and the body than raiment. If God vouchfafe the one, we ought not to withhold the other. But our Lord has put this out of all doubt, by commanding us to love even our very enemies: for if any body might have been excluded from our charity, our enemies most furely would have been of that number.

But how are we to love our Neighbour? The command faith, as we love ourselves.Now, there is a vicious felf-love, which is the fountain of all iniquity and injuftice, and the very destruction of Christian charity. There is also a hellifh love, when men, out of affection

Q 2

fection as they call it, defire to make others as wicked as themselves; who do indeed strive to please their neighbour, not for his good, and to edification, as the apostle directs, but to his deftruction.

Now, neither the one nor the other of these is a Christian rule, to direct him what fort of love he should bear and exercife towards his neighbour; but this is the meaning of the command, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf; that is, as men, fearing God, do love themfelves. None but fuch receive it as a command; and to fuch only it is a direction how they ought to love their neighbour: for, in truth, men naturally love themselves better than their neighbour; and it is faith alone can change their fentiments: it is that which tells them, that they are made for eternity, and fo is their neighbour; that God is our common father, and all we are brethren; that those who do not love as brethren here, cannot poffibly be happy hereafter; that this life is fhort, and has nothing in it to compare to the happiness of the next; and that nothing can recommend us more effectually to the love and favour of God, than a tender regard for our neighbour; and that it is for this reafon he commands us to love him as ourselves; that is, fincerely, as in the fight of God.

It is an appeal to the confciences of men, who know very well how they love themfelves;