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commandment, of loving one another, a new command

ment.

2. To declare to you the nature of this commandment, by inftancing in the chief acts and properties of love.

3. To confider the degrees and measures of our charity, with regard to the feveral objects about which it is exercifed.

4. Our obligation to this duty, not only from our Sa viour's authority, but likewife from our own nature, and from the reasonablenefs and excellency of the thing commanded.

5. The great example which is here propounded to our imitation: As I have loved you, that ye alfo love one another.

6. And lastly, The place and rank which this precept holds in the Chriftian religion. Our Saviour makes it the proper badge of a difciple, the diftinctive mark and character of our profeffion: By this fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye love one another.

I. In what fenfe our Saviour calls this commandment, of loving one another, a new commandment: not that it is abfolutely and altogether new, but upon fome special accounts. For it is a branch of the ancient and primitive law of nature. Ariftotle truly obferves, that, upon grounds of natural kindred and likeness, all men are friends, and kindly difpofed towards one another. And it is a known precept of the Jewish religion, to love our neighbour as ourselves.

And fo

In fome fenfe then it is no new commandment. St John, who was moft likely to underftand our Saviour's meaning in this particular, (all his preaching and writing being almost nothing elfe but an inculcating of this one precept), explains this matter, telling us that in feveral refpects it was, and it was not, a new commandanent I John ii. 7. 8. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but that which ye haa from the beginning; that is, from ancient times. But then he corTects himself: Again xanw, but yet a new commandment I write unto you. So that, though it was not abfolutely new, yet, upon divers confiderable accounts it was fo, and in a peculiar manner proper to the evangelical infti

tution;

tution; and is in fo exprefs and particular a manner afcribed to the teaching of the Holy Ghoft, which was conferred upon Chriftians by the faith of the gofpel, as if there hardly needed any outward inftruction and exhortation to that purpose, 1 Theff. iv. But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you; for ye yourfelves are bodidaxto, divinely taught and infpired to: love one another.

9.

This commandment then, of loving one another, is by our Lord and Saviour fo much enlarged as to the objects of it, beyond what either the Jews or Heathens did understand it to be, extending to all mankind, and even to our greatest enemies; fo greatly advanced and heighten. ed as to the degree of it, even to the laying down of our lives for one another; fo effectually taught, fo mightily. encouraged, fo very much urged and infifted upon, that it may very well be called a new commandment. For though it was not altogether unknown to mankind before, yet it was never fo taught, fo encouraged; never was fuch an illuftrious example given of it, never fo much weight and ftrefs laid upon it by any philofophy or reli. gion that was before in the world.

II. I fhall endeavour to declare to you the nature of this commandment, or the duty required by it. And that will best be done, by inftancing in the chief acts and properties of love and charity: as, humanity and kindnefs in all our carriage and behaviour towards one ano. ther; for love fmooths the difpofitions of men, fo that they are not apt to grate upon one another: next, to rejoice in the good and happiness of one another, and to grieve at their evils and fufferings; for love unites the interefts of men, fo as to make them affected with what happens to another, as if it were in fome fort their own cafe; then to contribute as much as in us lies to the happiness of one another, by relieving one another's wants, and redreffing their misfortunes: again, tenderness of their good name and reputation; a proneness to interpret all the words and actions of men to the beft fenfe; patience and forbearance towards one another; and, when differences happen, to manage them with all poffible calmness and kindness, and to be ready to forgive. and to be reconciled to one another; to pray one for another

E f. 2.

other; and, if occafion be, at leaft if the public good of Chriftianity require it, to be ready to lay down our lives for our brethren, and to facrifice ourselves for the furtherance of their falvation.

III. We will confider the degrees and meafures of our charity, with regard to the various objects about which it is exercifed.

And as to the negative part of this duty, it is to be extended equally towards all. We are not to hate or bear All will to any man, or to do him any harm or mischief: Love worketh no evil to his neighbour. Thus much charity we are to exercife towards all, without any exception, without any difference.

And as to the pofitive part of this duty, we fhould bear an univerfal good-will to all men, wifhing every man's happiness, and praying for it as heartily, as for our own and if we be fincere herein, we fhall be ready upon all occafions to procure and promote the welfare of all men. But the outward acts and teftimonies of our charity neither can be actually extended to all, nor ought to be to all alike. We do not know the wants of all, and therefore our knowledge of perfons, and of their conditions, doth neceffarily limit the effects of our charity within a certain compafs; and of thofe we do know, we can but relieve a small part for want of ability. Whence it becomes neceffary, that we fet fome rules to ourselves. for the more difcreet ordering of our charity; fuch as thefe. Cafes of extremity ought to take place of all others; obligations of nature, and nearness of relation, feem to challenge the next place; obligations of kindness, and upon the account of benefits received, may well lay the next claim; and then the houfehold of faith is to be peculiarly confidered. And after thefe, the merit of the perfons, and all circumftances belonging to them, are to be weighed and valued. Thofe who labour in an honeft calling, but are oppreffed with their charge; thofe who are fallen from a plentiful condition, efpecially by mif fortune, and the providence of God, without their own fault; those who have relieved others, and have been eminently charitable, and beneficial to mankind; and, laftly, thofe whofe vifible neceffities and infirmities of body or mind, whether by age or by accident, do plead

for

for them: all thefe do challenge our more especial regard; and confideration.

IV. We will confider our obligations to this duty, not only from our Saviour's authority, but likewife from our own nature, and from the reasonablenefs and excellency of the thing commanded. This is the commandment of the Son of God, who came down from heaven with full: authority to declare the will of God to us. And this is peculiarly bis commandment, which he urged upon his difciples fo earnestly, and fo as if he almoft required nothing else in comparison of this: John xv. 12. This iss my commandment, That ye love one another; and ver. 17., Thefe things I command you, that ye love one another; as if this were the end of all his precepts, and of his whole doctrine, to bring us to the practice of this duty. And: fo St John, the loving and beloved difciple, fpeaks of its as the great meffage which the Son of God was to deliver to mankind: 1 John iii. 11. This is the meage which have heard from the beginning, that we should love one an other; and ver. 23. This is his commandinent, that wer fhould believe on the name of his Son Jefus Chrift, and love: one another, as he gave us commandment; and chap. iv.. 21. This commandment have we from him, that he who le•veth God, loveth his brother alfo.

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But befides the authority of our Saviour, we have a▲ precedent obligation to it from our own nature, and from the reasonableness and excellency of the thing itfelf. The frame of our nature difpofeth us to it, and our inclina-tion to fociety, in which there can be no pleasure, no. advantage, without mutual love and kindness. And cquity allo calls for it; for that we ourselves with and expect kindness from others, is conviction enough to us that we owe it to others. The fulfilling of this law is the great perfection of our natures, the advancement and enlargement of our fouls, the chief ornament and beauty. of a great mind. It makes us like to God, the bet, and moft perfect, and happiest being, in that which is the prime excellency, and happiness, and glory of the d vine

nature.

And the advantages of this temper are unspeakable: and innumerable. It freeth our fouls from thofe unruly,, and troublesome, and difquieting paffions, which are the

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great torment of our fpirits; from anger and envy, from malice and revenge, from jealoufy and difcontent. It makes our minds calm and chearful, and puts our fouls into an easy posture, and into good humour; and maintains us in the poffeffion and enjoyment of ourselves: it preferves men from many mifchiefs and inconveniencies, to which enmity and ill will do perpetually expofe thèm: it is apt to make friends, and to gain enemies; and to render every condition either pleafant, or eafy, or tolerable to us. So that to love others, is the trueft love to ourfelves, and doth redound to our own unspeakable benefit and advantage in all refpects.

It is a very confiderable part of our duty, and almost equalled by our Saviour with the first and great commandment of the law. It is highly acceptable to God, moft beneficial to others, and very comfortable to ourselves. It is the eafieft of all duties, and it makes all others eafy; the pleasure of it makes the pains to fignify nothing, and the delightful reflection upon it afterwards is a most ample reward of it. It is a duty in every man's power to perform, how ftrait and indigent foever his fortune and condition be. The poorest man may be as charitable as a prince; he may have as much kindness in his heart,. though his hand cannot be fo bountiful and munificent. Our Saviour inftanceth in the giving of a cup of cold wa ter, as a charity that will be highly accepted and rewarded by God. And one of the most celebrated charities that ever was, how fmall was it for the matter of it,. and yet how great in regard of the mind that gave it? I mean the widow's two mites, which fhe caft into the treafury. One could hardly give lefs, and yet none can give more; for fhe gave all that he had. All these excel-lencies and advantages of love and charity, which I have. briefly recounted, are fo many arguments, fo many obligations to the practice of this duty.

V. We will confider the great inftance and example: which is here propounded to our imitation: As I have loved you, that ye alfo love one another, The Son of God's becoming man, his whole life, his bitter death and paffion, all that he did, and all that he fuffered, was one great and continued proof and evidence of his mighty Love to mankind. The greateft.inftance of. love among

men,

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