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النشر الإلكتروني

SERMON II.

The Duty of loving our Neighbour as Ourselves,

explained.

MATTHEW Xxii. 39.

The second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as

thyself.

THE whole sentence or context runs thus: "Thou shalt "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart," and so on: "This is the first and great commandment. And the se"cond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as

thyself. On these two commandments hang all the "Law and the Prophets." My present concern is with the commandment to love our neighbour, which is a duty second and similar to that of the love of God. It is second only, or subordinate to the first, and therefore not of equal rank, order, dignity, or obligation with it: but still, because it is second to it, and like it, it is also of high rank, order, dignity, and obligation, and only short of the highest commandment of all, in which both this and every other commandment or duty centers. There is this honour done even to the second commandment, though it resolves into the first, that it is here represented as one of the two main beams upon which all other duties hang: not that any thing really hangs upon the second, which hangs not on the first also, (for the second depends upon the first,) but this second is so considerable both in value and extent, that our Lord was pleased to place it in that

distinct view, and to set it in that honourable light, in order to recommend it the more strongly to the attention and affection of the hearers. On these two commandments hang all the rest: every duty is summed up and comprised in the love of God, and the love of our neighbour. There are some self-duties, which may be thought to make a third chief head; and Divines have frequently branched out the several duties incumbent upon us, into our duty to God, and our duty towards our neighbour, and our duty towards ourselves. Neither is that threefold distinction without its use, for the help of the memory, or for clearing our conceptions. Nevertheless it is very certain that even those self-duties do, in some view or other, hang upon both the other: for temperance and chastity, and other the like self-duties, show our obedience towards God, and render us the more beneficial to men; and therefore do resolve at length into the love of God, and the love of our neighbour: so true is it, universally, that upon these two commandments hang all the rest.

These few general things premised, for the clearer understanding what our Lord was pleased to take notice of, as common to them both; I now proceed more distinctly to what properly concerns the second of the two: "Thou "shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." It is not said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength: no, that would have been carrying the point too high, and scarce have left any sufficient note of distinction between what we owe to man and what we owe to God only. But it is said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" which is high enough, and is both an awakening and an affecting description of the love enjoined, as shall be shown in the sequel. In discoursing farther, it will be proper,

I. To show what neighbour, in the text, means.

II. To explain what it is to love one's neighbour as one's self.

III. To lay down some considerations proper to enforce the duty here enjoined.

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I.

The word neighbour primarily and properly signifies one that is situated near unto us, or one that dwelleth nigh us. But by use and custom of language, the same word neighbour has been made to signify one that we are any way allied to, however distant in place, or however removed from the sphere of our conversation or acquaintancé. When a certain lawyer, a Jew by nation and religion, insidiously put this question to our Lord, "Who is my neighbour?" our Lord replied to him in the way of a parable, representing a case to him, and then leaving it to his own good sense to answer the question, which himself had raised. An unhappy man had fallen among robbers, and was left upon the road stripped, and wounded, and half dead. A Jewish priest came by, and took no notice of so pitiable a case: a Levite also travelled the same road, and looked upon the almost dying man, but moved not a finger to help him. At last, a Samaritan, who had some humanity, and a sense of compassion in him, came by that way, and he assisted the poor helpless man, and took all due care of him. Now the question arising from the case was, whether the priest, or the Levite, (both of them Jews,) or the good Samaritan, most truly acted the part of a neighbour towards the distressed man: and the lawyer immediately gave verdict in favour of the kind Samaritan. By this means our Lord extorted a frank confession even from a Jew, that the Samaritans, though of a different country and religion, and though hated for the most part by the Jews, were nevertheless to be looked upon as neighbours, whenever there should be occasion or room for any good offices between them. For if the Samaritans were to be esteemed as neighbours to the Jews, it would follow of course that the Jews should be considered as neighbours to the Samaritans: and so from the whole we are to learn, that no difference of nation or religion, no distinction of party, nor division of interests or affections, ever ought to restrain us from own

ing one our neighbour, whom we are capable of serving in a neighbourly way, by any kind offices whatsoever.

From these principles it follows, that all mankind are in some sense, or to some degree, our neighbours; because our prayers at least, if nothing more, may extend to all: and that is a friendly office, a neighbourly kindness, which, though the easiest and the cheapest of any, is acceptable however to God, when it is all that we are capable of doing. There are several texts of the New Testament which interpret the love of our neighbour to mean universal benevolence, or friendliness towards the whole kind, as opportunities may offer. "As we have opportunity," saith St. Paul," let us do good unto all men a." And again; "Ever follow that which is good, both among "yourselves, and to all men b." "Follow peace with all "men"." "Be patient towards all mend," and "gentle "unto all men "." 66 Shewing all meekness unto all

"men f."

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From all which it is plain, that in construction of Gospel law, every man whom we can any way serve is our neighbour. Be he far off or near; be he friend or adversary; be he Christian or alien; be he Dissenter or Churchman; be he Papist or Protestant; be he Jew, Turk, or Infidel; he is a neighbour in some sense, and in some degree, being allied to us, as one of the same species, and of the same flesh and blood, of the same human race, a descendant of Adam the common father of all below, a creature of God the common Father of all above. And as God is a lover of mankind at large, so ought every good man to consider himself as a citizen of the world, and a friend to the whole race; in real effect to many, in good inclination and disposition, and in kind wishes and prayers, to all. So much for the extent of the name or notion of neighbour.

but

a Gal. vi. 10.
d 1 Thess. v. 14.

b 1 Thess. v. 15.

Heb, xii. 14.

• 2 Tim. ii. 24.

f Tit. iii. 2.

II.

Next, I am to explain, what it is to love our neighbour, or all men, as we love our own selves. This is not to be understood of the degree or measure of our love: for if we were bound to love all men equally with ourselves, there would be but one measure for all, and there would be no room left for loving one person more than another, or for preferring our own safety (under difficult circumstances) before that of another man. Such an equal degree of love is neither practicable nor reasonable. It is not possible to love friends and enemies, allies and aliens, worthy and unworthy, all in the same degree: or if it were possible, yet both Scripture and reason direct us to love with distinction, and to give the preference where it is found due. "Do good unto all men," says the Apostle: but then he immediately adds, "especially unto them who are of the "household of faith 5." St. Paul had his particular and most intimate friends, such as Luke, Timothy, and Titus, whom he loved above others: and even our Lord himself (an unexceptionable example) had his prime favourites, namely his Apostles; and amongst them, he had one whom he loved above the rest, who was therefore eminently called, "The disciple whom Jesus loved h." From all which it is manifest, that the precept of the text does not mean that we should love our neighbours, that is, all men, as highly, or in an equal degree with ourselves; but as truly and as sincerely, and in a degree proper to their several circumstances, merits, or capacities, and the relation they bear to us, nearer or more remote. Love a Jew, a Turk, or an Infidel, considered as a man, allied to us in the same common nature: but love a Christian, and particularly a good Christian, as allied to us not only by the same common nature, but also by the same common faith and hope, and by a conformity of manners, suitable to the Gospel of Christ. Deny not the common offices of humanity, prayers, good wishes, common justice, com

Gal. vi. 10.

John xiii. 23. xix. 26. xx. 2. xxi. 7.20.

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