Part II. in the foregoing part of this Difcourfe, where all the Fear, Honour, and Worship, all the Thankfulness, Trust, and Service we owe to our Maker, like fo many Streams, iffue from this Fountain of Divine Love. And as this is therefore said to be the first, fo is it likewife ftyl'd the great Commandment: And that,

3. In order of Dignity, upon the account of the tranfcendent Greatnefs of the Object about which it is converfant; which is no less than God himself, the highest and nobleft of all Beings: for tho all the Commandments have fome relation to him, having God for their Author, yet there is none that fo immediately refers to him as this of Love, having his Divine Nature and Perfections for its Object, which give it a Value and Pre-eminence above the reft.

4. This is call'd the first and great Commandment, on the account of the Largenefs and Comprehenfiveness of it, because it contains all other Graces that have any relation unto God.

And as all Moral Virtues are faid to be knit together in Prudence, fo all Theological Graces are join'd and meet in this Divine Love: for which reafon it is fometimes call'd the Old Commandment, because it was from the beginning; fometimes a New Commandment, because renew'd and reinforc'd by Chrift; fometimes all the Commandments, becaufe it comprizes and runs thro' them all, the Love of God being the great Wheel that moves all our Obedience to him, which is therefore call'd the firft and great Commandment.

5. On the Account of the Influence it has upon all other Parts and Acts of Religion, which receive all their Worth and Acceptance intirely from this: for where the Love of God is, there every thing, even the meanest Services are accepted; but where that is wanting, nothing, even the greatest and moft folemn Performances, can find any liking or acceptance with him. So the Apoftle declares at large concerning Charity, in 1 Cor. 13.

Laftly, the Love of God is the great Commandment upon the account of its Duration, which is permanent and everlasting: for tho Prophecies may fail, and Tongues may ceafe, and all other Knowledge may be done away; yea, tho other Graces of the Spirit may have an end, as Faith which will be fwallow'd up in Vifion, and Hope which will end in Fruition; yet Charity will never fail, and the Love of

God

God abideth for ever: 'twill go with us into the other World, and there make up a great part of our Felicity.

To draw to a Conclufion: Since the Love of God is in all these respects the firft and the great Commandment, let us

all in the

First place, as we are here taught, love the Lord our God with all our Heart, and with all our Soul, and with all our Mind; which contains and leads to the whole Duty we owe to him. To this end let us frequently meditate on the tranfcendent Excellencies and Perfections of the Divine Majefty, which render him infinitely lovely in himself; but especially on his fuperlative Bounty and Goodness, which make him in the highest measure amiable unto us; and we shall find it difficult to refift fuch powerful Charms. But becaufe too many flatter themfelves that they love God, and would think themselves unworthy to live, fhould they do otherwife, it will be requifite to try the Truth and Sincerity of it. Now the beft Teft and Touchstone hereof are God's Commandments; for as a Tree is best known by its Fruit, fo is our Love beft difcern'd by the Effects of it. Bring then your Lives and Actions to the Rule of God's Commandments if they are comformable to this, 'tis a good fign that the Love of God dwelleth in you; if it be otherwife, deceive not yourselves, there is no Truth in it.

This, our Saviour himself hath made the trial of it, John 14. 15. If ye love me, keep my Commandments. And St. John affures us, that this is the Love of God, that we walk after his Commandments; 1 John 5. 3.

But fince fad Experience teaches, that the World is apt to take too great a Poffeffion of our Hearts, and to draw them from God by the force of its Charms and Temptations, we are to watch against all the Pomps and Vanities of it; but above all, we are to put up our Prayers unto God, that he would arm us against all the Temptations of the World, the Flefh, and the Devil; that he would plant his Fear, and fhed abroad his Love into our Hearts and by thus loving him here, we shall live with him for ever hereafter.

DISCOURSE XXVI.

MAT. xxii. 39, 40.

And the Second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself: On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

I

Shew'd in my laft, our Duty to God; which our Saviour in the foregoing Verse fumm'd up in the Love of him. I come now

To our Duty to our Neighbour, which is here compriz'd likewife in the Love of him. As we fhall fee in the

Next Queftion in the Catechifm; which is, What is thy Duty to thy Neighbour?

The Anfwer whereunto is, To love my Neighbour as my Self.

And that will include and draw on the other things after mention'd, viz. To do unto all Men as I would they bould do unto me. To love, honour, and fuccour my Father and Mother. To honour and obey the King, and all that are put in Authority under him. To fubmit myself to all my Governors, Teachers, Spiritual Paftors and Mafters. To order myself lowly and reverently to all my Betters. To burt no body in Word or Deed; to be true and juft in all my Deallings; to keep my Hands from Picking and Stealing, and my Tongue from Evil-speaking, Lying and Slandering; to keep my Body in Temperance, Soberness, and Chastity; not to covet or defire other Mens Goods, but to learn and labour truly to get my own Living, and to do my Duty in that State of Life wherein it fhall please God to call me.

Thefe are the principal Heads of the Duty we owe to one another, all which are compriz'd in thefe few words, Thou halt love thy Neighbour as thyself; which is here faid to be the fecond Commandment, and like unto the first.

'Tis the fecond Commandment, in the order of Number and of Dignity; and 'tis like unto the firft, in respect of the Authority that commands it, which is the fame in both; and likewife in refpect of the Extent and Compre

henfiveness

henfiveness of it. For as the firft contains our whole Duty to God, so this fecond contains our whole Duty to our Neighbour; which will appear by confidering the feveral Parts of it, as before rehears'd. And,

1. The Love of our Neighbour wills us to do unto all Men as we would they should do unto us. This is a Dictate of Nature, and a Principle taught and fuggefted to us by the common Reason of Mankind, who have all own'd the Equity, Juftice, and Usefulness of it. And therefore we find the wifer Heathens commending and practising of it, from no higher Light than that of Nature and Reason.

But our Bleffed Saviour, to urge and enforce the Obligation of it upon all his Followers, hath adopted it into Chriftianity, and made it a Principle of his Reveal'd Religion, as may be seen in his divine Sermon on the Mount, Mat. 7. 12. Luke 6. 31. Now this Rule directs us to fubfitute ourselves in one another's places, and to make our Neighbour's Cafe our own; and then confider, what we could reasonably defire in their Circumftances, and fo to make that the Measure of our Actions and Dealings with them, that now labour under them. This will fhew us the Equity and Reasonableness of this Golden Rule, of doing as we would be done by, and effectually perfuade to all Acts of Juftice and Charity to one another in all Condi

tions.

Moreover, this will convince us of the Goodness of God, in laying fuch eafy and equitable Commands upon us, in making our own Defires the Standard of our Doings to others: So that he may juftly reason with us, as he did of old with the Ifraelites, Are not my ways equal? in requiring you to do no more to others, than you would defire yourfelves in their Circumftances, which may happen to be yours you know not how foon. And are not your ways unequal, if you fhould think or do otherwife? Again,

2. To love our Neighbour as ourfelves, will teach us to love, honour, and fuccour our Father and Mother. The word Neighbour here extends to all Mankind; in the first Rank whereof we are to reckon our Parents both Natural and Civil, who next under God are to have the greatest. fhare of our Honour and Affection. Nature itself inclines us to love our Parents, to whom we ftand related in the nearest Tie of Confanguinity and Blood, being Bone of their Bone, and Flesh of their Flefb.

And

And this Love is to be exprefs'd by all the Tokens of Honour, Reverence, and Obedience to them; looking upon them as the Inftruments of our Being, and paying them our Refpects accordingly: but above all, we are to fuccour and relieve them in cafe of Want and Neceffity; confidering the great care they took of us in our Infancy and helplefs State, which becaufe we cannot fufficiently requite, we are to pray to God to multiply his Bleffings upon them. This all Parents defire and expect from their Children, and therefore they fhould be careful to fet them a good Example by paying it to their own, which is but to do as we would be done by, and to love our Neighbour as ourselves: they that do otherwife, are void of natural Affection, which is a fad Symptom of a reprobate Mind.

3. The Love of our Neighbour obliges us to honour and obey the King, and all that are put in Authority under bim; for thefe too come under the ftyle and notion of Neighbour, whofe higher Station requires us to love them not only as, but for ourselves, our own as well as others Welfare being wrapt up and concern'd in theirs. The Prince's Honour is the People's Safety, for he is the Breath of our Noftrils, and the Protector of our Lives and Fortunes; the Commonwealth lives and breathes in him.

If he be fafe and profperous, the Subjects are happy; if any Misfortune betide him, they are foon involv'd in Mifery and Confufion; his Fall, like that of the tall Cedars, fhaking the whole Earth. So that to love him, is to love ourselves; and the Honour we pay him, is repay'd again in the Benefit and Comfort of his Protection. And therefore the Apostle wills us to pray for Kings and all that are in Authority, that we may lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honefty; which cannot be done without them for which reafon, St. Peter hath coupled together the Fear of God, and the Honour of the King. And St. Paul minds us to be fubject to Principalities and Powers, and to obey Magiftrates; which is no more than what we ourselves would expect in their Conditions.

4. To love our Neighbour as ourselves, requires us to Submit to all our Governors, Teachers, Spiritual Paftors and Mafters for all these are appointed for our good, and attend continually on this very thing: to submit to them, is to hearken to their Inftructions, and to bear their Corrections. As for Governors, they are faid to be the Minifters of God to us for Good, ordain'd for the Punish

ment