ment of Evil-doers, and the Praise of them that do well.

As for Teachers, they are fuch as bring up others in the Knowledge of any useful Arts or Literature, as Tutors or Inftructors. Spiritual Paftors are those whom Chrift hath fet apart to guide and to feed his Flock.

Mafters are fuch as have Authority over others, as their Servants and Dependents. All which in their feveral Stations and Functions are to be own'd and submitted to; that is, Subjects are to yield to the Power and Punishments of Governors in the State; Scholars to the Doctrine and Difcipline of Teachers in the Schools or Places of Education; the People to the Directions and Admonitions of Spiritual Paftors and Minifters in the Church; and Servants to the Commands and Counfels of Mafters in the Family. Which things the Love of our Neighbour and ourselves must engage us to, both for the publick and private. Good of one another. Thefe Leffons will be better learnt by the next Duty we owe to our Neighbour; which is,

5. To order ourselves lowly and reverently to all our Betters. By our Betters here we are to understand,

(1.) All that are above us in any Office either in Church or State.

(2.) All thofe that are before us in Age and Experience. And,

Laftly, All that are above us in Parts or Learning.

All thefe, in their several kinds, have a fort of Superiority over us, and fo are to be look'd upon and accounted our Betters.

But what is it to order ourselves lowly and reverently towards them? Why! that in general imports an humble, decent, and respectful Behaviour to them. More particularly,

For thofe that are above us in any Office of Ruling and Teaching of us, we are to honour their Perfons, and receive their Inftructions. So we are commanded to reverence all that are in Authority, and to count thofe worthy of double Honour that labour in the Word and Doctrine, and to esteem them highly for their Works fake.

For those that are before us in Age and Experience, we are to fhew a due refpect to them, as the Directors of Youth, and to liften to their Counsel and Admonitions.

Laftly, For those that are above us in Parts and Learning, we are to pay a due deference to their better Judgments; having an inward Regard to them in our Minds,

and

and outwardly demeaning ourselves towards them with Humility and Obfervance; not fetting up our weak Opinions above theirs, or prefering our Humours and vain Conceits before their greater Wisdom.

Thefe things the great Virtue of Chriftian Modefty, and the good Order and Government of the World exact from us, and are but what we ourfelves, in their Places and Circumstances, would expect from others.

6. To love our Neighbour as ourselves, will teach us to burt no body by Word or Deed; that is, not to fay or do any thing to the prejudice of any other Person, and that becaufe we ourfelves are most unwilling to receive any Injury from them. Now Men, you know, may be hurted feveral ways; as in their Body, by Violence and Bloodshed; in their Soul, by creating to it any unneceffary Grief or Trouble; in their Goods, by Rapine and Oppreffion; in their Name, by Tale bearing and Backbiting, and the like: from all which the loving our Neighbour as ourselves is the most effectual Prefervative, fince none can wish so ill to himfelf, as to defire fuch Ufage; but are rather mov'd to complain and feek redrefs when 'tis done to them. And fince all Men are fond of the Health and Welfare of their Bodies, of the Quiet and Comfort of their Souls, of the Profperity of their Eftates, and the Prefervation of their good Names; to love our Neighbour as ourselves, will be the beft Motive to promote thefe things in all others: for Love worketh no Ill to his Neighbour.

7. To love our Neighbour as ourselves, will teach Men to be true and juft in all their Dealings. There is none but defires Truth in Mens Words, Faithfulness in Promises, Fidelity in Trufts, Juftice in Bargains and Contracts, and Honesty in all Dealings, where themfelves are concern'd. Now 'tis but to pay that to others, which we expect from them, and all these things will be effectually fecur'd and practis'd in our Intercourfe with one another. We fhall then render to every one their Dues, because we look for the fame ourselves from all others; and fhall be unwilling to over-reach and defraud any, which of all things we abhor fhould be done to us.

8. To love our Neighbour as ourselves, will cause us to bear no Malice or Hatred in our Heart. Malice is fuch an evil Difpofition of Mind, as prompts Men to the doing all poffible Mifchief: 'tis call'd in Latin Malitia, that is, not only wicked, but Wickedness itself, being the highest

kind of Wickednefs in the World; for 'tis a Delight in working Evil to another, tho a Man get nothing by it himfelf: which is the Humour of the Devil, to labour hard, not to bring any Good to himself, but Mischief and Ruin to others. Hatred is a Vice much of the fame Nature, and hath much the fame Effects; for it is griev'd at any Good that happens to another, and rejoices in every Calamity that befals him. 'Tis a lafting Anger, accompany'd with Defires and Defigns of Revenge, and ends many times in Murder and Bloodfhed. Now a true Love of our Neighbour as ourselves will root out these black and mischievous Paffions, which are but a Torment to those who harbour them. They cannot dwell in a Breaft where Love and Virtue reign, no more than Fire and Water, Light and Darknefs, can abide together. And fuch as give way to them, are left by the Holy Spirit of God, and led only by the accurfed Crew of the evil and envious Spirits.

9. To love our Neighbour as ourselves, will keep our Hands from picking and stealing. This Virtue will give us fuch a Senfe of one another's Property, as will not fuffer us to invade it in the fmalleft things, and much lefs in greater and weightier matters. The Portion allotted to every one by the Laws of the Country, is what God himself, by his Deputies, hath affign'd to them; and as we would not have any to diminish our Stock, or break in upon our Goods by the unjust ways of Theft and Robbery, fo ought we to be equally tender of the Rights and Properties of others, not ufing our Hands in taking any thing from them, nor defiling our Fingers with any unjuft Gain. Yea, we must first extinguifh the Love of God and our Neighbour, and put out the Light even of natural Reafon and Equity, before we can make fo bold with any thing that is another's.

10. To love our Neighbour as ourfelves, will keep our Tongues from Evil-speaking, Lying, and Slandering. The Tongue was given us to fet forth the Glory of God, and to fet forward the Good of our Neighbour: and when 'tis us'd to thofe Ends, 'tis truly ftyl'd the Glory of a Man; but when 'tis us'd to the contrary ways, of difhonouring God, and difparaging our Neighbour, it then becomes a Shame and a Reproach to him. And as a true Love to God will keep us from all ways of difhonouring him; fo a true Love to our Neighbour will reftrain us from all the ways of vilifying and defaming him. Of the latter of which we have three ways here mention'd: By Evil-speaking, that is, VOL. II.

by

by leffening or detracting from any: By Lying, that is, by falfifying in Words and Promifes: By Slandering, that is, by raifing or fpreading evil Reports of him. All these are grols Abufes of Speech; and our Saviour tells us, that of all fuch idle and evil Words we must give an account at the last Day. Now a true Love to our Neighbour as ourfelves, will help to take out the Sting and Venom of the Tongue, by confidering our own Unwillingness to be under the Lafh of it; and fo to avoid all that rafh Judging, Lying, and Slandering of others, which ourselves fhould be loth to receive or bear from them.

11. To love our Neighbour as ourfelves, will help to keep our Body in Temperance, Soberness, and Chastity. A true Love to ourfelves will teach us to preferve the Health of our Bodies and the Peace of our Souls, by a temperate Ufe of God's Creatures, and an unfpotted Chastity; and likewife to avoid the contrary Vices, that tend to the hurt and impairing of either. And if we bear the fame or like Affection to our Neighbour as we do to ourselves, we fhall tender the Welfare of his Body and Soul as we do our own, and not draw him into the Vices of Intemperance, Drunkenness, or Uncleannefs, which are fo pernicious to both.

Laftly, To love our Neighbour as ourselves, will teach us not to covet or defire other Mens Goods, but to learn and labour truly to get our own Living, and to do our Duty in that State of Life unto which it shall please God to call us. The Sense whereof is, that this will keep not only our Hands from picking and fealing, but our Hearts from all inordinate coveting or hankering after any thing that is another's; but rather to use our utmoft Diligence and Industry in the Bufinefs of fome lawful Calling, to get a true and honeft Livelihood of our own: And if it fhall pleafe God to call us to any Office or Employment publick or private, faithfully to discharge the Duty of it, and to exercife ourselves therein, to keep a Confcience void of Offence both towards God and towards Men.

Thus we fee the whole of our Duty fum'd up in this one word Love, the beft and nobleft of all the Paffions; and how truly our Saviour ftyl'd it, The fulfilling of the Low: the Love of God containing and conftraining us to all that we owe to him; and the Love of our Neighbour including and drawing on all the Parts of our Duty to him: och which are imply'd in the

Lat

Laft Words of our Text, On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets: that is, these two Precepts are not only agreeable to all the Doctrine deliver'd in the Law and the Prophets, but likewife comprize all the Duties requir'd by them. For all that the Law and the Prophets have faid in the Old Teftament, I may add also, all that the Gofpel and the Apoftles have faid in the New, concerning believing in God, fearing, worshipping, trufting, honouring, and obeying of him; and if there be any other, 'tis all comprehended in this Saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Strength. And all that they have faid concerning Juftice, Honefty, and Charity to our Neighbour, in this, Thou shalt not commit Adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear falfe Witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other Commandment, 'tis briefly comprehended in this Saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself, Rom. 13. 9.

And now fince the whole Duty of Man is compriz'd in the Love of God and our Neighbour, what remains but that we labour to fix in our Hearts the Love of both; first, loving God for himself, and then our Brethren for his fake; giving him what he often calls for, our whole Heart, Soul, and Mind, not alienating any part of them from him, to whom of right they belong, nor dividing them between God and Mammon, which tends to a total withdrawing them from him. In a word, Let us enkindle in our Breafts here these Sparks of Love to God and our Neighbour, that they may improve into a celestial Fire, and lead us at last to live for ever in the unquenchable Flames of Divine Love: Which God grant, &c.