So that all the Application I fhall make of the whole Difcourfe, fhall be, to caution Men from running into extreams in Matters of Religious Duty; that they wou'd keep themselves within the Bounds of Chriftian Temper and Sobriety; not to make the Gate and Way to Heaven ftraiter, nor the Measures of Duty, and the Terms of our Salvation more difficult than God hath made them. When the Power and Prejudice of Enthufiafm have got the Afcendant in Men's Tempers, they naturally lead them to advance new Theories and Speculations in Religion, which they fet off with the greatest Air of Affurance and Confidence, as the Dictates and Infpirations of the Holy Spirit. And that which gives them a ready and easy Reception with the Credulous and Ignorant, is the Pretence of advancing a more intimate Acquaintance, and Spiritual Correfpondence with God, by living above the Love and Concerns of this World, being firft diffolved, and then fwallowed up in him.

How far fuch fanciful Flights and Hyperboles may be allowable in popular and tranfient Difcourfes, I fhall not ftand to enquire; (methinks if ever, very cautiously :) yet when Men pretend to act the Part of Cafuifts, and prescribe Rules for the Regu lation of Chriftian Devotion, and the Settlement of Confcience, they ought to E be

be careful, not to lay down fuch as will not abide the Teft of Truth and Experi

ence.

For tho' this Principle of Centring all our Love upon God, and not permitting the leaft Part of our Defires to run after the fenfible Goods of this World, may be a fudden and well-meant Rapture of a devout Mind, and at the firft Sight, carry with it a very fpecious Pretence; yet in the Confequences of it, it is really pernicious to the true Spirit of Piety, and runs Men into dangerous Perplexities of Mind, and Errors of Practice. Certainly, to perfwade Men that God requires what they find impoffible for them to perform, what is oppofite to the very Frame of their Nature, and the Happiness of their being in this Life, is to make Religion burdenfome and contemptible to the prophane, and vitious Part of Mankind; to drive the better Minded People into Difpair, by giving them occafion to Fear; that they do not love God as they ought, or ever can do, to tempt the Superftitiously Devout, to take shelter in Monafteries, and Hermitages, which very often degenerate into Schools of Lazinefs and Sloth, or which is worse, into Dens of Lewdness, and clofe Impiety.

There remains nothing now, but to add, that a true and well-grounded Love of God with all our Hearts, with all our Souls, and with all our Minds, is the only means

to

to bear us up in the Midft of a Stormy and Tempestuous World, to fecure us from Enthufiafm, Supeftition or Difpair, to make his Glory and Praife to be exalted in the World, by conftantly worshipping him in the Beauty of Holiness, by frequenting those publick Places more immediately fet apart for his Worship and Service. If we thus continue to worship him, give him Thanks, put our whole Truft in him, call upon him, honour his holy Name, and his Word, and ferve him truly all the days of our Lives, it will give us the affured Hopes of a Bleffed Immortality, where we fhall have the Fruition of, and fing Praises unto him that fitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for evermore. Amen.

52

SERMON III.

The Love of our Neighbour.

St. M AT T H. xxii. 39.

And the Second is like unto it. Thou balt love thy Neighbour as thy felf.

Aving in the Preceeding Difcourfe finished what I propofed to fpeak to, from the foregoing Words; I proceed now to these which contain the Second Commandment of the Moral, and Chriftian Law; and is here faid to be like unto the Firft. And the general Head I purpose to purfue from them, is this, viz.

ral Head

To give the juft Meaning, Extent, and The Gene-
Obligation of this Second Commandments of Dif-
Whom we are to understand by our courfe.
Neighbour; What Kinds and Degrees of
Chriftian Respect, and Friend(hip, are
implied in loving him as our felves.

1. And here it is most certain, that this Commandment, as it is delivered, and enjoined by our Saviour Chrift, hath a different Meaning, a larger Extent, and a more univerfal Obligation upon Mankind, than it ever had before, either by the Laws of Nature and Society, or by the pofitive Laws of the Jews: The Laws of Nature and Society, can't be supposed to extend any further, than to those of our Knowledge and Acquaintance, with whom we may have contracted Familiarity and Friendship, or have had Correfpondencies and Dealings, in the Matters of Commerce and Trade. The Pofitive Law of the Jews, was confined to those of their own Tribe or Country, or at moft, to fuch among the Gentiles, as became Profelites to their Religion and Worbip: All the World befides, was to them Ali-Eph. 2. 12 ens from the Commonwealth of Ifrael, and Strangers from the Covenants of Promife.

But our Lord Jefus Chrift has inlarged this Precept, and given it its proper Latitude and Force. He hath broken the Middle Wall of Par- Acts 17. tition between Jew and Gentile; and bath made 26. of one Blood, all Nations of Men to dwell upon

E 3

the