the Face of the Earth. He did not apply it to this Friend, or that Acquaintance, to this Nation, or that Religion; but to the whole Race of Mankind; Whoever is clothed with the Ignorance, and Infirmities, and Neceffities of Human Nature. Whoever fuffers under the Misfortunes, and Afflictions, and Calamities of human Life, he is our Neighbour, in a Chriftian Senfe, and Acceptation of that Word, and this will appear,

1. From our Saviour's own Interpretation of the Precept. In the 10th of St. Luke 29. A certain Lawyer being defirous to know what he might do to inherit Eternal Life; came, and put this very Queftion to our Lord. Who is my Neighbour? According to his usual manner, our Lord answers him by a familiar Parable, of a Prieft, and a Levite, and a Samaritane, who journeying the fame Way, found a diftreffed Traveller, who had fallen among Thieves, fripped of his Raiment, wounded, and left half dead.

The Priest and Levite paffed by on the other Side, unconcerned at his Misfortunes; without affording him the Relief, either of their Pitty, or their Affiftance. The Samaritane has Compaffion on him, binds up his Wounds, pours in Oil and Wine, fets him on his own Beaft, brings him to an Inn, there takes Care of him; and what Charges he might contraft during his Abfence, promifes to defray

all

37

all at bis Return. Which now of these think- ver. 35. eft thou, fays our Saviour, was Neighbour to him that fell among Thieves? He faid, he that fhewed Mercy unto him. Jefus faid, go

and

do thou likewife. Does the Parable need any farther Paraphrafe, or Explication? Is it not obvious to the meaneft Capacity, who is to be accounted, and in what Senfe and Latitude our Neighbour is to be understood? Never were two Religions more oppofite the one to the other; never two Nations more at variance, as to the Offices. of Civil Life, and Converfation, than were the Jews and Samaritanes; and therefore faith the Woman of Samaria to our Saviour, in the Fourth of St. John. How is it, that thou, verle 9. being a few, asketh Drink of me, being a Wo man of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealing with the Samaritanes. So that the plain Import of the Parable, and our Saviour's Anfwer, is this, That where-ever we fee the Wants and Miseries of our own Nature; whatever the Qualifications of the Perfon may be : Though he be a Stranger to us by Nature ; though he be different from us in Religion, tho he be an Enemy to us in Affection and Friendfhip; yet being clothed with the fame Infirmities, and fubject to the fame Misfortunes of Human Life, he is our Neighbour, he is the Object of Chriftian Charity.

2dly, This will further appear from the Arguments, and Examples, by which our Saviour inforc'd this Precept, which are perfectly New and Evangelical; fuch as no other Philofophy

E 4

lofophy, or Religion ever propofed before and therefore Compliance with them, is a pure act of Obedience to the Laws of Jefus Chrift.

1

For to express Neighbourly Offices to our Friends, or to our Relations, or to our Benefactors, to those who have been before-hand with us, in Favours and Kindnesses; this, properly speaking, is not Chriftian Obedience. It is no more than common Ingenuity and Gratitude; a Well-bred Pagan, or Turk, or Few, nay, the greatest Sinners will go thus far, and therefore our Saviour tells us." If ye Lu. 6.32 love them which love you, what Thank have you? And if you do good to them which do good to you, what Thank have you? And if you lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, What Thank have you? For Sinners alfo lend to Sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your Enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your Reward fhall be great, and ye fhall be the Children of the Higheft.

33.34,35.

V. 36.

To this Purpofe, this Precept is further inforced by the Example of God, and of his Chrift. Be ye merciful, as your Father who Fph. 5.2. is in Heaven is merciful. Walk in Love, dear Children, as Chrift alfo loved us, and bath given himself for us. Now are not the Mercies of God promifcuoufly diffused through the whole Creation, upon the Juft and the Unjuft? Did not Chrift tafte Death for the whole Race of Mankind? And therefore we are no more Stangers but Fellow Citizens, and of the

Houshold

Houfhold of Faith: We are not only the fame Stock by Nature, of the fame Vicinity by Habitation upon Earth; but we are Members of the fame Foreign Country, and Heirs of the fame Future Promifes in Heaven.

This may be fufficient to fhew the Meaning and Extent of this Second Commandment, or whom we are to understand by our Neighbour. I proceed in the Second Place,

II. To enquire what Kind and Measures of Love may be implied in loving him as our felves.

Now furely, it is not reafonable to underftand this Precept, in fuch a Senfe, as if our Love to our Neighbour, was in all Respects and Degrees, to be the fame with that, we bear to our felves. That can never be Matter of Duty, because indeed, it is not poffible. The Signification therefore, and Purport of the Precept, must be qualified by fome proper Rules and Restrictions. For,

Firft, It is not poffible that we should love our Neighbour's Perfon, or commiferate his Condition, or relieve his Neceffities, from the fame fenfible Principles, Difpofitions, and Motions we find in our felves. We are indeed to congratulate and rejoice with him in all his Comforts and Bleffings; we are to fympathize with him in all his Misfortunes and Afflictions, in Tenderneffes of our common Huma

nity; but we cannot do it in the fame Way and Manner we do it to our felves, becaufe we don't feel those inward Joys of a Mind, and those outward Pains of Body, with which he is deeply affected. That fuppofes an Identity of Perfons, and that we are acted by the fame individual Senfations, Paffions, and Defires.

The Precept therefore, is not to be underftood, of the Kind, and Manner; but of the Freenefs, the Chearfulness, the Reality of our Love. As if our Saviour had faid, That fhalt love thy Neighbour as willingly, and joyfully, as cordially and fincerely, without any Force and Reluctance, without any Difguise and Diffimulation, even as thou loveft, and wishest well to thy felf.

Secondly, This Precept is not to be underftood of an abfolute Equality of Love to our Neighbour, and to our felves. Self Prefervation, is the Original Law of Nature, which God hath laid at the very Root of our Beings; and therefore the Love we bear to our felves, and the Care to preserve our own Lives, must of neceffity, have a nearer and ftronger Obligation upon us, than the Love we bear to others.

Indeed, if I fee my Neighbour in apparent Danger of his Life, or in extreme Wants of the neceffary Supports of it: In the firft Cafe, I am undoubtedly bound, by this Precept, to contribute what in me lies, by all lawful

Means