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 "." "Shewing all meekness unto all "men f." 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, but 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. a Gal. vi. 10. b 1 Thess. v. 15. 1 Thess. v. 14. • 2 Tim. ii. 24. Heb. xii. 14. 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 faiths." 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. passion, mercy, even to strangers and aliens, to the bitterest enemies, or to the most enraged persecutors: but reserve your intimacies, your endearments, your largesses, your double or your treble portions, for your more particular friends, kindred, and allies; and among them also preferring the kindest and the best deserving. But some perhaps might here say; if such be really the case, that we are to love our neighbours with distinction, and in proportion only to their worth in general, or their nearness to us in particular, of what use or significancy was it for our Lord to enforce the rule by the words as thyself? How does that additional clause help us to understand the nature or extent of the love there prescribed? To this I answer, that such additional clause is of great use in this matter. For whenever men are wanting in any part or branch of their duty towards their neighbour, be he friend or foe, countryman or alien, there is always something of selfishness at the bottom of it. It is either to save trouble, or to save money, or to gratify some weak passion of envy, malice, revenge, or the like. In short, some kind of self-love, ill directed, is what always stands in the way, whenever we deny a neighbourly kindness where due, in whatever proportion it is due. Now, our Lord, by saying, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as "thyself," strikes at the very root of all unfriendliness, and pierces every hard unrelenting self-lover to the heart. Put the case, that an enemy is brought to some extremity of distress, so as to want sudden relief to save him from perishing: let not selfishness interpose in this case to intercept or obstruct your kind offices. For consider that you yourself may some time or other be brought into the like distress, and may stand in need of the like friendly offices; and how hard-hearted would you judge even the bitterest enemy to be, if he should refuse you some cheap assistance in such circumstances; where he might do a generous act to another person, with no great danger or trouble to himself. Now what a man would judge so reasonable in his own case, he ought to judge as reasonable in the case of another person. Such is the use of considering one's self, in all cases of that nature. Let a man's own self-love give him a feeling sense of what passes in the breasts of others, upon such occasions; and according as he might reasonably hope or wish to be done to, so let him do. It is on all hands allowed, and universally expected, that every one should love himself in the first place, and in the next place his particular friends, relations, and allies: but yet those primary obligations, or services, ought to be so conducted as to leave room for kind offices of a secondary nature, and ought never to interfere with the sacred rules of common humanity, justice, or equity towards all mankind. Serve yourself in the first place, and your friends in the second place; for that is right: but do it not at the expence of another man's just claims, nor do a real injury to any man whatever, out of favour or affection to yourself, or to your friend. If you do, you act against the Gospel rule of dealing with others as you expect to be dealt with, and are convicted by Scripture and plain reason, as guilty in that article, not loving your neighbour as you love yourself. Every man feels, in his own case, without a monitor, when he is injured, or hardly treated; and he is apt to be very impatient and clamorous upon it, if it be safe to complain. He ought to have as quick a sense of feeling, in his neighbour's case, as he has in his own; and then he will not be inclined to take more liberties than he is willing to give, or to trespass upon others beyond what he would allow them to trespass upon him. He thinks it hard, in his own case, to be suspected of ill designs without any just colour for it, to be evil spoken of without a cause, or to have his life, liberty, or property invaded by those who have no authority or right so to do. For the same reason, he ought to be as tender of suspecting or aspersing his neighbours: and whenever he is tempted to invade any of their just rights, let him only ask himself this home question, Whether he should wish to be so used? Proper exercise and practice this way, till it comes to be habitual, would soon teach a man how to behave towards his fellow Christians or fellow men: and his own heart would be more to him, than many lectures of Christian morality. There is the more need of frequent exercise this way, because indeed selfishness is originally sown in our very nature, and may perhaps be justly called our original depravity. It shows itself in the first dawn of our reason, and is never well cured, but by a deep sense of religion, or much self-reflection. Every one feels his own cravings and appetites, and is naturally tempted and prompted to take the shortest way of satisfying them, though it be at the expence of other persons, and much to their prejudice; not considering that others have cravings as well as they, and have rights to themselves, which ought never to be invaded, but inviolably preserved. It is a long time, commonly, before men come to have a right clear sense and feeling of law and justice, and of the rules of society and when they have learned them, yet so long as a principle of selfishness is urging and prompting them every hour to transgress those good rules, there is nothing which can effectually restrain men, but an awful fear of the Divine Majesty, and faith in a world to come. Neither will these be sufficient to give a man due feeling of his neighbour's case, and to prevent acts of hostility, till he has been inured to the constant practice of making his neighbour's case his own, and thereby learned from his own self-reflections, to deal equally and impartially by his neighbours. Selfishness will bribe his judgment, and blind the eyes of his mind, so as to make him imagine that he is only asserting his own rights, while every indifferent bystander will see that he is manifestly unequal and injurious to other men. But let him once turn the tables, throwing self out of the question, or transferring it to his neighbours, making their case his own, then the mists of self-delusion will soon go off, and the man will see clearly how he ought to behave towards an |