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ourselves. "No man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourish "eth and cherisheth it." It is constituted the rule and standard of our love to others. As love to ourselves ought to be adjusted according to the exact statutes of the gospel, so ought our love to our neighbour. We must maintain in our hearts benevolence or good will to him, to his soul, body, reputation and all that pertains to him; do him no injustice, as we would not injure or wrong ourselves; be ready to throw a mantle over his infirmities and imperfections, as over our own; be pleased with his prosperi ty, and feel for his adversity. "We must rejoice with them "that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."

This love by no means supposes that we are to labour for our neighbour as for ourselves, or work for his family as for our own. Such a construction of this divine precept, would render it both impossible and absurd. It only requires that we should have a proper degree of affection to our neighbour; that we should love him with an undissembled sincerity, should be free from all malice, rancour, and ill-will against him, as against ourselves; that we should make allowances for his mistakes, errors and failings, as for our own, and be more ready to declare his worthiness and excellency than our own. This was the love of some of the primitive christians, "who were ready to lay down their lives for "the brethren." Thus Priscilla and Aquila received the thanks of the churches, for exposing themselves to some eminent danger to save St. Paul from death. What was the risk they run we are not informed; but he tells us, "For my life, they laid down their own necks,"

A few reflections will now close this discourse.

First, We are here taught the indispensible obligations christianity lays us under to observe this commandment. No principle of religion is more clearly stated, or more strongly urged on practice than this. "Abound in love one towards another, and towards all men." The absence of this love is marked as the evi

dence of a graceless condition. "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his "brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother, whom

he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?" The love of God and Christ is set before us, as a forcible motive to this affection. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also "to love one another; be kind one to another; tender hearted, "forgiving one another; as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven "s." No precept in the bible is more repeatedly inculcated than this. Not less than seven or eight times is the commandment given, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." And the same sentiment is conveyed to us, in different phrases, in innumerable places. Now a thing obligatory upon us by nature and reason, by law and gospel, by Gad and Christ, by life and death, ought to be felt as an irresistable influence by every conscience. "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

Secondly, We are here taught the deep depravity of human nature; for instead of obedience to this holy precept, which is both our duty and interest, instead of loving our neighbour as ourselves, we have no love to spare to any but ourselves :Whence proceeds all the injustice, oppression, falsehood, fraud, and cruelty, which overflow our guilty world, but from neglect of this gospel rule? Whence come wars, fightings, tumults and rivers of blood? Whence backbiting, slandering, tattling, reviling and censoriousness? Whence malice, hatred, rancour and envy? Whence all the broils, unhappiness, and disturbances in families, neighbourhoods, towns and congregations? All origi nate from this fatal source, men love not, but hate one another. Oh, how hath man fallen! How degenerate hath he become! He who can number the stars, or count the sands upon the ebbing shore, let him describe the corruption of man.

Thirdly, This subject brings up to view a truth, which ought to melt our hearts into tears of lamentation, that few there are

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who live like christians in the world, few love one another, few love their neighbour. O what occasion is there for mourning and sorrow, that there is such a destitution of brotherly and neighbourly love in our world; and instead of the absence of this af fection, how many are biting and devouring one another? Was the weeping prophet present in this generation, his eyes would dissolve in their sockets.

Fourthly, We here learn the exceeding great evil of sin. It has introduced into, and entailed incalculable calamities upon our wretched world. It wastes societies, ruins families, dissolves nations, depopulates kingdoms, breaks churches, murders brethren, and holds the whole earth in turmoil, tumult, and confusion.

Fifthly, We are here taught all the mischief and injury men do to one another, originate from the want of love. If they had a proper heart, or a right temper towards each other, the whole world would be a theatre of harmony, peace, kindness, and goodness. Yea, had we this love, heaven would be upon earth.

Let this lecture conclude in a brief address to two sorts of persons, to the many and the few, to those who hate and those who love one another. To the former, O remember, my unhappy fellow creatures, your delusive imagination is that you love your selves, but the reverse is the fact. You love your lusts, corrup tions and follies, and those things which by the blindness of your minds and satanical influence, are hoodwinking you to eternal destruction. O fools, your souls will soon be required of you. My prayer is, as an aged minister hovering on the verge of eter nity, that your blood may not be found in my skirts. My last advice is, awake to love God with all your hearts, and your neigh Your as yourselves.

Those of you, my dear brethren, who by the grace of the gos el, hope you love God and your neighbour, be cultivating this

sweet spirit of love more and more. sure in life, your support in death,

This will create your plea

and your eternal felicity.

Let it be engraven upon your minds, as with the point of a diamond, "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

SERMON XXXVII.

LOVE THE GREAT PRINCIPLE OF ALL RELIGION.

I. CORINTHIANS XIII. 2.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing.

BY the word charity in this chapter, and throughout the whole New Testament, is meant love. When our translation of the scriptures was made, charity was a term in use to express a gracious benevolence, a holy affection, or a proper love to God and man. But it is now confined in a great measure to two ideas: a forbearance towards others differing from us in religious opinions, and to almsgiving. Living languages are always in change But charity, in the scripture sense, never expresses either for bearance or almsgiving, as employed in modern speech.

In the beginning of this chapter, the great Apostle evidently makes a comparison between all gifts and attainments persons may possess, both ordinary and extraordinary, and charity or divine love. And the result is, that all accomplishments, ever such as are supernatural, that do not imply love in them, are nothing. The person who is favoured with them is nothing in the

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