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countries are lost; relations, friends and acquaintance hold only their particular station; his parabolical representation embraces the whole family of mankind. The Jew hated the Samaritan, hated his religion, and all that pertained to him, and even it was improper to bestow upon him a cup of cold water. Therefore, a poor wicked woman of Samaria, when our Saviour asked of her only a little water to quench his thirst, answered with surprise, "How is it that thou being a jew, askest drink of me, “which am a woman of Samaria ?” By this parable, all who partake of humanity are or ought to be neighbours-those who do us good, and these who do us hurt. An enemy is our neighbour who assists and relieves our miseries, and performs for us the common offices of humanity. This is perfectly correspondent to what our Saviour elsewhere enjoins, "Love your enemies, "bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray "for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Thus by neighbour, is meant the whole human race; but as every one is confined to a small circle of mankind, he is only to act as a neighbour within the same, or do good as he has opportunity.

A Second enquiry is, what we are to understand by this love to our neighbour. As love to God consists in walking after his commandments, so love to our neighbour consists in the performance of all those duties, which reason and revelation direct. It implies a benevolent and a charitable frame of mind towards all man. kind; we should pray for all, and wish the happiness of all. And this is the whole of this love in this extended consideration; but in a particular and special view, it is a summary or comprehensive expression of the duties of the second table of the law. Thus our Apostle elegantly expounds it in another epistle. "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth "another hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt "not be a false witness; thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other coinmandment, it is briefly comprehended in this

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saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love "worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." Thus, according to this infallible exposition, we must habitually maintain such a regard to our neighbour, as not wilfully or knowingly to injure him in person, property, or character. We must do him no injustice, nor harbour in our breasts any ill towards him,

To love our neighbour, involves in it all that reverence and respect, which is due to the various relations and stations which we sustain, according to the fifth commandment; that we exert every lawful endeavour to preserve our own, and the lives of others, according to the sixth; that we guard our neighbour's chastity as our own, according to the seventh; that we will promote the furtherence of his wealth, according to the eighth; maintain his name and reputation, according to the ninth and sup, press all avarice, according to the tenth.

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This is love to our neighbour; this is the fulfillment of the law. But it may be useful to descend to greater particularity upon this important subject,

First, This love will dispose a person to act honestly and just¬ ly towards his neighbour. Nothing more easy and natural than to be just and honest to those we love. One disposed to wrong or injure his neighbor, all common feeling declares he is destitute of love to him. To wilfully hurt another is the contradiction of Love. It is self evident, that love to our neighbour will admit of taking no advantages of his ignorance necessity, but to perform to him all the offices of justice, equity and righteousness.

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Secondly, This love secures truth, and sincerity and integrity among men. It excludes falsehood, chicanery and every knavish trick. It causes candour, fairness and propriety in all our business and conversation with others. All shuffeling deceit in its thousand avenues is shut out. It gloriously triumphs over all A S

fraud, in heart, speech and behaviour. The allowance of any thing that wears the appearance of deceitfulness and falesehood is its abhorrence. Falsehood and deceit is always an operation of enmity, and where fairness and integrity hold not their station among men, there is no love to their neighbour.

Thirdly, This love disposes to acts of charity and mercy towards our neighbour. Misery is the object of commpassion; poverty,tion and distress, the objects of charity. Reason estimatese circumstances, and love proportions to the same according to our opportunities and abilities. Of this we have a strong picture drawn by St. Johm in perfect shades and lights. "He "that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. Whosoever "hateth his brother is a murderer. Whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have necd, and shuteth up his bow"els of compassion from him; how dwelleth the love of God in "him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

Fourthly, This love, in opposition of selfishness, will awaken desires for, and pleasure at the prosperity of others. As we ought to be far from hurting the advantage of our neighbour, so his promotion in wealth and honor, will afford us satisfaction and delight. Those we love, we naturally wish their advancement in every respect, in things temporal and spiritual. Our desires are, that they may enjoy all the felicity that time and eternity. can bestow upon them.

Fifthly, Love dispose to a tranquil contentment with all the stations and honors of or neighbour. It is the suppression of covetous, envying and grudging tempers. It gives the soul comfort and a pleasing satisfaction in all the circumstances of his neighbour's dignity, exaltation and fame.

Sixthly, This love always influences to esteem and honor others, as our hearts have this bearing, to esteem and respect our

selves. Christian love will in some cases dispose us to think of others superior to ourselves, and hold them in greater veneration and esteem. Attend to the gospel counsels on this head :"Honor all men. In lowliness of mind, let each esteem another "better than himself. Be kindly affectioned one towards ano-, ther; in honor preferring one another."

Seventhly, This love will render men peaceable towards each other. It will incline as far as possible to live peaceably with all men. It will prevent broils, feuds, animosities and quarrels. Where this governs, there will be no fightings nor duels. It will suppress all passions, gendering these effects. Whisperings, tale-bearing, tattling, backbiting, envying and matice will be banished. It will dispose to forbearance, patience, and forgivness of injuries. We will not outrage and abuse those we love. "Hatred stireth up strife; but love covereth all sins."

It would be endless to mention how love to our neighbour promotes meekness, gentleness, and goodness to others; establishes and supports good government in church and state; makes quiet citizens, and comfortable rulers; faithful pastors and a fruitful people; kind husbands, affectionate wives, tender parents and dutiful children; just masters, and faithful servants. In one word, love will dispose us to do to others, as we would desire others to do to us. To do to others in all circumstances, is nothing more than to love them in sincerity, or to love them as ourselves. This is that love that suffereth long and is kind, "that envieth not, that is not puffed up, that thinketh no evil, "but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things

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Third enquiry, which was to consider what is intended by the measure or degree of this love, loving our neighbours as ourselves. It is here taken for granted, that it is our duty to love

burselves. "No man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishe "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 prosperity, 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 torr wards all men." The absence of this love is marked as the evi

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