S. MATT. xxii. 37.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, &c.

I.

1. W

THAT GOD are we to love?
Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, Deut.vi.5.

II. With what Love?

1. Of Benevolence.

1་

2. Defire.

3. Acquiefcence.

III. How are we to love Him?

With all our Hearts, fo as to love Him above all Things, S. Luk. xiv. 26.

IV. Why are we to love Him above all Things?

1. Becaufe He is the chiefeft Good, S. Luk. xviii. 19.

1. An Univerfal

2. An Infinite

3. Satisfying

4. Neceffary

5. Eternal

Good.

2. Because He is the Fountain of all Goodness, Pfal. xxxvi. 9.

3. Because not to love Him above all other Things, is not to love Him at all.

Confider,

1. It is the firft and great Command, Matt. xxii. 38.

L 4

The

The First,
1. In Order.
2. In Dignity.

3. In Performance, 1 Cor. xiii. 1.
The Greateft,

1. That which all the reft tend to.
2.- which they all proceed from.

-

3. In which they all end, I Cor. xiii. 3,13. 2. This will make all other Duties eafy. 3. All Things work for good to them that love GOD, Rom. viii. 28.

4. It is the Enployment of Angels.

5.

The beft Sign of GOD's Love to us.
Again confider GOD's Love to us.
1. He made us.

2. Preferves us.

3. Protects us from Evil.

4. Directs and profpers us, fer. X. 23.
5. Redeem'd us.

6. Sends us His Spirit, 1 Cor. iii. 16. 7. Hath prepar'd Heaven for us, S. Job. xiv.. 8. His Defigns are only for our Good. 9. Confider GOD's Loveliness in Himself, in all His glorious Perfections.

S. MATT. xxii. 39.

And the Second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself, Levit. xix. 18.

'HY is it call'd the Second Command ? 1. Because it belongs to the Second Table, Exod. xxxiv. 1.

2. Flows from the First, 1 S. Joh. iv. 21. 3. It may be referr'd to the First, S. Joh xiv. IS.

II. Why is it faid to be like the Firft? 1. It is like in Authority. GOD commands Both.

2. It is like in Comprehenfiveness; this also comprizing all the Second Table, Rom. xiii. 9. 3. Alike in Acceptance, S. Matt. XXV. 40. 4. In Performance, S. Joh. xiv. 15, 23. 5. In Rewards and Punishments.

III. Who is our Neighbour? S. Luk. x. 29.
All Men whatsoever, ibid. v. 36, 37-
1. Tho' never fo diftant in Place.

2. Contemptible in Perfon, S. Matt. XXV. 40, 3. Different in Opinion, S. Luk. x. 33, 36, 37. 1. Because All are made by the fame Hand, Act. xvii. 28.

2.

Partakers of the fame Nature. 3. Capable of the fame Happiness, 1 Tim.

ji. 4.

IV. How

IV. How should we love them as ourselves? 1. By not doing that to them, which we would not have done to ourselves; as,

1. Not to judge or think Evil of others, S. Matt. vii. 1. For thereby,

1. We rob them of their Right to our good Opinion of them.

2. This will breed a Contempt of them, Rom. xiv. 10. a

3. It is ufurping the Prerogative of GOD,

Rom. xiv. 4.

2. Not to speak Evil of another, Tit. iii.
1, 2. S. Jam. iv. 11. Exod. XX. 16.

3. Not to defraud another, 1 Theff. iv. 6.
4. Not to covet another Man's Goods, Exod.
XX. 17.
This Sin,

1. Makes a Man an Idolater, Coloff. iii. 5.
Ephef. v. 5.

2. Subjects him to all Sin, 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. 3. And to Evil or Miferies likewife,1 Tim. vi. 10.

5. Not to rejoyce in other Mens Miferies, Prov. xxiv. 17. Fob xxxi. 29. Pfal. XXXV. ∙13, 14, 15. Prov. xvii. 5.

2. That we endeavour other Men's Good, as well as our own.

1. By praying for all, 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. yea, for our very Enemies, S. Matt. V. 44. and fo forgiving their Wrongs

1. This is requir'd toward the Remission of our own Sins, S. Matt. vi. 12,

14, 15.

2. Hereby we testify true Obedience.

2. By honouring all, 1 S. Per. ii. 17.

1. Because all Men were made in the Image of GOD, Gen. i. 26. Job xxxi.

13, 14, 15.

2. No Perfon, but in fome things, may be
better than ourselves, Phil. ii. 3.
No Perfon but, for ought we know,
is a Child of GOD, and fhall come
to Heaven.

3.

3. By putting the best Conftruction upon all
Mens Words and Actions, 1 Cor. xiii.
5. much more upon their Thoughts.
4. Rendring to all their Due, Rom. xiii. 7.
5. Relieving other Mens Neceffities; for,
1. Hereby we imitate GOD, S. Luk.
vi. 36.

2. Love to GOD cannot confift with.
out this Love to Others, 1 S. Joh
iii. 17. S. Jam. i. 27.

3. What we give to the Poor, is lent to GOD, and fo is our own, Prov.

xix. 17.

6. Doing to others, as we would have others do to us, S. Matt. vii. 12. [Vid. Expofition on S. Matt. vii. 12. p. 90.] 3. All this is to be done out of fincere Love to our Neighbour, not to ourselves.

USES.

Confider, if we do not love our Neighbour; 1. We do not love GOD, I S. Job. iv. 20. 2. Nor Christ, S. Joh. xiv. 15.

3. Nor ourselves.

4. We tranfgrefs all the Commands of the Second Table.

5. Muft answer far it at the Day of Judgment, S. Matt. XXV. 41, 42.

There