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We likewise infer the destructive tendency of impiety and atheism, both to societies and individuals, by undermining the foundation of order, virtue, and rational felicity. We infer too the dangerous error of those moralists, who place the whole duty of man in the personal and social virtues, while they overlook, and perhaps ridicule, as mere superstition or enthusiasm, the exercises of love and devotion towards God. It арpears from our doctrine, that piety is the basis and soul of moral excellence and human happiness; that it is perfectly fit in itself, is necessary to the uniform, persevering, and acceptable discharge of social and private obligations, and is essentially pre-requisite to the final approbation and enjoyment of God. Let our accomplishments in other respects be ever so amiable or splendid, if we are eminently just and kind, generous and honourable towards our fellow men, and our character to human view is quite unexceptionable and noble; yet if we treat the original beauty and good, the supreme Parent and Benefactor, with cold indifference or pointed opposition, we betray a very unnatural and monstrous state of mind, which is utterly inconsistent with real honesty and goodness. Let those, who have hitherto lived as without God in the world, labour to feel their guilt and danger, and earnestly seek the recovery of that divine temper, which is the root of human perfection and felicity. Let those, who possess it, be daily employed in feeling the sacred flame; let the daily breath of their hearts and of their lives echo that becoming and elevated language of piety, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth, that I desire, besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Sermon V.

On the Love of our Neighbour.

MARK Xii. 31.

And the second is like unto it, namely, this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

THIS and the preceding verse present to our view a

beautiful compend of true religion. They contain the answer, which our Saviour gave to this important question, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" His first reply is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart;....this is the first and great commandment." This verse holds up the superior obligation and importance of piety, or an inward governing regard to the Deity. Accordingly, the prime duty and excellence of love to God were the theme of our late meditations in this place. The words, fixed at the head of this discourse, call our attention to the second great duty of man, which is of similar importance as well, as inseparably connected with the first. "And the second is like unto it, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

In illustrating the subject before us, we will consider the object, the nature, the standard, and the reasons of the duty enjoined.

First. The object of this duty is our neighbour. But who is designated or included in this appellation? If a Jew in our Saviour's day had been asked this question, he would have replied, those of my own kindred and

nation, of my own religious sect or denomination; these, and these only, are my neighbours, and the proper ob. jects of my charitable affection. And if some bigoted professors of Christianity were interrogated in the same manner, I fear their hearts would echo the same reply, though perhaps they would blush to avow it with their lips. But if we apply to our divine Lord for a decision of this question, we shall find him determine it on a plan infinitely more noble and enlarged. When a Jewish lawyer asked him, "And who is my neighbour?" he relates to him the story of a certain Jew, who, falling into the hands of robbers, was stripped, wounded, and left weltering in his gore. He was found in the road by two Jewish travellers; a contracted, unfeeling priest, and a Levite of the same mean, and barbarous temper; who, instead of commiserating and relieving the wretched object, though one of their own country and religion, only gave him a cold, distant look, and passed by on the other side. At length a Samaritan, one of another nation, and of a quite different religion, with whom the Jews disdained any kind of intercourse, finds the unhap py stranger, and his heart is instantly struck at the pitiable sight; his compassionate, beneficent love bursts forth through every barrier of national prejudice or party distinction; he embraces a professed enemy in the arms of fervent benevolence, and treats him with all the tender and generous kindness of a brother. "Which,

now, (says our Saviour) which of these three was neighbour to him, that fell among thieves?" The lawyer readily answers, "He that shewed mercy on him.” Then said Jesus, "Go thou, and do likewise. Look upon thyself a neighbour to every man, and every man a neighbour to thee. Let the stream of thy extended and active good will flow out to all, whom thou art capable of serving, whether they be strangers or ac

quaintance, friends or foes, just or unjust." Thus the gospel holds up all mankind, as the object of our neighbourly and fraternal regards.

Secondly. We are now to inquire into the nature of the affection here required to this object. And it is obvious to remark, that there are many things, which wear some appearance of love to mankind, which yet fall essentially short of the spirit of the duty before us. There is an instinctive and painful sympathy awakened by the sight of a fellow creature in distress, which engages our immediate efforts for his relief. There is

a strong natural affection towards our kindred, especially towards our tender offspring. There is a characteristic sweetness and goodness of temper, which forms an early and constitutional feature in human characters. There is also an artificial politeness and generosity, the product of civilization and refinement, or at best of merely rational and philosophical considerations. There is likewise a warm affection to others, which grows out of a likeness or union of sentiment and disposition, of party or country, or which is nourished by the enjoyment or the hope of their partial friendship and beneficence to us; not to add, that there is sometimes an affected display of kindness and munificence to individuals, or of noble patriotic zeal for the public, which is prompted by merely vain or selfish motives, and sometimes by views very base and iniquitous. It is evident, at first sight, that neither of these apparent instances of benevolence, nor all of them combined, fulfil the extensive precept in the text. If you ask what further is included, we reply, genuine, virtuous love to our neighbour is ever founded upon and connected with piety, or a religious and prevailing regard to our Creator. If we love God with a supreme affection, we shall naturally love his rational offspring for his sake, on account of their near

relation to him, and the image or display, which they present, of his glorious perfections; we shall love and do them good from a pious respect to the example, the will, and the glory of their divine Parent and ours, who is good to all, who commands us to manifest our love to him by acts of kindness to his creatures, and who is greatly pleased and honoured by every effort to promote their felicity. In a word, since benevolence is the very nature and beauty of God himself, and since love to him and daily intercourse with him directly conduce to assimilate us more and more to his character; it follows, that a pious affection to the Deity will soften and expand the heart in godlike benevolence; will kill a selfish, proud, and malignant spirit, and form its possessor to a gentle and forgiving, a just and fair, a sincere and faithful, a beneficent and liberal character. Thus the love of God and of our neighbour are intimately united; the one is the sure and effectual basis, the other the rising and beautiful superstructure of universal goodness. As he, who truly knows and regards his Maker, will imitate and please him by loving and seeking the good of mankind; so he, who has no proper affection towards GOD, can have no genuine love to man, nor any certain and commanding principle of social virtue. Agreeably, an inspired apostle assures us, that every one, who truly loveth his brother, is born of GOD, and knoweth GOD; but he, that loveth not, knoweth not GOD; for GOD is love.

Further, as the love of our neighbour supposes a religious principle, as its parent and support, so its properties and fruits embrace the whole compass of social duty; for all the commands of the second table are comprehended in this one saying, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." This is that charity, which is styled the bond of perfectness, because it is the life and

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