To impress the rule upon you, I shall give four considerations in the negative sense..
1. That in the duties of the second table we have more light than we have in the first ; for when Christ sets forth the sum of both the tables, IMat. xsii.. 36, 37, he tells us that we must ' love God with all our hearts, our souls, our strength, and mind ;' but when he comes to the love of our neighbour, he gives a measure more easily discernible ; we are to ' love our neighbour as ourselves.' Love will tell us what is good for ourselves. The love of God must be preferred both to our- selves and to our neighbours. And in guiding and expressing our love to God, we need many rules. Our desires of good to ourselves are a complete measure and rule of that respect we owe to our neigh- bours. This principle of self-love would show us what we owe to one another. But though nature discovers a God, and reason that this God should be worshipped, yet nature could never carve out such a worship as is proper to God, and as God likes ; there needs a larger explication. Let a man be free from passion and from inordinate self-love, consider what he would have done to himself; this will direct him plainly what should be done to others that agree with us in the same common nature, and who have an original right with us in things that belong to justice and equity, and should be as fairly respected by us as we expect to be treated by them.
2. The breach of this rule is more evil in him which hath experi- mented the bitterness of wrongs or misery than in another ; because experience givetli us a truer knowledge of things than a naked idea and conception of them. He that knoweth things by mere contempla- tion, doth but know them at a distance, and as it were afar off; but he that kuoweth things by experience, knows them at hand, and feels
372 THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON. [MaT. YII. 12.
llie smart of them. Therefore conscience shonUl work more in tlicm by ^vay of restraint, because they know wliat it is to be oi)i)ressed and disgraced, and remember how p;rievous it was when they did lie nuder any wronj;. Look, as it is made an argument of confidence in Christ's pity, because his lieart was made tender by experience : he was tempted, he was despitefully used, he experimented all our sorrows ; therefore ' he is able ' — that is, has a greater fitness — ' to succour those which are tem])ted,' Heb. ii. 18. And in another place we read, that ' He learned obedience by the things which he sulfered,' Heb. v. 8. Did Christ learn anything better, or improve his knowledge, which had ' the Hpirit without measure ' ? Yes, he might have an experimental learn- ing and feeling. Thus, when he suffered things so regretful and con- trary to that life he had assumed, he knew what it was to overrule the natural inclinations of life, and subordinate them to the will of God, and learn obedience by the things which he suffered, and will more compassionate when poor creatures are i)ut upon duties against flesh and blood. And it is used as an argument why we should come to the throne of grace with boldness : Heb. iv. 15, Because ' we have not an high priest v.hich cannot be touched with our infirmities,' &c. He hath experimented them in his own person, he knows these things himself. And so Exod. xxii. 21, ' Thou shaft not vex a stranger, nor oppress him ; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.' The people of Israel knew what it was to be exposed to the envy of the natives, where they had few friends and many enemies. But especially observe that Lev. xix. 33, 34, for there you have this great law repeated : 'And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him ; but the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be as one born amongst you, and thou shalt love him as thyself.' Mark, what thou wouldst have done to thyself, do to tlie stranger. Why ? ' Eor ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.' They knew how burdensome it was to their souls to be under the yoke, how grievous a thing oppres- sion was. Now suitably it concerncth all those which have lain under defamation, slander, and oppression, they should be mighty tender and careful how they speak of others, and what they do to others. They which have been servants themselves, and have felt the burden of heavy tasks and short allowance, hard and immerciful usage from their masters, they should not exact all their labours, nor deal cruelly wnto servants when they are masters themselves ; for not only the law of God, but their own experience, will rise up in judgment against them, and increase the sting of their conscience. Ho the drift of that paral)le would do well to be considered in these times: ]\Iat. xviii. 33, ' Tliat servant which had his own debt forgiven him, yet he plucked hif! fellow-servant by the throat. Shouldst thou ni)t have had compas- sion on thy fellow-servant, as I had comjjassion on thee?' When we arc under restraint, and groan for our liberty, we would fain have an opportunity of glorifying God. If God should hear us in these kinds, shoidd not we be lilce affected to our fellow-servants, and not seek to hunt every one, that do a little dissent from us, as vermin to death, and as unworthy to be allowed among us? A man which is in debt, how grievous is it when others deal rigorously with him? Now, for him to tleal so with others is a double crime, as being a sin against a