Secondly, What kind of love is required in this expression, we are to love them as ourselves ? I answer — The expression showeth the manner of our love, not the measure of it ; a parity and likeness for kind, not for proportion. It cannot be understood in the same degree, partly because in some cases a man is bound to love his neighbour more than himself ; as 1 John iii. 16, ' We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren , ' my single life to save the whole community. And so we ought to help on one another's spiritual good with the loss of our temporal : we may expose ourselves to uncertain danger to hinder another's certain danger. The apostle Paul, in a glorious excess of charity, could prefer the common good of the salva- tion of all the Jews before the particular salvation of his own soul : Kom. ix. 3, ' I'could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh ; ' and Moses, for the general safety of Israel, could wish himself to be ' blotted out of God's book,' Exod. xxxii. Cases may happen wherein a public good may be more considerable, and better in itself, than my particular happiness ; and then in self-denial I am bound to love others better than myself. And partly because, on the other hand, in ordinary cases it is impos- sible I should be as strongly moved, or as industriously active, in another man's case as I would in my own ; therefore, as I said, the rule intendeth the kind of affection, and the way of it ; that is, with what mind and in what course I should pursue the good of others — with the same heart and in the same way I would mine own ; and chiefly aimeth at the prevention of a double evil usual among men — self-love and injury : self-love, when men out of the privacy and narrowness of their spirits, only ' mind their own things ; ' and injury, when men care not how they deal with others. First, It preventeth self-love by pressing us — (1.) To mind the good of others : 1 Cor. X. 24, ' Let no man seek his own, but each man another's wealth,' their comfort and contentment, by all offices of humanity suitable and convenient to their necessities ; especially to promote their spiritual good, labouring to procure it, praying for them, though they be enemies, as David fasted for his enemies, Ps. xxxv. But alas ! this love is quite decayed in these last ages of the world. They are mightily infamed in the scriptures for self-seeking, 2 Tim. iii. 2. One saicV The world was once destroyed, propter ardorem cupidinis, with
1 Ludolphus de Vita Christi. VOL. IV. 0
lilO AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [J AS, II. 9.
water for the heat of lust ; and it will be again destroyed, propter teporem chariiatis, with fire for the coldness of love. These duties are quite out of date and use. (2.) To mind their good really, as truhj, though not as much. The apostle saith, ' Let love be without dissimulation ; ' and St John speaketh often of ' loving in truth.' Though AV'e are not every way as earnest, yet we must be as real in promoting their good as our own, without any self-end and reflections upon our own advantage and profit. Secondly, It preventeth injury, by directing us to deal with others as we would have them to deal with ourselves ; wishing them no more hurt than we would wish our own souls : I mean, when we are in our right reason, and self-love is regular ; hiding their defects and infirmities as you would your own ; pardoning tlieir offences as you desire God should do yours ; and in all contracts and acts of converse putting your souls in their stead. Would I be thus dealt with ? If I had my own choice, would not I be otherwise used ? In all our commerce it is good to make frequent appeals to our consciences: Would I have this measure measured unto my own soul ?
And thus I have opened the great rule of all commerce, ' Love thy neighbour as thyself ;' whose intent is, as I said, partly to prevent self-love, by showing we must do others good as well as ourselves ; and partly to prevent injury, that we may do others no more evil than we do ourselves.
Ver. 9. But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Here is the second part of the apostle's answer. In the former part there was the concession, 'Ye do well,' if you give this respect in obedience to the law : but here is the correction ; you give it contrary to the direction of the law, and so it is not a duty, but a sin.
But if ye have respect to piersons ; that is, if, in distributing the honours and censures of the church, you judge altogether according to men's outward quality and condition, as before was cleared —
Ye commit sin ; that is, it is not a duty, as you pretend, but a sin ; and, whatever you think, the law, which is the rule of Christ's process, will find you guilty.