[1.] A man is bound with many engagements to love his neighbour.
[2.] To love his neighbour as himself.
[3.] In some cases, more than himself.
(1.) A man is by many engagements bound to love his neighbour ; no man is born for himself. Nature teacheth it, and grace doth estab- lish this dictate of nature. There is no one thing pressed in scripture so earnestly as the love of our neighbour : Gal. v. 14, 'For all the law is fulfilled in this one word, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' How can the apostle say, ' All the law ? ' There are respects due to God that are established by the law, as well as to man. The meaning- is, all the civil part of the law, the whole second table ; or else, all the law, as we obey God in loving man, for God's sake, so we turn the duties of the second table into duties of the first, and make commerce to be a kind of worship. Besides, this is Christ's solemn command : 1 John XV. 17, ' These things I command, that j^ou love one an- other. This is the sum of Christ's charge to his disciples. By way of special charge, it is ranked with faith : 1 John iii. 28, 'And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Clirist, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.' Here is the great commandment, faith in God, and love of the brethren, the great charge of Christ, which he left at his death. It is a legacy as well as a precept. Speeches of dying men are wont to be received with most veneration and reverence, but especially the charge of dying friends. It is notable, the brethren of
Book I.] a treatise of self-denial. 289
Joseph, when they were afraid he would remember the injuries they had shown to his person, they sent messengers unto Joseph ; Gen. 1. 16, saying, ' Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, forgive the trespass,' &c. Oh, let us fulfil the will of dead. When Jesus Christ took his leave of his disciples, this was that he gave in charge, that we should have special respect to the good of one another. Therefore, when thou art wont to quarrel with, or to neglect others, say, What love do I bear to Christ, since I do forget the solemn charge the dying Jesus left to his disciples, John xiii. 34. Christ calls this his new commandment — ' A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another.' How could he say so, since it was as old as the moral law, or the law of nature ? New, because it is excellent, as a new song among the Hebrews is an excellent song • or rather, new, because solemnly and specially renewed by him, and commended to their care. New things and laws are much esteemed and prized ; so let this my new commandment, let it be highly in esteem and regard. Nay, let me add farther, one reason why Christ •came from heaven was to propound to us a pattern of charity ; as to repair and preserve the notions of the Godhead, that the glory of God might suffer no loss by the greatness of his sufferings, so to show us a l)attern of charity. To elevate duty between man and man ; and therefore is his example so often urged in this case : John xiii. 34, ' That ye love one another, as I have loved you ; ' and Eph. v. 2, ' We ought to walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet- smelling savour.' Christ would come from heaven to show us the highest pattern of self-denial. He would discover to us the love of his rather : John xv. 19, 'As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.' The Father loved him with an infinite love, yet parted with him for the salvation of mankind ; he parted with his dear Son out of his own bosom to be unworthily treated in the world for our sakes. And Jesus Christ parted with himself and all, to raise our love to God and men , therefore we ought to ' walk in love,' as Christ hath loved us.
(2.) The ordinary measure of our respect to our neighbour is that love that we bear to ourselves : James ii. 8, ' If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scriptures, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.' This is the royal law, the solemn standard of equity, and the measure of all respects between man and man, like the king's high- way, and road of duty. Self and neighbour being equal in the balance, therefore they are to have the same respect. Now this rule, ' Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' implies two things — (1.) And principally, that I am to do them no more hurt than I would do to myself ; Mat. vii. 12, •' Whatsoever you would others should to you, do you the same to them, for this is the law and the prophets,' that is, this is the sum of the whole word concerning moral duties. As I would not have them to injure me, so must not T injure them ; wish them no more hurt than to my own soul. I must hide their defects and infirmities, as I would hide and conceal my own. And in all contracts and acts of converse I am to put my soul in their soul's stead ; in short, to wish or do them no more evil, than by a regular act of self-love I would wish