VARIOUS SUBJECTS,

DOCTRINAL, EXPERIMENTAL and PRACTICAL.

VOL. II.

HARTFORD. Printed By John Babcock.

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On the duty of loving our neighbor as ourselves.

MATTHEW, xxii. 39.

IT is found that men most habitually disobey those precepts of religion and morality, which are the most important. To love GOD with the whole heart, and to love our neighbor as our selves, are the two great commandments, on which hang all the law and the prophets; and it is these which are more faulted when we explain them strictly, than any other precepts of revelation. In speculation they are allowed to be good, while in practice they are continually denied; and when men are reproved for the breach an we examine their actions by the law, to justify themselves, they will immediately attempt to explain it into a consistency with their own hearts. They, also, do this by attempting to substitute selfish affections, in the place of those

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which are holy. If it be inquired who is my neighbor? they are disposed to confine the duty to some near connections, or to persons in the most direct intimacy with themselves, leaving the rest of the world to such accidental or partial regards, as may arise from the occurrences of life.

IN a preceding discourse on this subject, we have considered the question, "who is my neighbor ?" To this inquiry we find CHRIST’S answer, in the parable of the good Samaritan, by which it appears that the meaning of the word neighbor, in the divine commandment, is all those who are capable of a rational and holy felicity. None are excluded from our benevolence, while it remains possible they should become blessed. The law as truly binds us to love men of all nations and parties, and even our personal enemies, as it doth those, who are most intimately connected with us, in the ties of nature and acquaintance. We may have more opportunities to do good to the latter; but this does not free us from an obligation of perfect benevolence to the former, and from doing them good whenever opportunity is offered.

A SECOND point to which we attended in the former discourse, was, the reasons of the law, " thou slialt love thy neighbor as thyself."

THE sovereign command of GOD was mentioned as a sufficient reason if there were no other known to us. But as the Lord indulgently displays to us, in most cases, the reasons of his will and of his revealed law, we found other very important considerations to justify the commandment. The happiness, of our neighbors is as valuable as our own, and all contrary apprehensions are the effect of a partial bias, in favor

of ourselves. If we possessed the temper which the law commands we should instantly see the truth of this observation; but while men are wholly destitute of a holy love of their neighbor, the moral beauty of the commandment will be hid from their knowledge. Our neighbor hath an equal capacity with ourselves to be made happy; and if his capacity of receiving be as great, and his happiness be as valuable, no reason can be assigned, which will justify us in denying him an equal degree of benevolent affection.

As a farther reason of the law we considered, that the benevolence enjoined, will produce a greater happiness in the mind where it reigns than can be enjoyed from any limited and selfish affection whatever. It must be more blessed to enjoy GOD and all the good, which he gives to all his creatures, than simply to enjoy what we are capable of receiving. And we need only to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and his good will be as much matter of enjoyment to us as our own.

FURTHER, it cannot be denied by the most ignorant and stubborn opposer of the divine law, that the love commanded will produce the most perfect and happy state of society, which can exist in the world.

IN prosecution of the plan, which was proposed in the former discourse, we now come,

3. To consider the degree of love enjoined in the commandment, "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

AND what hath been said of the reasons for this duty, if they appeared sufficient, must already have determined the mind of every considerate

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reader, that the degree of love ought to be the same to our neighbor as to ourselves.

IT is known that much hath been said, to detract from this extent of the commandment. It hath been said, that this love ought to be of the same kind as what we have for ourselves, but not the same in degree; and that if we have the same kind of love, the law with respect to our neighbor is fulfilled. But a person, who is filled with the love of selfishness, hath no holy love even of himself, and therefore the same kind of love to his neighbor would be no instance of obedience, for it is a holy affection of the heart which is required.

IT hath been said that we ought to love our neighbor as sincerely as we do ourselves; but it is conceived the sincerity of love doth, in a great measure, depend on the degree of exercise, and that without the same degree there cannot be the same sincerity.

ALL those considerations which have been mentioned as reasons or arguments, why we should love our neighbor, do equally apply as reasons for loving him in the same degree. It is the command of GOD who hath a sovereign right to direct. If we were not very depraved creatures, and hard to understand and blind to see, the very letter of the commandment would be esteemed a conclusive argument on the point.

WE cannot deny the value of a neighbor’s happiness, nor his capacity to receive; for in these respects he is like ourselves. If our own happiness be a valuable object in the divine sight, so must be the happiness of others. There is no argument against loving others as we do ourselves, which would not apply with equal strength, to show that GOD ought not to be as kind and good to them as he is to us.

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To obviate a difficulty which may arise in some minds from the rule which is given, I observe,

THAT from the required degree of love to our neighbor, being the same as to ourselves, it doth not follow, that we either can or ought to exercise the same care over him in all respects as we do over ourselves. For, first, every man is by GOD, committed to his own care. Under GOD he is appointed to be his own preserver to watch over his own interests; and to seek his own salvation. Secondly, it is in the nature of things impossible, that we should exercise the same care over others, as we do over ourselves. We cannot in their stead love GOD, exercise faith in CHRIST, or repent of sin. They must love and repent for themselves, and neither our agency nor moral desert can become theirs. We cannot know what they do or want, or what their state is in many respects; neither can we apply the means of instruction to them, in the manner we may to our own minds. So that we cannot exercise the same care, or do the same duties for them, as we do for ourselves.

FURTNER, our attention cannot be so fixed on their interests, as it may and ought to be on our own. We are very finite in our abilities, and our attention must be chiefly fixed, where our duty is principally to be done. Still it is true, that as there are certain duties which we can and ought to perform for the benefit of our neighbor, we should be as careful at all times to perform them, as if they were for ourselves.— They ought to be done as punctually, and with as much pleasure and constancy, as if they were done for ourselves. A Christian temper would soon make our doctrinal opinions on this subject right, and give a totally new appearance to the practice of mankind.

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THE meaning of the divine law is not that we exercise the same care or do the same duties for others in all respects as we do for ourselves; but it is this: A certain. degree of care and duty, by the appointment of GOD, is due to our neighbor, and by the same appointment, a certain degree is due to ourselves. By GOD’s direction, which is founded on the best of reasons, we are to have as real and as strong a desire for his best interests and for the salvation of his soul, as we have for our own souls. Further, we are to be as willing, chearfull and exact, in doing the duties assigned to us, on which his happiness is dependant; as we be in doing those things, with which our own felicity is connected. A duty, which is equally plain and clear, should be as exactly performed, as if it had a sole relation to ourselves; and this is to be done because the well being of others is as valuable as our own, and in the performance of duty, we ought never to be governed by a selfish motive. Such a motive would destroy the rectitude and holiness of the action.

BUT it is further objected, that by this rule, all distinction is taken away, between that love which we owe to the virtuous and vicious. We are commanded to love the brethren as a peculiar duty, and this is made a rule of trial, whether we be the children of GOD. Among our neighbors both characters are included, and are we to love them equally?

IN answer to this objection and question, it is replied; that in the sense of the commandment, "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," we are to love them equally. It is the love of benevolence, which we owe to all men, whether they be good or evil; and their capacity for hap

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happiness and ability to serve GOD and his kingdom, are the treasure of the love that is due to them. It is the love of complacence or delight in their character, temper and practice, which is peculiarly due to the people of GOD. They are to be loved for their holiness, conformity to GOD, and devotion to his glory and kingdom; and it is by the presence or want of this complacence, that we derive a rule for determining our own slate. If we are made holy by the sanctifying grace of GOD, we shall delight in all holy objects—in the character and law of GOD—and in the communicated holiness of temper and practice, which we see in his people. Also, we shall delight in them, considered as members of the glorious and holy body, of which CHRIST is the head. It is therefore a love of holiness that is seen, either in the glorious fountain of rectitude, or as it exists by the communications of his grace in his people, which is the object of Christian. complacence and communion. This love furnishes the rule of examination for the people of GOD whether they are in the faith savingly and sanctified by the spirit of CHRIST, unto the enjoyment of his kingdom. If we are Christians indeed, we shall delight in that image of GOD and CHRIST, which his people possess, and with a peculiar delight we shall love them as sanctified members of the body of JESUS. Also, our hours of communion with them will be sweet, in beholding and praising the glory of a common Lord—in calling upon him—in worshipping him—and in anticipating an eternity to be passed together in love and praise. These complacential and communional exercises furnish the rule by which we are to try the gracious sincerity of our own hearts; and if we do not find something of this nature, we do not love the brethren

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peculiarly, which the objection supposes to be the rule of trial.

BUT the law we are now considering, particularly means the love of benevolence, or wishing well to the being and happiness of men. Although a good man cannot delight in the sinful character and practice of those who habitually transgress the law of GOD; yet he may most sincerely wish them to become holy and happy. If GOD be pleased to remove their sin and make them holy, they will become amiable, and the stamp of conformity to his character on their hearts, will render them lovely in the sight of GOD and men. If he be pleased to take away their sin, they will be new creatures—the odiousness of temper and practice which good people dislike, will be gone—the abilities which they possess will be converted to new purposes—and although they are now wretched and deformed, they will be as happy and glorious as we now behold the most sanctified to be.—Further, if GOD be pleased to take away their sin they will be as active in obeying, as they now are in disobeying; as active in honoring GOD, as they now be in dishonoring him; as zealous for the cause of Christ, as they are now opposed to it; and as much filled with love to the children of GOD, as they now are with antipathy and the spirit of persecution.

If this be the case, there is no reason can be assigned, why those who are pious, ought not to wish them as well, be as anxious for their wellbeing, as faithful in all means to promote so desirable an end; as they would be in the case of those who have become obedient in CHRIST JESUS. It is not uncommon, on beholding the crimes of the vicious, to feel a detestation extending to their persons as well as to their sins;

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but this is an unchristian spirit and disobedience to the laws of CHRIST. No man’s person, which consists in his intelligent powers and in his capacity for happiness, can be, in any case, a fit object of detestation. Detestation is due to their sinful improvement of talents and to the crimes which are committed; but not to the man considered as a being intelligent, active, capable of happiness, and able with a right temper to do much for the glory of GOD.

IF this subject were considered by Christians, it would reprove their want of concern for the souls of others, and make them more anxious, more prayerful, and more indefatigable in the use of means for the conversion of sinners.

4. WE are next to consider the fruits or effects that will follow, where this love is formed in the heart by the sanctifying power of GOD.

THERE is no more effectual way to convince our minds of the wisdom and excellence of a commandment, than to attend to its effects in society. If we find these effects to be immediately and permanently bad, we condemn the commandment. If, on the contrary, we find them to be good, we approve the commandment, and viewing it with right hearts, shall esteem it to be excellent.

Such is the depraved conduct of men, and so imperfect is their obedience, even in those who are the most observant of themselves and of the rule of duty ; that we cannot have a fair trial in this imperfect world. The full excellency of CHRIST’S law hath never been seen, for his people have had many sins and imperfections mingled with their virtues and graces; so as to obscure the excellence of a Christian character. The example of CHRIST was a perfect one, to show the

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goodness of his law. The example of his people hath been very imperfect; and it is only some traces of the fitness and excellence of virtue and of the evangelical law, which can be learned from their conduct. If all men were to keep the law, it would immediately give a new evidence of the excellency of divine wisdom. A new face would appear on the things of the world, and on the state of society, and the earth would become like heaven, in many respects.

ALL evil works would cease, and men would no longer injure each other’s persons, reputation or interests.

A VERY great share of the evils, which betide us here, are through human instrumentality. There are many acts of open violence and injury, but these are not the whole; for iniquity is often established by a law, and those who are the organs of public justice, through an evil influence in society, become the very agents in doing things which are contrary to the law of GOD, "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, and do to him, as thou couldest reasonably desire him to do to thee."

THERE are, also, many injuries of a lesser nature, which, although they may not bear the name of open violence, partake of the same nature and show the utter want of neighborly love. There are unkind actions, which wound the feelings of a benevolent and tender heart; and these are often of such a kind and attended with such circumstances, that they cannot be described or complained, of with prudence; but still they injure the heart that is susceptive of tenderness and love. The Christian law and practice is tender of the feelings of men, and the followers of CHRIST, while acting in his spirit, will never wound another’s heart, unless it be required

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by the law of holiness, truth and goodness. All evil, all injury, all unkindness, whether private, domestic or national, would cease if this law were obeyed; and men would no longer have cause to complain of being treated either unjustly or unkindly.

2dly. THE abstinence from evil works would be accompanied with the performance of all that are good.

THERE is a field of infinite extent opened for the exercise of kind and just actions to men. It is only a few of these, which can be enjoined by the authority of men; and even the divine law doth inculcate them only in general precepts. Those good deeds to others, that care of them, and their interests, and that expression of love which, GOD requires, vary with every different condition in life—with every new event in the domestic and social relations and intercourse of men—with every want, every sorrow, and with every opportunity, which is offered for lawfully making another happy or adding to the peace of his mind. Where there is a reigning spirit of love, the mind will not rest in the greater and more apparent and public duties of truth, justice equity and benificence; but there will be an universal kindness—a sweet manner of doing good—an attention to every want, and to every thing that will communicate happiness, in a way that is consistent with the law of GOD. The general precepts of goodness in the holy scriptures reach to the most minute arts of human action—to every word and to every expression of love, by which happiness can be communicated and mutually enjoyed, and grief prevented or assuaged. We are to mourn with those who mourn, and rejoice with those who rejoice—to do good

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and communicate— to be courteous—to bear each others burdens—to seek the things which make for peace—to be of one mind—to walk together. in love—and be as brethren, as children of one family, sons of one GOD, united in one interest, redeemed by the same precious blood, and journeying together to the same heaven of eternal communion. If every man loved his neighbor as himself, there could be but one common interest reigning in all hearts. The interest and the happiness of each would be the interest and happiness of all. This spirit of brotherly love would cement men together in peace, beyond what we now can conceive; and the desires of the heart to communicate and do good, would discover thousands of opportunities for kind and helping actions, which are neglected; yea not even conceived by such selfish heart as we now possess. There would be no private burdens and wants, no individual and separate griefs; for every heart would claim to come in for its share, and the communion of affection would change the very burden into the joy and peace of brotherly love.

3dly. If men loved their neighbor as themselves, the very manner of doing good to others would be changed from, what it now appears.

THERE would be a fervor and an apparent sincerity and warmth of affection, which would double the value of a benefit to the receiver. When doing good to ourselves we are animated and all sincere in the service. The whole appearance of the man is an expression of engagedness, but often it is not so in doing good to others, and there is an appearance as though conscience had more agency , than the heart, in promoting beneficence. It would not be thus,

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If we loved our neighbor as ourselves. Every look, gesture and word would show the heart to be sincere and animated with the kindest affection, and rejoiced with the opportunity of doing good, and made as happy in relieving as it would be in receiving relief. The joy of doing good would be great, and the happiness of receiving would be doubled. Now there is often a pain in receiving a benefit, from a fear that it gives pain to grant it, and this arises from a consciousness, of the weakness of brotherly love in the selfish hearts of men, even when the most sanctified that they ever are in the present state. O blessed state indeed, when all this shall be removed! Then indeed it will be blessedness either to give or receive, and a confidence in the love and willingness of the giver, and in the happiness that he takes in doing good, will make the benefit a double blessing! There will be a happiness in seeing him made happy by communicating. If such a spirit reigned on earth, and was in all souls, these pains and necessary natural evils which we now endure by the frail construction of present nature, would hardly be enough to make us call this an evil world. If moral evil were all removed from our hearts, and perfect moral virtue reigned in every breast, the state would be heavenly, even though all necessary natural evils remained. Sin was not only the cause of introducing natural evil ; but the continued intermingling of sin in all we do, in all we feel, and even with all our graces, infixes a thousand new stings in these natural plagues, which a wise moral Governor hath introduced as a punishment of our rebellion against him.

4thly. By thus far following the effects of loving our neighbor as ourselves, we are led to

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a still more glorious view of them; and the doctrine opens to our understanding how the heavenly life and glory and peace will be formed.

IT is now in a degree, mysterious to us how infinite goodness will form such a state of transcendant glory and peace, as is described in his word, and give it in full possession to such creatures as we are. Truly for such creatures as we now are, that is, for such sinning and unholy creatures as we now are, a heaven correspondent to the scriptural representations cannot be formed, and therefore cannot be given and possessed. But the difficulty is in us, and the impossibility arises from our sin. Let this sin be taken away, and the mind become informed in the fruits of perfect holiness, it would no longer remain a mystery, either how a heaven of glory is formed; or in what it consists; or how such creatures as we now are can be made to possess it. If GOD be able to sanctify sinners, and can do it consistently with the holiness of his government; then he can bring them to a heaven as full of glory, as that which we find described in his word. That he can do it consistently with the rectitude of his government we learn from the gift, life, death and ascension of CHRIST. That he can sanctify sinners and take away their personal unholiness, we learn from his promise that he will do it, and from the initial work of his grace in their hearts while they are in this world.— And it is here, that the mystery unfolds, how heaven will be formed! how such sinners as we are can be brought into the possession of transcendant glory and peace ! We must be sanctified and delivered from sin, and then we shall

be prepared to meet and to receive the promises in their fullest extent. A spirit of conformity to the two commandments, "Thou Shalt love the

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Lord thy GOD with all thy heart; and thou Shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," will be the principal thing in forming and giving men possession of heavenly glory and peace. If we could but feel this temper, and have an opportunity to observe its effects in society, it would much assist our conception on this great and glorious subject. As the hearts of men are alienated from moral. goodness and beauty, they look more to natural objects for their supreme happiness; and when they endeavor to conceive a state of perfect glory and peace, they are too prone to conceive it consisting of natural beauty and entertainments. It is thus that many conceive of heaven; as consisting wholly in natural good, beauty, convenience, lustre and glory. That there will be great alterations in nature—in the material universe—in its beauties and glories, which are expressive of the glory of the author— and in the bodies of those who shall be raised to glory, cannot be denied. In the holy scriptures it is said that this shall be the case. But all natural beauty will not make a heaven of glory and comfort to the mind. The miseries of one world and the blessedness and glory of the other, will arise principally from moral causes, and the exercise of moral and holy affections. There must be a change of heart to make men heavenly, and the blessedness of the state will arise from their holy affections and practice. A compliance with the two great commandments, to love GOD with the whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves, will essentially constitute that state of reward, which is promised to be the portion of the children of GOD.

FROM attending to the effects, that would slow from a compliance with the law, we ought to

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be convinced that the strict explanation of its meaning which hath been given in this discourse, is the true one. This describes the extension of the commandment--it justifies the wisdom and goodness of GOD in giving it—and it shows that a state of perfect happiness in society, can subsist on no other principles. Heaven is described as life and condition of perfect happiness and peace; but if we were to admit the least degree of selfishness into that holy and blessed world, the glorious condition of holy minds would be thus far corrupted and broken. There is a contradiction between men’s desires. They desire to be perfectly happy and glorious; and they also desire to be happy and glorious by concentring their affections to themselves. The latter desire is naturally impossible Nature admits no place for its gratification. It is as much impossible to be perfectly happy, with the temper which they wish to indulge, as it is to be and not to be, at the same time, and impossibilities are not to be expected in the case. When men wish to escape from that broad extension of the commandment, that hath been described, they are departing from the only possible principles, which admit of everlasting blessedness. Thus the hearts of sinners are unreasonable in every respect. They unreasonably deny GOD his glory. They unreasonably wish to be happy in an impossible way, and that GOD would bring them to glory and peace, while they are themselves contradicting the principles by which glory and peace are produced. The communion between saints in heaven and in earth, is on the same principles, and if this blessed state of mind be not begun here, it will not exist hereafter.

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FROM this subject we infer, men’s present deficiency in obedience and in the benevolent affection which they owe to others.

THE only way, for us to form a true opinion of our own deficiency, is, first to examine the law and learn the extension of the duty which is commanded, and then bring our own dispositions and practice into comparison with its precepts. There is no exact model of virtue to be found among men. If we judge of ourselves by comparison with others, even taking the most virtuous and beneficent, and finding ourselves by an impartial comparison better than they, it would be no proof of our obedience. The earth is filled with sin in the sight of GOD. There is no man who loves his neighbor as himself. There is none who doeth good in the strict and true sense of the law, no not one. How many whose affections are so centred on themselves, as constantly to violate those laws of society, which can be no more than a barrier against open and high handed injustice and maleficence? How many who have no idea of neighborly duty beyond the common customs of civility in the world, and these do not extend further than mere selfishness ? At best, they are only a selfish code, modernized, polished, and dressed in the exterior of kindness, so far as kindness can be adopted without self-denial, or as it may mnister to pride, or as there is a probability that one kind action will be repaid by another. How many whose hearts are utterly void of love— whose words are smooth as oil, while their feelings are like drawn swords—who deceive with words of kindness, that they may destroy—or who profess to be kind and good, merely for their own amusement, and to have their false words returned in the stile of flattery. There

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is nothing of the honesty and love of heaven in all this. In all this there is no obedience to the commandment.

OR if we come to look on those, where the spirit of love hath created a spark of conformity to the divine benevolence: Here there is some love of others—some honesty—some little degree of true goodness, but how little! how imperfect! how far from governing and filling the soul! how remote from such a love as induced the man CHRIST JESUS to suffer, to agonize, to die that others might live! Although they may have some degree of love for others, yet how small compared with the affection for themselves, for their own connections and relations in life ! How great an evil they will suffer others to endure, for the sake of the most trifling good to them selves! How strangely the exercise of grace will disappear, and all their selfish passions be waked up by small inconveniences coming on themselves or on their families, so that all appearance of brotherly love appears to be suspended! Thus weak are even the children of GOD in their graces and in that love which beareth long, which suffereth much, which hopeth the best, and is kind. That sinful self-love, in which our depravity originally consists, hath obtained a strange power over our minds. Reason is perverted—the understanding is blinded—the heart is corrupted—bad men will wholly reject the law—and even good men, as we mean by good men in this world, will dispute what is meant by the commandment, " thou Shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."—It is a wonderful depravity ! it is a great and universal depravity, or such consequences could not follow. When the human mind is so blinded, in the essential things of religion and godliness, it is not strange that there

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should be a great degree of blindness and many errors, in things which are less essential to the nature of piety and holiness.

This error of the heart, which lies at the bottom of all other errors, accounts for the sins which are in the world—For the utter unholiness of many, and their total disregard to the spirit of equity and righteousness—for the formality of others, who, while they profess to know the law, obey it in such a cold and indifferent manner that it wounds the heart of another to be dependant on their kindness—and for the great intermixture of unkindness, and the imperfect manner of doing good that is found in the best.

LET all who read lament their own deficiency, and endeavor to be sensible how far short they fall of their duty, and how far they are removed from the spirit of grace. Let them pray for the aids of that blessed Spirit which JESUS CHRIST purchased with his dying blood, that he might change the reigning enmities of unholy minds, and bring them to resemble his own infinite and eternal love. May the love of GOD reign in many hearts to the praise and glory of his grace

AMEN.