to extend it; which includes not only our relations, friends, and countrymen, but even our enemies; as appears from the parable of the good Samaritan. The precept therefore requires us generally to love our fellow-creatures as we do ourselves.

To this it has been objected that the precept is impracticable and impoffible. Self-love, it is contended, is a paffion implanted in our breasts by the hand of God himfelf; and though focial love is also another affection which he has given us, yet there is no comparison between the ftrength of the two principles; and no man can or does love all mankind as well as he does himself. It is perfectly true; nor does the precept before us require it. The words are not thou fhalt love thy neighbor as much as thyfelf, but thou fhalt love thy neighbor as thyfelf; that is, thou fhalt entertain for him an affection fimilar in kind, though not equal in degree, to that which thou entertainest for thyself. Our felf-love prompts us to feek our own happiness, as far as is consistent with the duties we owe to God and to man. Our focial love fhould in the fame manner prompt us to feek the happiness of our neighbor, as far as is confiftent with the duty we owe to God and ourfelves. But in all equal circumstances, our love for ourfelves must have a priority in degree to the love we have for our neighbor. If, for inftance, my neighbor is in extreme want of food, and I am in the fame want, I am not bound to give him that food which is indispensably neceffary for my own prefervation, but that only which is confiftent with it. The rule in fhort can never be mistaken by any man of common fenfe. Our business is to take care to carry it far enough: nature will take fufficient care that we do not carry it too far. It is in fact nothing more than what we are taught by another divine rule very nearly allied to this, and which all men allow to be reasonable, equitable and practicable; "whatfoever ye would that men fhould do unto you, do ye even fo unto them*."

This is precisely what is meant by loving our neighbor as ourselves; for when we treat him exactly as we would expect and hope to be treated by him in the fame circum

* Matth. vii. 12.

ftances, we give a clear and decifive proof that we love him as ourselves. And in this there is evidently no impoffibility, no difficulty, no obfcurity.

These then are the two great commandments, on which we are told hang all the law and the prophets; that is, on them, as on its main foundation, refts the whole Mofaic difpenfation; for of that, not of the Gospel, our Lord is here fpeaking. To explain, establish, and confirm these two leading principles of human duty, was one of the chief objects of the law and the prophets. But it must at the fame time be remembered (as I have fhewn at large in a formar lecture*) that great and important as these two precepts confeffedly are, they do by no means constitute the whole of the Chriflian fyftem. In that we find many effential improvements of the moral law, which was carried by our Saviour to a much higher degree of perfection than in the Jewish difpenfation, as may be seen more particularly in his fermon on the mount. We find alfo in the New Teftament all thofe important evangelical doctrines which diftinguish the Chriftian revelation; more particularly thofe of a refurrection; of a future day of retribution, of the expiation of our fins, original and perfonal, by the facrifice of Chrift, of fanétification by the Holy Spirit, of juftification by a true and lively faith in the merits of our Redeemer. If therefore we with to form a just and correct idea of the whole Christian difpenfation, and if we wish to be confidered as genuine difciples of our divine Master, we must not content ourselves with obferving only the two leading commandments of love to God and love to men, but we must look to the whole of our religion as it lies in the Gospel; we must endeavor to stand perfect in all the will of God, and in all the doctrines of his Son, as declared in the Chriftian revelation; and after doing our utmost to fulfil all righteoufnefs, and to attend to every branch of our duty, both with refpect to God, our neighbor, and ourselves, we muft finally repofe all our hopes of falvation on the merits of our Redeemer, and on our belief in him as the way, the truth, and the life.

Lect. vii. p. 190.

'I must now put a period to thefe Lectures for the prefent season; and if it should please God to perferve my life for another year, I hope to finish my observations on the gofpel of St Matthew; beyond which I must not now extend my views.

In the mean while, from what I have obferved in the progrefs of thefe Lectures, I cannot help indulging a humble hope that they have not been unattended with some falutary effects upon your minds. But when, on the other hand, I confider that the time of year is now approaching, inwhich the gaities and amufements of this vaft metropolis are generally engaged in with incredible alacrity and ardour, and multitudes are pouring in from every part of the kingdom to take their fhare in them; and when I reccollect further, that at this very period in the last year a degree of extravagance and wildnefs in pleafure took place, which gave pain to every serious mind, and was almost unexampled in any former times; I am not, I confefs, without fome apprehenfions, that the fame scene of levity and diffipation may again recur; and that fome of those who now hear me (of the younger part more especially) may be drawn too far into this fashionable vortex, and loose in that giddy tumult of diversion all remembrance of what has paffed in this facred place. I muft therefore moft earneftly caution them against these fafcinating allurements, and recommend to them that moderation, that temperance, that modefty in amusements, which their Chriftian profeffion at all times requires; but for which at this moment there are reafons of peculiar weight and force*.

To indulge ourselves in endless gaieties and expenfive luxuries, at a time when fo many of our poorer brethren are, from the heavy preffure of unfavorable circumstances, in want of the most effential neceffaries of life, would furely manifeft a very unfeeling and unchriftian difpofition in ourselves, and would be a most cruel and wanton aggravation of their fufferings.

* This Lecture was given in April 1800, a time of great scarcity and extreme dearnefs of all the neceffaries of life.

It is true indeed that their wants have hitherto been relieved with a liberality and kindness, which reflect the highest honor on those who exercised them. But the evil in question ftill fubfifts in its full force, and is, I fear, more likely to increase than to abate for months to come, and will of courfe require unceafing exertions of benevolence and repeated acts of charity on our part, to alleviate and mitigate its baneful effects.

Every one ought therefore to provide as ample a fund as poffible for this purpose; and how can this be better provided than by a retrenchment of our expenfive diverfions, our fplended affemblies, and luxurious entertainments? We are not now required, as the young ruler in the Gospel was, to fell all we have and give to the poor; but we are required, efpecially in times fuch as thefe, to cut off all idle and needlefs articles of profufion, that we may have to give to him that needeth."

66

And when we confider that the expence of a fingle evening's amusement, or a fingle convivial meeting, would give fupport and comfort perhaps to twenty wretched families, pining in hunger, in ficknefs, and in forrow, can we so far divest ourselves of all the tender feelings of our nature (not to mention any higher principle), can we be fo intolerably felfifh, fo weded to pleafure, fo devoted to our own gratification, as to let the lowest of our brethren perish, while we are folacing ourfelves with every earthly delight? No one that gives himself leaf to reflect for a moment can think this to be right, can maintain it to be confiftent with his duty either to God or man. And, even in respect to the very object we fo eagerly pursue, and are fo anxious to obtain, in point even of pleasure, I mean, and felf-gratification, I doubt much whether the giddieft votary of amusement can receive half the real fatisfaction from the gayeft fcenes of diffipation he is immerfed in, that he would experience (if he would but try) from refcuing a fellow-creature from destruction, and lighting up an afflicted and fallen countenance with joy.

Let us then abridge ourselves of a few indulgences, and give the price of what they would coft us to those who

have none. By this laudable fpecies of œconomy, we fhall at once improve ourselves in a habit of self-denial and felf-government; we shall demonftrate the fincerity of our love to our fellow-creatures, by giving up fomething that is dear to us for their fake, by facrificing our pleasures to their neceffities; and above all we shall approve ourselves as faithful fervants in the fight of our Almighty Sovereign; we shall give fome proof of our gratitude to our Heavenly Benefactor and Friend, who has given us richly all things to enjoy ; and who, in return for that bounty, expects and commands us to be rich in good works, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to comfort the fick, to vifit the fatherless and widow in their affliction, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, unpolluted by its vices, and unfubdued by its predominant vanities and follies.