A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

Secondly, Those Commandments which •re great in respect of the Lawgiver, may yet be the least in comparison with other Commands of the same Law, which •re indeed thought greatest. Now this ⟨p. 48⟩comparative inequality in the Commandments, is taken from the inequality of the Objects about which they are conversant; some of them concern our Duty to God, others concern our Duty to Man: Now because Man is infinitely less than God, therefore those Commands that relate to our Duty towards Man, may be called less than those Commands that relate to our Duty towards God. Hence, when the Lawyer put a Case to our Saviour, ¹Mat. 22.36. Master, which is the great Commandment in the Law? Our Lord answers him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind; This, says he, is the first and great Commandment. Sometimes this inequality riseth from the Latitude that every Command hath in it: Now this Latitude relateth to our Thoughts, to our Words, and to our Actions. Now because a Thought may be said to be less than a Word, and a Word may be said to be less than an Action, therefore that part of the Commandment that requires Holiness in our Thoughts, may be said to be less than that which requires Holiness in our Speech; and that part of the ⟨p. 49⟩Commandment which requires Holiness in our Speech, than that which requires Holiness in our Lives and Actions. Now, says our Saviour, he that sins against Man, as well as he that sins against G•d; he that sins in a Thought, in a Word, as well as he that sins in his Actions and Conversation: He that breaks these least Commandments shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. And in this Sense I take the Words. And thus you see what is meant by the least Commandment.

Secondly, Those Commandments which •re great in respect of the Lawgiver, may yet be the least in comparison with other Commands of the same Law, which •re indeed thought greatest. Now this