Sermons preached

1. That in the Duties of the second Table we have more Light than we have in the first: for when Christ sets forth the Sum of both the Tables, Mat. 22. 36, 37. He tells us, that we must love God with all our Hearts, our Souls, our Strength and Mind; but when he comes to the Love of our Neighbour, he gives a Measure more easily discernible, we are to love our Neighbour as our selves. Love will tell us what is good for our selves. The Love of God must be preferred both to our selves, and to our Neighbours. And in guiding and expressing our Love to God, we need many Rules. Our Desires of Good to our selves, are a complete Measure and Rule of that Respect we owe to our Neighbours. ⟨p. 349⟩This Principle of Self-love would show us what we owe to one another. But though Nature discovers a God; and Reason that this God should be worshipped; yet Nature could never carve out such a Worship as is proper to God, and as God likes; there needs a larger Explication. Let a Man be free from Passion, and from inordinate Self-love, consider what he would have done to himself; this will direct him plainly what should be done to others, that agree with us in the same common Nature, and who have an original Right with us in things that belong to Justice and Equity, and should be as fairly respected by us, as we expect to be treated by them.

1. That in the Duties of the second Table we have more Light than we have in the first: for when Christ sets forth the Sum of both the Tables, Mat. 22. 36, 37. He tells us, that we must love God with all our Hearts, our Souls, our Strength and Mind; but when he comes to the Love of our Neighbour, he gives a Measure more easily discernable, we are to love our Neighbour as our selves. Love will tell us what is good for our selves. The Love of God must be preferred both to our selves, and to our Neighbours. And in guiding and expressing our Love to God, we need many Rules. Our Desires of Good to our selves, are a compleat Measure and Rule of that Respect we owe to our Neighbours. ⟨p. 349⟩This Principle of Self-love would shew us what we owe to one another. But though Nature discovers a God; and Reason that this God should be worshipped; yet Nature could never carve out such a Worship as is proper to God, and as God likes; there needs a larger Explication. Let a Man be free from Passion, and from inordinate Self-love, consider what he would have done to himself; this will direct him plainly what should be done to others, that agree with us in the same common Nature, and who have an original Right with us in things that belong to Justice and Equity, and should be as fairly respected by us, as we expect to be treated by them.