part, that draweth all to it felf, and ftarveth SERM. the body to which it belongs." But there XV. may be alfo

2. A VIOLATION of this royal law of love to others, not only where things directly repugnant to it are indulged, but also where there are external carriages which would well comport with it, while they proceed not from a principle of love to one another, as the root and fountain of them. As in the opening of the doctrine we obférved to you, that fo waywardly are the fpirits of men affected, that fometimes they will make the principle exclude the external acts and expreffions, and fometimes the contrary. Men may carry it fairly and without exceptionablenefs to others, but it proceeds not from the prin ciple of love, but fome other principle.

As for inftance, with refpect to acts of charity, fome express their compaffion of those who are in distress, by relieving them in their exigencies; but it is out of vain-glory, and to procure themselves a name. They found a trumpet before them and proclaim that they give alms, as our Saviour speaks of the Pharifees. So a man will be just and square in his dealings, but it proceeds not from love to his neighbour, fuch as we owe to our felyes, but only from prudence; for if they do not carry it fair, they fhall undo themfelves as to their name and commerce in the world. Or it may proceed from fear; " I will not wrong "or injure fuch a one for fear he should right "himself upon me, and prove too hard for me

VOL." at the long run." It may also proceed from I. deceit, and a treacherous difpofition. They will carry it with all kindness to fuch till they can have an opportunity as it were to fmite them under the fifth rib, as Joab did Abner, while he fpoke to him peaceably 3.

THESE are manifeft violations of this great and royal law; that is, they may be manifest to the perfons themselves who are guilty, if they would but allow themselves the liberty to reflect, and take a view of the temper of their own fpirits. In the exercise of this kind of love* an unhypocritical love is required, love without diffimulation".

Now concerning all these things many are apt to think them but little matters. "They << are but offences against men, fay they, fuch "as our felves." Confcience as to thefe is little fenfible or smitten in most men, because it is ftupid, and cannot feel by reflections of this kind. But indeed these are very far from being light matters in themselves. They are things of dreadful import, if we confider what it is they argue or prove; that is, they argue little or no love to an unfeen GOD. For thither it is that the Apostle's argumentation directs us to run up the bufinefs. If it appears by these inftances that there is no love to our brother, whom we have feen; how can there be any love to Go D, whom we have not feen? These things argue the little respect

fpect men bear to an invifible GOD, to an unfeen SER M. Ruler and Lord. They argue how low the in- XV. tereft of the bleffed GoD is among men, how little his authority and law do fignify with them, and that men are funk into a deep oblivion of him that made them.

THESE mifcarriages where they are more common, prevailing, and cuftomary with men, are all rooted in atheism. Where there is but little refpect to the duty between man and man, it is an argument there is a much lefs refpect to that which we owe to the unfeen GoD, the Lord both of them and us. It argueth that when he hath fettled an order in this world among his creatures, defigned and appointed fuch a thing as human fociety, and directed that human love should be the common bond of that fociety; it argues, I fay, a great want of refpect unto God that men fhould make a rupture of that facred bond, and fo at once break themfelves off from one another and from him.

THIS is a matter of dreadful confequence if we do but run it up to its original, and lay the ftress and the weight of the matter where it ought to lie. As was faid of a certain country, The fear of GOD is not in this place, where it was apprehended there wasa danger of fuffering violence in reference to property; fa it may equally be faid, there is no love of GoD in that place; that is, in that heart and foul where fo many manifest violations are continually offered (habitually

Gen. xx. II.

I.

VOL. tually and without regret) unto a law upon which he lays fuch weight; a law which God has made fo fundamental, and built the frame of fo great a part of all our other duty upon it.

AND it may be now upon all this, fome will be ready to say; Truly it is a very fad thing "there fhould be fo little love among men as

fuch, and highly reasonable it is that fuch love "fhould obtain more than it does." But they withal think it very reasonable that they fhould be difpenfed with, especially in two cafes; that is, where men are very wicked, or where they are enemies to them. In the former cafe they would be dispensed with upon the account of their pretended refpect to GOD, who is injur'd by men's wickednefs; and they would fain be excufed in the latter cafe, upon a real but very undue refpect to themselves, whom they apprehend to be injured by fuch and fuch persons.

THEREFORE I would fay fomewhat more particularly (before I leave this head of love to men as men) to these two cafes: that is, to evince to you how great iniquity it is that fuch limitations fhould be admitted of as thefe; namely, that we would extend our love to men in general, except the more wicked fort of men, and alfo fuch as are particular enemies to our felves.

1. As to the former, the pretence is more plausible; they cannot apprehend how they should be bound to love a wicked man. And yet I shall fhew you briefly what exercise love ought to have

in that cafe, and upon what confiderations; what SER M.-
place there is, and what room for love to thofe XV.
who are profligately wicked, whom we are thus
urged to love.

I. IT is plain, negatively, that we ought not
to love a man the better because he is a wicked
man, and yet it is plain that most men do so.
It is as ill to love a wicked man for his iniquity,
as to hate a good man for his goodness; as Cain
did his brother Abel, which is noted alfo in this
epistle. For there are perfons, Who (knowing
the judgment of GOD that they which commit fuch
things are worthy of death) not only do the fame, but
bave pleasure in them that do them. But this is
very remote from the temper of a gracious spirit.
The Pfalmift makes his folemn appeal to GoD con-
cerning this cafe; Do not I hate them that hate
thee, O Lord? I hate them with a perfect ba-
tred. I count them mine enemies'. That is, bare-
ly confidered as wicked, or upon the account of
their wickedness and enmity to GOD; which is
the thing upon which this profeffed, avowed ha-
tred is founded. But notwithstanding

2. THERE is room ftill for the exercise of love to fuch perfons feveral ways. As

(1) LOVE ought to be exercised in affuaging and repreffing of undue and inordinate paffions, which are apt to tumultuate, even in reference to cafes of that nature. A fretting corroding fpirit, when we find wickedness and a profperous flate in conjunction, is moft exprefly forbidden.