paffionate, will not apply it fairly; much lefs will they apply any other. And if they could be perfuaded to apply it, as none have fo much need of it, none would receive fo much advantage from it.

But a farther objection may be, that not only fome cannot be induced to make trial of this change of perfons; but others, who in all appearance make it as well as they can, do not fucceed in it: but either draw wrong conclufions, or know not how to draw any. Yet furely in general, if ever there was a precept, that required little time and pains to comprehend and practise it, fuch is that before us. The command ment, which I command thee this day, is not hidden from thee, neither far off: but the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayeft do it *. Still fome attention and care is requifite in every thing. And one point, to which we should attend with very great care, is in asking the question, "would we be treated thus," to lay afide, as much as poffible, out of our thoughts, that the answer given to it is immediately to be turned the other way. Unlefs we do this, it may be feared, we fhall feldom answer honeftly; at leaft, unlefs we diligently recollect at the fame time, that where doing right is moft contrary to our prefent interest or inclination, it will contribute moft to our present honour and peace of confcience, and to our future and final happiness. Another very needful caution is, that in order to find, what our judgment would be, were all circumftances changed, we must be fure to leave out no circumftances that are material, in favour of the oppofite fide. Most of them indeed will flow into our mind of themselves, provided it be fairly opened to them. However, we must honestly seek for the remainder, nay fuppofe them, if we have reafon, though they do not appear; dwell upon each of them fo as to feel its proper force, and then determine.

But here one plea more may be alledged: that fometimes men cannot reckon up all circumftances, and therefore cannot place themselves in the condition of the other: they know it not fufficiently to fay, what they fhould think, if they were in it. Why this, it must be owned, doth happen. And tho' we may pretend ignorance falfely, to excufe ourselves from trying what we forefee would go against us: yet they must be very partial or very inconfiderate, who are not frequently fenfible

Deut. xxx. II, 14.

How

fenfible, that they want knowledge of facts, or skill to judge concerning them: or at leaft have caufe to doubt, whether the opinion, that feems to them the most likely, be indeed the true one. But even here our Saviour's rule will be of great fervice. For if we endeavour to make use of it, and find we cannot with any certainty; we fhall at leaft be ftrongly reminded of our own fallibility: and our doubt in determining which is in strictness the right part, will direct us, without any doubt, to take the mild, the gentle, the good-natured part, as being the fifeft error, fhould it prove one. ever, there are methods of aflifting our judgments confiderably. If we have formerly been in the condition, in which we now defire to place ourfelves; we must recollect, what we thought then. If we know any wife and good perfons, who are in that condition at prefent; we muft obferve or inquire, what they think and prefume, that we fhould think like them, were we fituated like them. The general perfuafion of mankind fhould always have more than a little weight with us, where it is not evidently wrong. And most of us have great need, in fuppofing that the contrary cafe was ours, to make large allowances for its not being really ours, and therefore not striking us near fo ftrongly, as that which is.

By the help of fuch precautions as thefe, duly obferved, we fhould fo very feldom either mistake, or hesitate, in the use of the precept before us, that every day would afford us new proof of our Lord's declaration concerning it: This is the law and the prophets : to which one of the oldest and most eminent of the Jewish doctors * approached very nearly, when he faid, This is the law: the reft is the explication of it. But here it cannot be meant, that by this method we are to learn our duty either to God, with whom it would be flocking irreverence to fuppofe a change of perfons: or to ourfelves, where there is no other perfon to change with; but merely to our fellow-creatures. And our Saviour, who hath elfewhere told us that the love of our Maker is the first and great commandment, and hath enjoined the ftricte moral government of thofe inclinations which are confined the most intirely

M 2

R. Hillel, the elder, faid to live about the time of Chrift. This faying is cited from the Talmudic tract, intitled, Schabbath, by Vorit. de Ad. NT. c. 10. & Otho Lex. Rabb. in Odium.

Matth. xxii. 38.

intirely within our own breafts, could never intend to tell us in the text, that right behaviour to our neighbour was the fole thing about which we need be folicitous. And therefore he could only defign to fay, that this rule would point out to us the whole of what heaven required of us, refpecting that behaviour. Just as if, in common life, we were told on any occafion, "This is all that you have to do;" we must apprehend the words, however general, to fignify, all that belonged to the point, which was then in the mind of the perfon who spoke; not all that belonged to other points, about which, at that initant, he had no thoughts of speaking.

And that, by means of this one precept, we may steer with innocence through all the dangers of focial life, I hope you have fufficiently feen cause to believe, though a fuller examination into particulars will give you fuller fatisfaction. It only remains, that we apply it faithfully to that purpose in our continual intercourfe with each other, in our daily self-' examinations, in the folemn preparations of our hearts for the Lord's fupper: begging of God in the appointed gospel manner, that pardon for our many tranfgreffions of this and all his holy laws, and that grace to obferve them better for the future, which our failures and weakness render fo needful: giving glory to him, and humbly taking comfort to ourfelves, when our endeavours have proved fuccessful. Thefe things we muft each refolve to practife confcientiously, if we regard either present happiness, or future: if we defire to avoid the bad opinion of thofe around us, who will unanimously cenfure our tranfgreffion of fo plain a rule; the reproaches of our own hearts, of which it is an obvious dictate; or his final condemnation, who is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things *.

1 John iii. 29.

SER

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even fo to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

THE meaning, obligation, and importance of this precept of

our bleffed Lord have been already fhewn you and are indeed pretty generally acknowledged. Moft men admit, applaud, and urge it to others: the only thing wanting is that, without which all the reft will be nothing, to practise it themfelves. This laft point therefore I have reserved to infist on feparately. There are few indeed, that can bear to tranfgrefs. a direction fo evidently juft, with their eyes quite open: and those who can, there is little hope of amending. But many are either too inconfiderate, or too vehement, to think of it, and apply it to their own cafe, without admonition; who yet may be fhewn what is right, though they would not look for it and bringing home to fuch, thofe equitable confiderations, which this rule fuggefts, will be doing for them all we need. It is very true, there is no poffibility of going through the whole extent of a commandment, that reaches to every fingle occurrence, in which we have intercourse one with another; or, in our Saviour's language, is itself the law and the prophets. But applying it to the more common circumstances of life, may give, though poffibly no new knowledge, yet many seasonable warnings to all, who happen to be in the circumftances which fhall be mentioned, and will honeftly make use of those plain rules to direct themselves, which shall now be laid before you, to direct whom they may.

Men

Men are to be confidered, either, firft, as fuperiors or inferiors, or, fecondly, as equals. And the rule of the text points out to all these their proper mutual behaviour. Again, fuperiors are fuch, either in authority, or only in rank. And authority is either public or domeftic.

Now the condu&t of men in any fort of public authority is of fo great importance to fo many perfons, in fo many different ways, and they have fuch variety of temptations, to divert their attention from it, or incline them to a wrong fort of attention; that they cannot afk themselves too seriously, or too often: Is my treatment of all those, whose happiness may be more or less affected by it, the fame, which I fhould reafonaably wish for, were I in their condition? At the first view perhaps, punishment feems right to me: but were I in the of fenders cafe, would not forgiveness seem righter? Or tenderness appears an amiable thing; but were I the party injured or endangered, would not justice appear a neceffary one? I think myfelf intitled to fuch profits, or fuch leifure: but what should I think, were another to infift on either, and I to fuffer by it? Do I confider, in general, how eafily my paffion, felfishness or partiality, my lefs voluntary errors, or mere indolent neglects, may diftrefs people in a manner, that I fhould feel to be most grievous? The ftation I am in is a truft: Do I difcharge it with that diligence and fteadiness, that integrity and difintereftedness, that mildness and patience, that sense of human fallibility, that readiness to fee and correct my own mistakes, that vigilance to do and encourage whatever is laudable, which I fhould justly expect from another? Can I fay to myself, after a faithful examination, that I only wish a return suitable to my behaviour? And can I fay to him, whofe fervant I am here below, Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people?

But then, at the fame time, perfons under authority alfo fhould ask their hearts, before they accufe thofe above them of not acting thus: Am I fure, both of my being well informed, how they have acted, and well qualified to judge, how they ought to have acted? May there not poffibly be things very worthy of confideration in the cafe, which I have never reflected upon, perhaps have never had the means of knowing? And how would it fit upon my mind, if my inferiors were to pass a peremptory and fevere fentence upon me, without being bet