d.

than others? do not even the Publicans f? գ. No great Thanks to you, if you are only kind to them who are kind to you; Self-Love, and common Gratitude, which Men of the lowest Rank of Goodness put in practice, will carry you thus far. But if ye intend to be my Difciples, and think to get to Heaven, ye must not content yourselves with an ordinary Degree of Virtue, nor propofe to yourselves the ordinary Patterns of the World, but muft imitate God himself as far as human Frailty will allow, particularly in this extraordinary Duty of the Love of Enemies..

From the Words thus briefly explained, there are feveral Things I would obferve, and recommend as worthy of our Confideration and fuitable Practice.

I. First, I obferve, that Gratitude is here recommended, not as a peculiar Virtue of Chriftianity, but as a common Virtue all the World over, judged neceffary to be put in practice by all, even Men of the lowest Figure for Reputation; love them which love you, what Reward have ye? do not even the Publicans the fame ?

If ye

II. I obferve, that the fhewing Courteoufnefs, and Civility, and Acts of Kindness to those of our own Sect or Party, is a very low Degree of Virtue: If ye falute your Brethren only, what de ye more than others?

III. I obferve, that mere Principles of SelfLove, without any thing of Religion, will carry a Man to be kind and courteous to thofe who are fo to him. This is implied in thofe Words, do not even the Publicans the fame ?

IV. I obferve, that upon occafion of any good Thing we fee in other Men, we should ftir up

our

ourselves to an holy Emulation to equal, or exceed them, as the Principles and Duties of our Religion do require; as here, from the Example of the very Publicans, our Saviour excites us to the highest Degrees of Duty.

V. Lastly; I obferve, that if we would approve ourfelves true Chriftians, and expect to go to Heaven, we must not content ourfelves to live like other ordinary Men of the World; but even in thofe things wherein they feem to give us good Examples, fhould outftrip them, and distinguish ourselves, by endeavouring after the higheft Degrees of all Chriftian Virtues. This is implied in thefe Words, What do ye more than others?

I fhall endeavour to bring all these within the Limits of this prefent Difcourfe.

I. The first Thing I obferve from the Words, is, that Gratitude is here recommended, not as a peculiar Virtue of Chriftianity, but as a common Virtue all the World over, and judged neceffary to be put in practice by all, even Men of the loweft Figure for Reputation. If ye love them which love you, what Reward have ye? Do not even the Publicans the fame? Not that it is our Saviour's Defign to fpeak diminutively, or contemptibly of this great Virtue of Gratitude : Quite otherwife, he takes it to be a Virtue fo confpicuous by the very Light of Nature, that all Men, even they who have a very indifferent Character otherwife, think it neceffary to put it in practice. There are none but fome of the very worst of Mankind, who do not love their Friends, and think themselves obliged to reward one Kindness with another; and therefore it is no wonder that our Saviour infifts fo little on this Duty; for preffing

fo much as he does the Love of Enemies, this of Friends is included. And there was indeed little occafion to prefs a Duty which all Mankind agreed in, at least, as to the Theory, whatever they may do as to the Practice. There were not, among the Jews, any Men more generally odious than the Publicans, who were Gatherers of the publick Taxes; whether it was that the Taxes were much hated, being payed to the Roman Conquerors, and fo being Signs of their Subjection and Servitude; or whether thefe Publicans, who were an inferior fort of Farmers of the Taxes and Customs, stretched their Power to exact more than their due of the poor People; yet as large Confciences as they had, they would go fo far into the Duty of Love and Charity, as to be loving and kind to their own Friends. Our Saviour thought it a great Difparagement, both to his Difciples and himself, that they should be no better than those who were reckoned among the worft of Men.

II. The fecond Thing which I observed, was, that the shewing of Courteoufnefs, and Civility, and Acts of Kindness to thofe of our own Sect and Party, is a very low Degree of Virtue; If ye falute your Brethren only, what do ye more than others? It is a certain Sign of a little narrow Soul, which thus confines Love and Charity. This was a Vice the Jews in general were guilty of, and a Vice that all Sects of Chriftians, efpecially the most heretical and schifmatical, do most notoriously espouse. One of the surest Effects of our different Opinions in Matters of Religion, is, that they ftraiten and confine our Charity within fo very narrow Bounds, that it deftroys the Duty

indeed,

indeed, as to the far greater part of thofe to whom it is due; which is often a much worse Evil, than the Error in Opinion which occafioned it. I know not how all our ftricteft Sects have been deluded into fo grofs and fo dangerous a piece of Immorality. There can be nothing more contrary to the Laws of Charity, which, by the Rule of the Gospel, is to be extended to all Men, even to our bitterest Enemies; nor to the Duty of brotherly Love, which is due to all Christians, than that proud, narrow-foul'd Temper. And therefore it is no wonder that our Saviour did fo particularly guard his Disciples against it, and as it were fhame them out of it, as he does in the Text.

III. The third Thing I obferved from the Words, is, that mere. Principles of Self-Love, without any thing of Religion, will carry a Man to be kind and courteous to thofe who are so to him. This is implied in these Words, Do not even the Publicans the fame? He doth not fay, do not even the Scribes and Pharifees the fame; for they were People who pretended to be governed by religious Principles. Two Things will be neceffary to make us fenfible of the Force of this Argument.

1. That Principles of Self-Love will carry us thus far.

2. And if so, then our Love, if limited to Friends, is no Part of Religion, but only Self-Love or Compliance with the Fashion, or our worldly Interest.

1. Now the first of these, it can be no hard Matter to convince us of, that Principles of SelfLove will carry us to the Love of Friends, or thofe that love us. A Man that would have Friends,

mult

must shew himself friendly; and that Friends are a very great Help in furthering us, and all our Affairs in the World, there can be no manner of Doubt. Now worldly Men being, as our Saviour obferves elsewhere, in their Generation wifer than the Children of Light; that is, minding and profecuting their worldly Interest closer than Men of Piety and Religion, must be supposed to obferve and follow every Thing that makes for their Purpofe, with an equal, at leaft, if not with much greater Application and Diligence. And there is nothing the whole World is more fenfible of than this, how neceffary Friends are towards the Promotion of their feveral Interefts. We may obferve that the greatest Princes, States, and Potentates upon Earth, do not think themselves fafe alone, except they strengthen themselves with Friendships and Alliances; and in order, both to the engaging and keeping their Friends and Allies, they find themselves obliged mutually to protect and defend them. And fo it is among private Men, they being yet more fenfible, as they have reafon, of their own Weakness, have invented many Ways to ftrengthen themselves by Friendships and Alliances; for often they betake themselves to great Men, and try, by all Means, if they can infinuate themselves into their Favour: Often they enter into Societies and Fraternities, for their mutual Support; and befides, they study by all the Arts of Civility and Complaifance, to get into the Favour of as many particular Perfons as they can, by that means to enlarge their Eftate, and secure their Intereft. But on the other hand, if they have any formidable Enemy, they fet themselves, by all means poffible, to crush and vanquish him.

2. This