VERS.8. An Expofition,. with Notes and fo turning both Tables into one: And Chri!l: faith, Matq. I 2 • 'Thu u the Law, and the Prophets; that is, the fum of the whole Word, and that fiandard of Equity which is erected therein; T ht~t \\'hatfoever ye Would that men foould ao toyou, do ye evm fo to them: For which faying SeverUJ reverenced Chrifl: and Chrifii– aniry. But mufl: aman love his Neighbor with the fame proporti- . on of care and refped:, that he cloth himfelf? The fpeciallove of a rnan to his wife is expreffed by this, Ephe[.-5.18. So ought men to love their Wives, tU their own bodies: and the Hebrew expref– fion is the fame in all other places; Let him love hu N eighbor M hu own body : And mufl: we now love every one with thofe fingu– lar refped:s and proportions of affeCl:ion that he bearech to himfelf and his wife ? , _ I anfwer; The firid:nefs of the Precept lhould not amne us : Chriil: raifeth it one peg higher , John I 3. 34· I have given yuu a Commandment, That M I have loved you, Jo ye fhould love one another; There is anothj:r manner of pat– tern : Chrifis love was intenfe, and the meafures of it beyond the conceit of our thoughts; Yet M I love, fo muftye love one another. Bnt, for the opening of this matter, I iliall firfl: thew you, Who isyour Neighbor: Secondly, What kJnde of love u required to him. Fidl:, Who isyour N eighbor ? Aquefl:ion neceffary tobe propounded; ,cwas propound~d to Chrifr himfelf, Luk... t6. 29. who is my N eighbor? The Solution may be gathered o~t ofChrifl:s Anfwer: Firfi, in the general, Every man to Whom I may be help– ful: And the term Neighbor is ufed, beciufe our Charity is moll: exercifed a.nd drawn out to thofe that are neer us, the objetls that are about us : but it muft not be confined there ; for Chrifi proves, tbat a {/ranger may be a neighbor, Luk. 10. 36. All people that hwe the face of a man are called our fiefo, Ijai. 58. and our blood, A [f. I7.26. One blood, Coufins at a remoter difiance: Any man is a Neighbor, in regard of the neernefs of our firfi Original; and as h-e is capable of the fame glory and bleffednefs which we expett : . and fo a firanger, an enemy, may be a Neighbor: By the Gofpel rul:s, and an object of fuch love as we bear unto our felves, we be– ing bound eo ddire hisgo'Jd,by virtue of hi~ manhood,as.we would our own. Secondly, There are more efpec1al neighbors, who dwell about us, and are more frequent with us, whof~ necefsities mull: provoke
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