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SERAI.
XXXIII.
THE UNIVERSAL RULE
OF
EQUITY.
3.3.
christian
!
" Love thy neighbour
as
thyself;"
was
a rule
appointed
to
the
Jews
;
Levi.
xix. IS.
This
is
repeated
by
our Saviour
;
Mat.
xix.
19.
And
an
happy explica-
tion or
comment, on
it
given
in my
text, "
Whatsoever
ye would
that
Wren
should
do
to yeti,
do
ye
even
so
unto
them;
for this
is
the law and
the
prophets." There
were
none of the heathen
philosophers
that
delivered
this
as
a
general
law,
in so
strong,
so
universal,
and
so
compre-
hensive
a
manner
as
our
Saviour
has
done, though one or
two
of
them offered sonic
occasional
hints
of
the same
kind.
But our Saviour appoints
it
as
the
grand rule
of
social virtue,
amongst
all
the subjects
of
his
kingdom
;
and
he
tells
us
too,
that
this
the
sum
and
substance
of
the directions
given
by
Moses and
the
prophets
for
the
conduct
of
men toward
their
fellow-
creatures.
The
wisdom
of
this
precept eminently appears
herein
:
Our
blessed
Lord
well
knew
that self
-love would
be
a
powerful
temptation
to
men, to
turn
them aside from
the
sacred
laws
of
justice,
in
treating their neighbours; and
therefore
he wisely
takes this very principle
of
.self-love,
and
joins it
in
the consultation
with
Our
reason and con-
science, how
we
should carry
it
toward our
fellow
-crea-
tures.
Thus
by his
divine
prudence,
he
constrains even
this
selfish
and rebellious principle
to
assist our
con-
sciences
and
our rational
powers, in
directing
us how
to
practise
the social
duties of
life.
It
was
Christ
the
Son
of
God
who gave laws to
hoses
for
Israel
before
his
incarnation,
and
it
is
héwho
is
come
in
the
flesh,
as
a
preacher of
righteousness to
men, in
these
latter
days
;
and
in
both these seasons
of
legisla-
ture,
he
has manifested
this
sacred
wisdom
:
"
Ye know
the
heart of
a
stranger,
saith the
Lord,
in his
dictates
-to
ilioses; Ex.
xxiii.
9.
for
ye
were
strangers
in
the
laud
of
Egypt; therefore thou shalt
not
oppress
a stran,_er.
And
he gives
us
still
the same general
rule
for
our
conduct; "
Look into your
own
hearts, consider
what
human
nature
is,
you
know you
are
men
of
like
frailty
with others,
enquire
what
treatment
you
would
reason
ably
expect
from
your
fellows,
and
be
sure
you
practise
in
the same
manner toward
them.
REFLECTION
III.
Since the wisdoin
of Christ-tlrou0U
fit
to
teach
us
rules
of
eduity_and'ri,,-hteousuess
amongst
men,
and
has, as
it
were,
etracted
the very soul
and
L
v