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THE Almighty hath implanted in each individual a regard for his own happiness, which fhews itfelf in conftant wifhes and endeavours to avoid what is painful, and to attain what may conduce to enjoyment. And as it was his defign, that a great part of our happiness fhould arife from focial intercourfe, he hath alfo given us feelings towards our fellow creatures, which prompt us to confult their happinefs in like manner. But fuch is the condition of the world, that what will contribute to the good of others, frequently appears inconfiftent with our own ease and enjoyment, to which our selflove is continually prompting us to have immediate regard. And this principle of felf-love gains fo much ftrength, by acting upon us continually, and by the indulgence of our early years, before our benevolent affections begin to expand, that it generally acquires too great a share of influence in the human heart. For at firft we live the life

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of mere animals, and gradually rise to that which is rational and focial. It becomes therefore the business of reason, as we acquire the power of confidering what paffes within us, and of directing the feveral propenfities of our nature, to counteract this undue attention to ourselves, which operates to the neglect, and fometimes to the injury of others, by placing their feelings and concerns in the fame point of view, as that in which we confider ourselves, and our own concerns. If we feel pain, we can confider that pain is the same sensation when felt by them. If we feel pleasure, we can recollect, that pleasure and delight are equally defired by them. The confequence of this habit of contemplating the feelings of others is, that we regard their welfare as we unavoidably regard our own, and from our focial affection, as really wish that they may avoid misery, and obtain happiness, as from our perfonal affection, we wish that

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we may do fo ourselves. In the degrees, indeed, of that warmth with which we regard others, and of that with which we regard ourselves, there will be in most perfons a confiderable difference; as there is in the regard which we fhew for different perfons as they stand in a nearer degree of connection with us, or in one more diftant, as they intereft more or less the other feelings of our nature: But as we may be really interested for feveral perfons, whom we love in different degrees, and whose happinefs, we consequently defire with different degrees of earneftness, so we may be as really interested for others, as for ourselves, whilst yet we love ourselves the beft. You fee then, I hope, what is meant by loving others as ourselves; it is entering into what concerns their happiness and welfare, as truly as we enter into what concerns our own; entering into it, I mean with our hearts, not coldly performing beneficent actions,

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actions, which fome would reprefent as the whole of Charity, as they represent the outward compliance with the divine commands as the whole of the love of God. But these men furely forget that the outward action affects our moral character, only as it is an evidence of an internal feeling. In this way of ftating this precept, you perceive nothing extravagant or impracticable, nothing but what may reasonably be made a fubject of command, nothing but what in fome meafure, tho', God knows, far fhort of what it should be, mankind in general experiences; and therefore, nothing for the minds of any to be startled at, as, I fear, is fometimes the cafe on hearing this command, from the want of confidering difpaffionately its true fenfe and meaning. You have alfo, probably observed, that what has been offered in explanation of this virtue, is true altogether, independently of the religion of Chrift: And the reason is,

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that the feeds of it were originally planted in our nature by our gracious Creator, at the fame time with the love which we bear to ourselves: and the religion of Chrift, gives us no new feelings, but only restrains, cherishes, or directs, those which belong to our nature. It reftrains our inordinate felflove, it cherishes and directs our love of our fellow creatures, and this in fo clear a manner, and with such affecting confiderations, as were altogether unknown before: it carries it to fo much greater extent, than unaffifted reafon could conceive, that the Christian love of our brethren, justly deferves to be called, as it is in the Holy Scriptures, a new commandment. I proceed to the particular effects of this principle of Benevolence, reformed, exalted, and extended, into the Chriftian grace of Charity. It will lead us to rejoice with those that do rejoice, and to weep with those that weep. As the misfortunes of others will give us pain,

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