many felf-condemned Sinners in the World, as is generally thought; for it is much if he who has long continued in any Sin has not found out fome Excufe or fome Juftification for his Vice. A Man, who has nothing to judge by but Reason and Scripture, would wonder how the Scripture was ever made a Party to fuch a Defence: But those who are Friends to any Vice have fomething else that guides their Judgment, Self-Love and Intereft; which are fuch candid Interpreters, that no Vice need fear being tried by the Scriptures, fo long as they fit as Judges.

From what Cause it arifes, that Men thus deal with the Scripture and their own Reason, has been already obferved: Let us now confider how we may best secure ourselves against this great Abuse.

The Words of the Text do not directly lead to this Inquiry, nor will they afford much Light in it: But if we look a little forward, and observe by what Means our Lord brought this Difputer to do Justice to the Law of God, and to own even the Samaritan to be the Jew's Neighbour, which was a Point conftantly determined otherwise by the Jewish Doctors, it will teach us how

Men

Men are to be dealt with, by what Art they may be led into the Confeffion of Truth, and forced to give up the Excuses and Pretences under which they have long sheltered themselves and their Iniquity.

Since therefore what is further to be faid in this Argument must arise from our Lord's Answer to this Question put to him in the Text, it will be expedient, in the first Place, to fet our Lord's Anfwer before you in a true Light, which has been obfcured by unneceffary Difficulties raised by Interpreters. In answer to the Lawyer's Question, And who is my Neighbour? our Lord puts a Case to him for his own Judgment: A certain Man, travelling from Jerufalem to Jericho, fell among Thieves, loft all he had, was ftripped naked, was wounded, and left for dead: A Prieft paffed him by in this Condition unregarded; a Levite did likewise But a Samaritan, happening to travel that Road, had Compaffion on him; dreffed his Wounds, fet him on his own Beast, and left him in good Hands, engaging himself to answer whatever fhould be expended in the Care or Cure of him. Upon this Case our Lord afks this Question: Which now of

thefe

these three thinkeft thou was Neighbour to him

that fell among the Thieves?

that bewed Mercy on him.

And he faid, He

Then faid Jefus likewife. Great

unto him, Go thou, and do Pains have been taken by fome so to adjust this Cafe, that it might yield a proper Answer to the Lawyer's Queftion. He afked, Who is my Neighbour? that is, Who am I obliged to love as myfelf? So that our Lord ought to have determined the Extent and Right of Neighbourhood, and from thence deduced the Obligations of Love and Affiftance: Whereas the Cafe fuppofes the Love and Affiftance, and from thence infers the Relation of Neighbourhood. The Priest and the Levite were not Neighbours, because they did not affift the wounded Man: The Samaritan was his Neighbour, because he fhewed Kindness to him. And if this be fo, that no Man is our Neighbour till we have either fhewed or received Kindness from him, we cannot then, from the Right of Neighbourhood, infer the Obligations of Love; but muft determine, from the mutual Exercise of Love, the Notion and Extent of Neighbourhood: And, if this be the Café, no Man can offend against the Law of

2

loving

loving his Neighbour; for, if none are our Neighbours but thofe whom we love, then every Man certainly loves his Neighbours.

But if we confider the Cafe fairly, and view it in its due Light, this supposed Difficulty will vanish. The Queftion was asked by the Lawyer out of a Defire to justify himfelf: He had learned to call no Man Neighbour who was not of the fame Stock and Religion with himfelf: Samaritans he exprefsly hated, and juftified his Hatred, because they were Deferters from the true Worship, and Defpifers of the Temple which was in Jerufalem. This great Error our

Lord was to wreft from him, which was not to be done by batteling his Prejudices, and arguing upon the true Senfe and Meaning of the Law: The Lawyer, not unaccustomed to fuch Exercife, would have held up the Dispute, and ftood refolute against any fuch Convictions: Our Saviour therefore puts him a Cafe, and ftates it fo, that his Prejudices were all fhut out, and could have no Influence in the Determination: A Few therefore is put into the Place of Diftrefs: A certain Man went down from Jerufalem to Jericho, and fell among Thieves. Here could be no Exception taken against

the

the Perfon. Had the Samaritan been placed in the fame Cafe, and his Calamities painted in the most moving Colours, he would have found no Pity from the Jew, who would have excepted to his Religion, and thought himself very much in the Right to have been an Enemy to the Enemy of God: But when one of his Nation was represented in Mifery, he faw Reason in every Thing that ⚫ was done for his Relief. A Priest and a Levite are faid to pafs by and neglect him: Thefe Perfons ftood in all thofe Relations to the Diftreffed, which the Lawyer owned to be the just Bonds and Tyes of Neighbourhood: They were of his Kindred, and they met at the fame Altar to worship the same God: He could not therefore but condemn their Want of Bowels to their Brother. A Samaritan is reprefented as paffing by, and fhewing the greateft Tenderness and Compaffion to the poor Jew: This could not but be approved Even the Prejudice of the Lawyer carried him in these Circumstances to a right Judgment; for, knowing how inveterately the Jew hated the Samaritan, he could not but the more admire and approve the Samaritan's Kindness to the Jew. Upon this Cafe our Lord puts him to determine

which

1.