Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-06-29

A Discourse deLiuered at the opening of
the, Sf:rty Second Anniversary Of the
SALISBURY Baptist association by
JOSEPH w. SAWYER, of SALISBURY.
James, ii: g.: " If We fulfil the ROYAL law accord
ing to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thy self, ye do WE'LL" - -. ~ = $50
ss=-.s. z@s. coNcLUD L. Ear -
III. What is the measure prescribed for
this love? GAS thyself." "If We fulfil the
royal law according to the scripture, thou
shalt love thy neighbor as myself We do
WE'LL" II is here taken for granted that il
is our duty to love ourselves, that is, that
some kind Of self-love is lawful, and even
necessary, although being so perfectly nat
ural to US, is not necessary to command it,
And we are directed how 10 love ourselves
wisely, and for our truest and best interests.
All Gods promises and threatenings are
appeals TO this principle. According to
these, we are and ought, in the first place
10 love our own bodies. For ST. Paul says,
j" No man ever yet hated his own body, but
nourishe,h it and cherisheth it, even as the
Lord the church," Much more are we to
love our own souls. q" For what is man
if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul, or be cast away" The
meaning then of the precept epjoinIng self
denial is, not that man should deny what
he is or has, what he truly is, and what he
really has, for that would be falsehood.
"God cannot deny himself" his nature, and
| the perfeclions of il, nor ought a man TO
deny himself, as man,-and the rational
lpoWers and faculties, and endowments Of
/ which he is possessed. And if he has faith
| in God and "good hope through grace,' he
ought 10 be careful that he does not deny
these things. Nor does selI-denial consist
| in abusing our bodies on religious accounts:
By cutting them wi knives, Iashing them with
whips, orsby severe Hastings and abstinence.
But sinful self, and righteous self, are 10 be
denied. The meaning thenof The precept
enioining self,denial is, that we deny sinful
self, vicious seIf-love, all those corrupt in
3 .clinations and desires, which if INDUCED,
would lead not 10 our good, bat burt. And
this is the self-loye censured by our Inspired
postle, when he says, FOR men shall be
= lovers of their own selves, covetous, boast
, ers, proud, blasphenous, disobedient 10 pa
! rents, unthanklul. unhoiY," &c. The idea
rEthen is, that as love to ourselves ought &c
be adjusted, and regulated according 90 the
exact statutes of the gospel, so ought ou
love TO our neighbor. We should consider
. mankind in general no. as remote from US
or as those in whom we have no concern
but in moral sense as ourselves, just a
we say Of a friend, relation, wife, child
: They are ourselves. Jonathan loved Davi'
5 as his own soul, and we are required q
It love all as ourselves. Not, perhaps, as VI
= do love ourselves, but as we should lev
O ourselves, for OF many il must be said The,
A hate themselves, hate their own souls, an
:, abuse themselves, this is wrong, unnatural
unseri2tural. s. +. I'd. .s-sgs
! But as we love ourselves freely, readily
! sincerely, unfeignedly, tenderly, COMPRESSOR
aiely, constantly and perseveringly, so ougt
we Ito love our Deighbor as ourselves.
= The sum Of the matter, or as 81. Paul e
D. presses himself, 9 Of the things Of which y
g, have spoken this is The sum-. We n1u
ed maintain in our hearts benevolence al