themselves better than their parents? Why does a man kill, commit
adultery, steal, bear false witness, covet his neighbour's goods, his
neighbour's custom, his neighbour's rights, but because he loves his
own pleasure or interest better than his neighbour's, loves himself
better than the man whom he wrongs? Would a man take advantage of
his neighbour if he loved him as well as himself? Would he be hard
on his neighbour, and say, Pay me the uttermost farthing, if he loved
him as he loves himself? Would he speak evil of his neighbour behind
his back, if he loved him as himself? Would he cross his neighbour's
temper, just because he WILL have his own way, right or wrong, if he
loved him as himself? Judge for yourselves. What would the world
become like this moment if every man loved his neighbour as himself,
thought of his neighbour as much as he thinks of himself? Would it
not become heaven on earth at once? There would be no need then for
soldiers and policemen, lawyers, rates and taxes, my friends, and all
the expensive and heavy machinery which is now needed to force people
into keeping something of God's law. Ay, there would be no need of
sermons, preachers and prophets to tell men of God's law, and warn
them of the misery of breaking it. They would keep the law of their
own free-will, by love. For love is the fulfilling of the law; and
as St. Augustine says, 'Love you neighbour, and then do what you
will--because you will be sure to will what is right.' So truly did
our Lord say, that on this one commandment hung all the law and the
prophets.

But though that blessed state of things will not come to the whole
world till the day when Christ shall reign in that new heaven and new
earth, in which Righteousness shall dwell, still it may come here,
now, on earth, to each and every one of us, if we will but ask from
God the blessed gift; to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.