D. In a hearty compassion and affectionate love to all mankind.–There is not a parallel instance of compassion and mercy, of good-will and love, to be produced in the whole world. And if Christ so loved us, we ought also to love one another [1]: the objects of his love should command ours. Shall we refuse to be tender-hearted and kindly affectionate towards those, for whom the eternal Son of God has discovered such amazing compassion and love? The general love of God to the world, should induce an universal love amongst all mankind: his peculiar love to his church and saints and produce un us a peculiar affection to such. We ought to banish all remainders of ill-will, envy or malice, and with much affection to be united to one another; to love all men, especially such as are of the household of faith, and heirs with us that salvation and eternal life, which Christ was born into the world to procure for us. It was observed by the heathens concerning the primitive Christians, that they were eminently illustrious in the exercise of this grace: it was a common saying among themselves concerning the first disciples; behold, how they love one another. Oh would to God this blessed temper might more prevail in our day! Christ came to unite us all in the bonds of love; and therefore, though possibly we may see reason to differ from one another in our judgments about particular matters; yet nothing hinders (I am sure nothing should hinder) our being strongly united in mutual affection and love.
Obadiah Hughes, The Nativity of Christ considered and improved. In Two Sermons Preached at the Merchants Lecture at Salters-Hall And at the Protestant Dissenters Chapel in Long-Ditch, Westminster (London: Printed by James Waugh, for Richard Hett, in the Poulty; James Buckland, in Pater-noster Row; and Mrs Winbush, at Charing-Cross, 1749), Sermon 2, Luke 2:10-11; p., 42. [Some spelling modernized; italics original; and underlining mine.]