fiveness of the argument to be founded upon it; I offer the two following anfwers to it. 1ft, That in the account given in Scripture of the redemption of the world by the fubftitution of a Saviour, and the juftification of finners by the imputed righteousness of Chrift, there is the brightest display of all the divine perfections. The almighty power, the unfearchable wifdom, the boundless goodness, the inflexible juftice, and inviolable truth of God, fhine in this great defign, with united fplendor. Every attribute, that can in reafon claim our veneration and esteem, as well as our thankfulness and gratitude, is here to be seen. Even the perfections of justice and mercy (which I will not call jarring attributes, as fome too harshly do, but) which feem to reftrain and limit each other in their exercife, are jointly illuftrated, and shine more brightly by their union, than they could have done separately; and, at the fame time, the purity and holinefs of the Divine Nature, which is the fum of them all, is deeply impreffed upon the mind. So that here is every thing that can produce love; worth and excellence to merit it, love and kindness to excite and raise it. From this it evidently appears, that he who believes in the imputed righteousness of Chrift, must have a fuperlative love of God.

But 2dly, Left it fhould be faid, that many have not this view of the doctrine in question, as honorable to God, and representing him in an amiable light, but the contrary; I observe, that there must have been a discovery of the glory of God, as fhining in this plan of falvation, to all who cordially embrace it. Nothing else could induce them to do fo. If its enemies do not fee this, and therefore fet themselves against it; this confirms the different and honorable fentiments entertained by its friends; fo that even fuppofing (what we will never grant) that this view of the amiablenefs of the Divine Nature, as reprefented in the gospel, were not well founded; yet, doubtlefs it is the view of thofe " who count all things but lofs "for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift,"* and glory in nothing but his crofs.

* Phil. iii. 8.

The truth is, notwithstanding any cavilling objections that may be raised against it, many favors received by one to whom they are abfolutely necessary, and by whom they are infinitely prized, must naturally and neceffarily produce love. This will be reckoned a first principle, by every unprejudiced mind; and it is always fuppofed in the Holy Scriptures, where the faints are reprefented as under the habitual and powerful impreffion of love to God, for his love to them manifefted in their redemption. Thus fays the apostle Paul," For I am perfuaded that nei"ther death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor

powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, nor "heighth, nor depth, nor any creature, fhall be able to "feparate us from the love of God, which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord."

Now, is there any thing more neceffary to fhow, that those who believe and truft in the imputed righteousness of Christ must be holy in their lives, than their being under the influence of a fupreme love to God? Is not this the first and great commandment of the law, "Thou fhalt "love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all "thy foul, and with all thy mind?"* Is not this a neverfailing fource of univerfal obedience? as they love God, will they not love their brethren alfo: the very worst of men, because they are the creatures of God? and the righteous more especially, because they are his faints, his chofen ones? Can they love God fupremely, and yet voluntarily difplease him, breaking his commandments, or refifting his defigns? We know that love hath a quite different effect, in every other and inferior instance, endearing to us every thing related to the perfon who poffeffes our esteem and affection; how then can it be fuppofed fo prepofterous in this fingle cafe, when it is fixed on the greatest and the best of objects?

It is a received maxim, That there can be no true love where there is not fome likeness and conformity of nature and difpofition to the object beloved, and an endeavor after more, And this is a maxim that will in no cafe

* Matth. xxii, 37,

hold more infallibly, than in moral fubjects. It is impoffible that we can love purity, if ourselves are impure; nay, it is even impoffible that we can understand it. Though an unholy person may have a very penetrating genius and capacity, may think acutely, and perhaps reafon juftly upon many, or moft of the natural attributes of God, he can neither perceive nor admire his moral excellence. Inftead of perceiving the glory of God as infinitely holy, he hates, and fets himself to oppofe this part of his character, or to substitute fomething quite different in its room.* Or, if we can fuppofe him able, or from any particular reafon inclined, to tell the truth, as to what God is, he can never difcern or feel his glory or beauty in being fuch. For why, he himself is unholy: that is to fay, in other words he fupremely loves, and hath his af fections habitually fixed, upon fomething that is not God, fomething that is contrary to God's nature, and a breach of his law.

Let us continue to reflect a few moments upon this fubject, which is of great importance, varying a little the light in which it is viewed. Let us confider what is meant by a fupreme and fuperlative love to God. These words must have a meaning. It is not a fupreme love of a certain nature, or perfon, called God, whom no man hath feen, and of whom we know no more but the name. this cafe the old maxim would hold, Ignoti nulla "cupido;" there can be no affection, of either love or hatred, towards an object wholly unknown. A fupreme love of God therefore, were it really hath place in any

In

This is the true reason why many fo warmly oppofe God's vindictive justice, and that in the face of many awful examples of it, even in the prefent partial and imperfect difpenfation. That there are many marks of God's difpleafure againft fin, even in that part of his government which is at prefent fubjected to our view, and alfo distinct warnings of a ftricter reckoning to come, I fhould think, might be, to an impartial perfon, past all doubt; and yet, this is derided and denied by many, merely because they can never think that a perfection in the Divine Nature, for which they have no love or effeem in their own hearts. All who love God, then must be like him; and even those who will not be what he really is, are always ftrongly inclined, at least, to fuppofe him what they themfelves are.

heart, muft mean the love of a character in fome measure understood, though not fully comprehended. In short, according to the Scriptures, it is a fupreme love of the fource and pattern of moral excellence, of a being of infinite holiness and purity, with whom "evil cannot dwell." Is not this, in truth and reality, the love of holiness itself, the fupreme love of it? Can we love holiness then, and not afpire after it? can we love it and not endeavor to practife it? nay, can we love it, and not poffefs it? can we love holiness fupremely, and live in fin habitually? it is the groffeft contradiction, the most abfolute impoffibility. There is then a diametrical oppofition between the love of God, and the fervice of fin. To fuppofe them confiftent, would be fuppofing, that the tendency of the heart and affections might be oppofite to the course of the life, or fupremely fixed upon two things mutually deftructive to each other; on the contrary, our Saviour juftly affirms, that "no man can ferve two masters; for either "he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will "hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve "God and mammon."*

Once more, Is not the love of God, I mean, the fupreme love of God, precisely what is meant by holiness? It is not only an evidence of it, not only a fource of it, not only an important branch, but the fum and perfection of it. For what is fin in the heart, of which all evil actions are but the fruits and expreflions, and from which they derive their malignity and contrariety to the divine will? Is it not the love and purfuit of inferior objects on their own account, and giving them that place in our affections which is due only to God? All fins of whatever kind, may be eafily reduced to this, and fhown to be nothing elfe, but the alienation and eftrangement of our heart and affections from God, to whom alone they are due: which fo far as it prevails, neceffarily occafions a mifapplication of every faculty of our minds, and of every member of our bodies, and thus a rebellion of the whole man. But whoever loves God above all, and places his chief happinefs and delight in him, is truly holy; not only will be

* Matth. vi. 24.

fo as the effect, but really is fo, by the poffeffion of this difpofition. In proportion as this love is increafed and ftrengthened, his fanctification is carried on; and when it is complete and triumphant, entirely free from the mixture of any bafer paffion, he is perfect in holiness.

It may probably occur to fome readers, that this reafoning will not accord with the accounts given by many moderns of the nature and foundation of virtue. Some found it upon the prefent prevailing tendency of our own difpofitions, and make it point directly and immediately at our own happinefs; others found it upon our connections with our fellow-creatures in this ftate, and make it confift in benevolence of heart, and beneficence of action; others again, who approach nearer the truth, but without precision, stile it an acting towards ever object, according to reafon and the nature of things. Upon any of thefe fchemes, the connection, or rather coincidence, above ailedged between the love of God and virtue, or moral excellence, does not fo clearly appear. This indeed feems to me the great defect of these accounts of the nature and foundation of virtue, that they keep our relation and obligations to God at a distance at leaft, and much out of view. But as this is the first commandment of the law which God hath revealed to man for his obedience, "Thou "fhalt love the Lord with all thy heart, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind." So upon a fair and juft examination, the fupreme love of God will be found the most confiftent and rational account of the nature of virtue, and the true fource from which all other virtues, that are not fpurious, muft take their rife, and from which they derive their force and obligation: it is founded not only upon the relation of creatures to their Creator, but on the inherent excellence of the Divine Nature. fuppofing (what will fcarcely be denied) that God may be at all the object of our esteem and love, it is plain, that we ought to have the highest esteem for the highest excellence, a fupreme love for what is infinitely amiable; and if our affections do in any measure prefer what is lefs to what is more worthy, they must be, in that proportion, wrong and mifplaced.

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