1. To describe the nature of love in general.

II. To describe the nature of true love in particular. And,

III. To show, that true love is the fulfilling of the law.

1. The nature of love in general is to be described.

If we turn our attention inwardly and examine the operations of our own minds, we shall be convinced, that love is something very different from either perception, reason, or conscience. These are natural facalties, which do their office independently of the will.

depends upon our perception, not upon our will, whether an object shall appear either black or white. It depends upon our reason, not upon our will, whether a proposition shall appear either true or false. It depends upon our conscience, not upon our will, wheth- . er an action shall appear either good or evil. But it depends entirely upon our choice, whether we shall love either a white or a black object, either a true or false proposition, either a good or an evil action. Hence we intuitively know, that love is a free, voluntary affection, which is entirely distinct from every natural faculty of the mind. It is neither a power nor principle of action, but rather an act or exercise itself. And in this respect, it totally differs from every bodily and mental taste; in which we are altogether passive. We cannot help tasting the sweetness of honey, nor relishing the beauties of nature and of art. But we are under no natural necessity of loving a beautiful flower, nor an amiable character. It is, therefore, the voice of universal experience, that love is a free, voluntary exercise, which essentially differs from any natural power, principle, taste, or sensation of the human mind. Freedom and activity are essential to love in general, The next thing is,

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II. To describe the nature of true love in particular.

Since we are free and voluntary in loving, there is a just ground of distinction between true love and false. And agreeably to this distinction, God requires one kind of love, and forbids another. He requires us to love himself supremely, but forbids us so to love ourselves, or any other created object. These two kinds of love are essentially different. The one is true love, and the other false, the one is pure benevolence, and the other is real selfishness; the one is the fulfilling, and the other the transgression, of the law. It appears, therefore, to be necessary to point out the per culiar properties of true love, by which it is distinguished from false.

1. True love is universal, extending to being in general, or to God and all his creatures. “The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.” The primary object of true benevolence is being simply considered, or a mere capacity of enjoying happiness and suffering pain. It necessarily embraces God, and all sensitive natures. Though the man of true benevolence takes a peculiar complacency in God and in all other benevo, lent beings; yet he wishes well to creatures, that have no benevolence, and even to such as are incapable of all moral exercises. It is, therefore, the nature of true benevolence to run parallel with universal being, whether uncreated or created; whether rational or irrational; whether holy or unholy. And in this respect, it essentially differs from that selfish and false affection, which centres in one individual, and terminates in personal happiness.

2. True love is impartial. It regards every proper object of benevolence according to its apparent worth and importance in the scale of being. It regards God according to his greatness and goodness, and of course more than all created beings. And among created beings, it prefers the great to the small, and the good to the great. The truly benevolent man measures his affections towards every being, according to its capacity and disposition of doing, and of receiving good; and not according to the relation which it bears to his own private interest. As he values the happiness of the whole universe more than the happiness of a particular part; so he values the happiness of each part in exact proportion to its intrinsic and comparative worth. Such impartiality distinguishes true love from that tender mercy of the wicked, which is real malev. olence and cruelty to all, who oppose their private, personal interest.

3. True love is not only universal and impartial, but disinterested. Mercenary love can never form a virtuous character. This Cicero demonstrates in his treatise concerning moral ends. This all dramatic writers acknowledge, by forming their amiable characters upon the principle of disinterested benevolence, And this God himself maintains in his controversy with Satan about the sincerity of Job. If there be any such thing as virtue, therefore, it must consist in disinterested love. Accordingly the Scripture represents all holy and virtuous affections as disinterested. David says of the citizen of Zion, though “he sweareth to his own hurt, he changeth not.” Paul says of himself, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give

one.

my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Why is charity so superlatively excellent, and so absolutely essential to a virtuous character? The Apostle tells us in the next verse but

It is because "charity seeketh not her own.” Such disinterested love the gospel every where incul. cates, and especially in the precepts following. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him water to drink. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”. According to the plain and obvious meaning of these passages, true love is disinterested, and es. sentially different from every selfish and sinful affection. It only remains to show,

III. That true love is the fulfilling of the law. The spirit of this proposition is, that pure, genuine benevo. lence is the essence and comprehension of all the obedience, which God requires in his word. To establish this great and fundamental doctrine of religion, I would observe,

1. That true benevolence conforms the heart to God. God is love. His whole moral character con. sists in the various exercises and expressions of pure benevolence. Those, therefore, who feel and express a truly benevolent spirit, are conformed to God, the standard of moral perfection. So our Savior taught his disciples. “Ye have heard, that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that

ye may be the children of which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on

your Father

the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” If the moral perfection of man consist in conformity to the moral perfection of God, and the moral perfection of God consist in love; then love must be the fulfilling of the law. Certainly God cannot require man to be more holy or perfect than Himself.

2. It appears from express declarations of Scripture, that love answers the full demand of the law. When a certain man asked our Savior, “Which is the great commandment in the law?” He replied, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." This last clause fixes our Lord's meaning, and leaves no room to doubt, that true love fulfils, not only the first and second, but every other precept of the law. The Apostle James, speaking on the same subject, says, “The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart.”" By this he declares that charity or true love fully answers the spirit and design of the law. And he conveys the same sentiment by a different mode of expression. "If ye fulfil the royal law according to Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” The Apostle Paul, having exhorted believers to exercise a variety of holy affections, concludes: by saying, “Above all these things put on char. ity which is the bond of perfectness.” By this he in