terested? Is it possible for a man to love God with all his heart, or more than he loves himself, and to love each one of his neighbours as himself, who is not under the influence of disinterested affection? Who but the impartial character loves his enemies, and treats all men according to the spirit of the golden rule? For this rule, as all can testify who adopt it, and choose to be measured by it, is, to exchange places with our neighbour, and to love, without partiality. But,

2. That holiness is disinterested affection, is evident from the example of Christ. For, he fulfilled his mission and displayed his holi ness, not in seeking his own; but in seeking the glory of the Father. Accordingly when the Apostle disapproves selfish affections, and approves disinterested ones, by saying, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others :" He adds, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."*

3. That holiness consists in disinterested love is evident from the nature of charity; for she seeketh not her own; and fulfils the law. Holiness and disinterested love are then the same: For holiness fulfils the law

* Phillipians, ii.

4. That holiness and disinterested love are the same is evident from the general testimony of conscience. All men, except those who are destitute of conscience, feel themselves obliged to prefer the interest of thousands before the interest of an individual. Hence men of genius who avowedly discard the doctrine of disinterested benevolence; yet at the bar, in the pulpit, and in deliberative assemblies zealously plead the cause of the public interest. There is nothing more common, than for the enemies of disinterested religion, to espouse her cause without knowing it, in the very style of her real advocates. And it is to the everlasting honour of disinterested religion, that no man can speak or write with pertinency on any moral subject without adopting disinterested principles. As far as any sermon, plea or address, savours of good sense or solid argument, the speaker is indebted to the principles of disinterested religion. And, hence even all the ingenious writers of novels and romances have enriched their publications, and commanded the attention of mankind, by making their heroes the most disinterested and impartial characters. For common sense disapproves that character who is selfish or interested, and approves him only who is disinterested and impartial.

It is evident that self-love is the sum of iniquity, from Paul's reasoning in the 13th of Romans. For, upon saying, "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law," he adds, "For this, thou shalt not commit adultery,

thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not cov◄ et. And, if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Thus the Apostle reasons: And it is evident that when he says, For this, thou shalt not covet, steal, nor kill, he means that it is wrong to steal, kill and covet, because we are required to love our neighbour as ourselves. If therefore all the commandments are comprehended in this, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" and, if killing and stealing are forbidden because they are hostile to disinterested love, it is evident that self-love is the sum of wickedness. For, disinterested love, which is the fulfilment of the law has no opposite but self-love. By knowing what is required we know what is forbidden.

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That self-love is the sum or essence of sin, is evident from fact and experience. Selflove constituted the sin of Adam. For, to exalt himself, he ate the forbidden fruit. This constituted Cain's crimson guilt. For he hated his brother because God loved him and accepted his offering. This was the cruel monster that tore Joseph from the embraces of his tender parents and sold him to strangers. This was the spirit which refused to let Israel depart from iron bondage. This constituted the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. This stained the character of David. This was the sin of

Saul. This impelled Judas to betray his Lord, and Peter to deny him. Was not this the spirit of the Jews when they presented Christ a royal diadem, when they crowned him with thorns, and when they wickedly nailed him to the cross? in a word, self-love is the essence or root of every sin: and, it is not possible to violate the divine commands by any other spirit. For, men sin, only for the sake of private advantage. Sin always presents itself as a good, and promises a generous reward. In short, men never sin except when they seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ. For, sin is a wrong choice: and between choosing our own and the things of Christ there is no medium of a moral kind.

These are our arguments to prove that selflove is the essence of iniquity. And if sin consists in a wrong choice; if selfishness and benevolence are not of the same nature; and if men are not the subjects of those volitions which neither terminate upon public interest nor private interest; these arguments must stand. For sin being a wrong choice, it must consist in self-love. For disinterested love is holiness, and between self-love and disinterested love there is no medium of a moral nature. But the reader will judge for himself.

SECTION III.

Total Depravity Proved.

1. That man is totally depraved is evident, from these texts of scripture, which plainly assert, that his heart and all his moral exercises

are wholly sinful. Gen. vi. 5. " And God saw that the wickedness of man was great, in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." This is the character of all unrenewed men without exception and this text alone fully establishes the doctrine. For, the heart which is evil and nothing but evil continually, is totally evil. Is it possible for language to establish any truth more fully than this text proves the doctrine under consideration? Satan, all grant, is totally depraved. But, is there a text in the Bible which more incontestibly establishes his entire depravity than this proves the total depravity of man? Are not the angels of light perfectly holy? But, what scripture proves the perfection of angels if this text does not prove the total depravity of human nature? For, is not that character perfectly holy every exercise of whose heart is holy, and only holy and holy continually? And, is not that character totally sinful every exercise of whose heart, is evil and nothing but evil continually? But, yet, Mr. T. explains the text very differently. For, he says, "1. It is immediately spoken of the abandoned sinners of the antediluvian world-It cannot then be just to apply what is said of the most profligate as a literal description of all." But, this construction can never obtain. For, the text does not teach us, that God saw that the wickedness of the most profligate was great in distinction from others but, it says expressly, God saw that the wickedness of man was great. The

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