fent prevailing tendency of our own difpofitions, and make it point directly and immediately at our own happiness; others found it upon our connexions with our fellow-creatures in this ftate, and make it confist in benevolence of heart, and beneficence in action; others again, who approach nearer the truth, but without precifion, file it an acting towards every object, according to reafon and the nature of things. Upon any of these schemes, the connexion, or rather coincidence, above-alledged, 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 diftance 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 ftrength, "and with all thy mind." So, upon a fair and just 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, must 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 Na ture. For fuppofing (what will scarcely be denied) that God may be at all the object of our efteem and love, it is plain, that we ought to have the higheft efteem for the highest excellence, a supreme love for what is infinitely amiable; and if our affections do in any measure prefer what is lefs to what is more worthy, they muft be, in that proportion, wrong and mifplaced. As to fome of the phrafes (for they are no more) which come into repute together, or in fucceffion one after another, to exprefs the rife and foundation of virtue, fuch as a fenfe of beauty, of harmony, of order and proportion: this is no explication of the matter at all; it is only transferring the language used with respect to senfible objects, to ethics or morality, in which it must be understood figuratively. That there is fome analogy between thofe fubjects and morality, may be eafily confeffed; but there are few different fubjects in nature, between which as ftrong, or a stronger, analogy may not be traced. For example, how eafy would it be to reduce all notions of morality, nay, indeed all notions of beauty in painting, or harmony in music, to truth and reality, in oppofition to falfhood? Wollafton's Religion of Nature Delineated is an example of this, in which he refolves the morality, or immorality, of every action, into the truth or falfhood of a propofition. And, whoever whoever reads the book will, I dare say, be fenfible, that it is juft as natural and proper, as a certain noble author's raphfodies upon beauty and harmony. In fhort, it were eafy to fhew, that none of the accounts given of the nature of virtue, have any meaning, truth or force in them, but fo far as they are founded upon, or coincident with, that which I have above given from the word of God *. Thus *There is one late writer, David Hume, Efq; who, it must be confeffed, hath excelled all that went before him in an extraordinary account of the nature of virtue. I have taken no notice above of his principles, if they may be called fo, becaufe I think both him and them worthy of the highest contempt; and would have difdained to have made mention of his name but that it affords me an opportunity of expreffing my fenfe of the wrong measures taken by many worthy and able men, who, in fermons and other difcourfes, give grave and ferious anfwers to his writings. As to himself, that man must be beyond the reach of conviction by reafoning, who is capable of fuch an infult upon reason itself, and human nature, as to rank all natural advantages, mental and corporeal, among the virtues, and their contraries among the vices. Thus he hath exprefsly named wit, genius, health, cleanlinefs, taper legs, and broad shoulders among his virtues; diseases he alfo makes vices; and confiftently enough, indeed, takes notice of the infectious nature of fome difeafes, which, I fuppofe, he reckons an aggravation of the crime. And, as to mankind in general,. if they were at that pafs as to need a refutation of fuch nonfenfe, as well as impiety, it would be in vain to reafon with them at all. If I were to contrive an answer to this writer, it would be a visible, inftead of a legible anfwer: it would be to employ a painter to make a portrait of him from the life to encompass him with a few hieroglyphics, which it would not be difficult to devife; to infcribe upon his breaft thefe words, HEALTH, CLEANLINESS, and BROAD SHOULDERS; and put the following fentence in his mouth, which he hath adopted from a French author, "FEMALE INFIDELITY: "when D 5 Thus I have fhown, that thofe who believe the doctrine of imputed righteousness must be most holy in their lives; that the obligations to obedience are not weakened, but ftrengthened and confirmed by it. This any impartial perfon may be convinced of, who will reflect, that it is hardly poffible to conceive an obligation to duty, of any kind, which may not be reduced to one or other of thofe above-named: and, if I am not miftaken, none of them can operate fo ftrongly upon any other fcheme, as that which is here efpoufed, and which is fo evidently founded on the Scriptures of truth. There is, however, one general confideration, which it would be wrong to omit, in fhewing the friendly influence of this doctrine upon holinefs of life, although it doth not fo properly fall under the notion of a direct obligation; that is, the great encouragement given in it to the study. of purity and holiness by the profpect of fuccefs. Despair of fuccefs cuts the finews of diligence when it is known is a fmall matter, and when it is not "known, is nothing." This would be very proper when ap plied to his writings, who, as well as his friend and coadjutor without a name, makes our most important reafonings upon "many fubjects to reft ultimately upon fenfe and feeling." It. is probable fome over delicate perfons will think this is not treating him with fufficient decency; but till there be a plan agreed upon, of the measures of decency due from infidels to Chriftians, and from Chriftians to infidels, whether he does not deferve far worse treatment from any who believes the gofpel, I leave to the judgment of those who will read his writings. in every enterprize. And particularly upon the fubject of religion, nothing more effectually enervates our refolutions, and leads to a fullen, defpondent neglect of duty, than an opinion that we fhall not fucceed in attempting it, or fhall not be accepted in our endeavours. after it, or our imperfect attainments in it. But the doctrine of juftification by the free grace of God, "through "the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus," gives the greatest encouragement to all who will return to their duty. This encouragement naturally divides itself into two branches; ift, The fure hope of acceptance through Chrift. 2dly, The powerful and effectual aid provided for them in the Holy Spirit, which he hath purchased, and beflows for their fanctification. ift, The fure hope of acceptance through Christ Jesus. Although fin hath greatly blinded the minds of men, there is ftill fo much of " the "work of the law written in their hearts," as must make them fenfible that in many things they offend, and must give them ground of folicitude and, fear, while they expect to be justified by their own merits. Accordingly we find, that except the groffeft and boldest infidels, of which fort this age has furnished fome examples *, all claffes * Vide Effays on the principles of morality and natural religion, Thefe effays conclude with an addrefs to the Supreme D 6 Being, |