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every thing to this, and therefore will not consent that self should be subordinated to any thing else, or have any rival. Whenever it consents to this it is no longer self-love, but generous, disinterested affection as contrary to selfishness as mercy is to injustice and cruelty. Such a consent and change is, however, impossible, being a contradiction. This affection must be rooted out, or counteracted, and a directly opposite affection must take place in order to a person's subordinating his own personal interest to any other interest whatsoever.

Therefore, if they who speak of self-love so regulated as to be subordinate to a proper regard to others, and to the general good, mean any thing which is consistent and agreeable to the truth, they must intend that regard to ourselves which is not self-love, but real benevolence to the whole, and respects ourselves as part of the whole only. This regard to ourselves, as has been shown, is always, of necessity, subordinate to the good of the whole.

3. Self-love is so far from being enjoined or approved in the command, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," that it is utterly forbidden. Self-love is wholly a partial affection, giving all to ourselves and nothing to our neighbor, and is, therefore, opposed to love to him, especially to loving him as ourselves.

Nothing but universal benevolence can be obedience to this command; and so far as this takes place it is obeyed, and self-love is opposed and mortified. This benevolence, as has been shown, implies a proper regard to ourselves, and an equal regard to our neighbor- having all that impartiality, and love to our neighbor and ourselves, which this law requires. And, by the way, this is a clear evidence that universal benevolence, with the affection implied in it, is that in which all holiness. consists, since no other kind of love is obedience to this command; but he who has this does of necessity love his neighbor as himself.

On the whole, it appears that three different kinds of affec tion have been called self-love. The first is neither sin nor holiness, but is equally implied in both. The two last are directly opposed to each other, the latter being general, disinterested benevolence, extended to ourselves as included in the whole, and is the same holy love which has God and our neighbor for its object. The other is contracted selfishness, by which self only is regarded, and exalted above God and our neighbor and in opposition to the general good, and is, in every degree of it, sinful. This selfishness is properly called self-love, and in this sense the word will be used in the following inquiry:

That universal benevolence is the whole of holiness, an on the other hand, all sin consists in self-love, will more fu appear by the following consideration of each in its exercis and fruits.

Whe

Universal good will comprehends all the love to God, o neighbor, and ourselves, required in the law of God, a therefore must be the whole of holy obedience. Every pio sentiment and affection is comprised in this, and all piety words and practice is but an expression of this love. this love is not, all outward expressions of piety in words a actions are emptiness and hypocrisy. Let any serious pers think what are the particular branches of true piety; let hi view each one by itself; and, when he has discovered t nature and essence of it, he will find that disinterested friend affection is its distinguishing characteristic. For instance, 1 fear and reverence of the divine Majesty be considered in th view. What but love and friendly affection distinguishes th from the fear and dread of devils? All the holiness in pio fear, by which it is distinguished from the fear of the wicke consists in love. Leave all disinterested friendly affection the divine Being out of fear, and all holiness is excluded.

Again: if we consider what is contained in true gratitu to God, we shall find disinterested kind affection the on thing wherein it differs from the affection of the most wick creature. Where there is no good will there is nothing what is called gratitude better than that which the legion devils exercised when they were so far gratified by Christ to be suffered to destroy the herd of swine. But so far good will is exercised, the goodness of God to us and oth will excite holy gratitude, which is nothing else but good w to God and our neighbor, in which we ourselves are includ and correspondent affection excited and acted out in the vi of the good will and kindness of God.

And universal good will implies the whole of that affecti and duty we owe to our neighbor. It all consists in the ercise and expression of this, and those affections that : implied in it. The exercise and practice of righteousness justice towards our neighbor implies a benevolent regard him and his interest. Where this is not there is no exerc and practice of justice in the heart, whatever is the exter conduct; for justice consists in doing to our neighbor as would he should do to us, or, in other words, loving our nei bor as ourselves. And where this benevolent regard to neighbor is there is justice, for this love worketh no ill to neighbor. And as righteousness, truth, and faithfulness implied in universal benevolence, so are temperance and ch

tity, or sobriety, in the proper restraint and government of our own appetites and passions; for it is easy to see that the undue indulgence of these is contrary to benevolence, as tending to hurt others, or ourselves, or both, and so is opposite to the general good and the divine command, in which all the crime of such indulgence consists. In short, there is not any one virtue, or branch of godliness, humanity, or sobriety, not any duty we owe to God, our neighbor, or ourselves, that is not comprehended in universal benevolence, and is not necessarily exercised and practised so far as this affection takes place in the heart. And where there is no defect in the latter, the former are found in their fulness and perfection; for the whole is nothing but benevolence acted out in its proper nature and perfection, or, love to God and our neighbor made perfect in all its genuine exercises and expressions.

On the contrary, all sin consists in self-love and what is implied in this.

Self-love is, in its whole nature and in every degree of it, enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be, and is the only affection that can oppose it. It cannot be reconciled to any of God's conduct, rightly understood, but is, in its very nature, rebellion against it; which is all an expression of that love which is most contrary to selflove. This is, therefore, the fruitful source of every exercise and act of impiety and rebellion against God, and contempt of him, that ever was or can be.

Self-love, exercised and indulged, blinds the heart to every true moral excellence and beauty: this does not suit the taste of the selfish heart, but gives it disgust. Self-love is the foundation and reason of all that blindness to spiritual things — to God, his glorious character, works, and kingdom-which the Scripture represents wicked men to have, and is, therefore, the source of all the errors which men imbibe, as well as all the open idolatry in the heathen world, and false religion under the light of the gospel. All this is agreeable to that self-love which opposes God's true character; and under the influence of this men go off from the truth, and believe, love, and practise a lie, it being itself the greatest practical lie in nature, as it sets up that which is comparatively nothing above universal existence. Self-love is the source of all the profaneness and impiety in the world, and of all pride and ambition among men, which is nothing but selfishness acted out in this particular way. This is at the bottom of all the worldliness and sensuality that men run into, as it blinds their eyes to all true good, contracts their hearts, and sinks them down, so that they look upon worldly enjoyments to be the greatest good,

and that in which their true interest lies. This is the sprin of all the hatred and ill will, strife and contention amo men; for this leads men to hate and oppose all those who they view in the way of their own selfish interest. This is th source of all falsehood, injustice, and oppression under the su in which men are, through their selfishness, seeking, by und methods, to invade the right and property of others. Self-lo produces all the violent passions, envy, wrath, clamor, and ev speaking, of which men are guilty. Take away selfishness, an all these would cease immediately. And if there be any oth sin, any thing which is contrary to the divine law, it is brief comprehended in this fruitful source of all iniquity, self-love. And hence we may see that holy love is wholly a disinte ested affection, and in what sense it is so. Self-love is whol an interested affection, as self is the only object of it. Ho love has no regard to self, as self, but is a regard to t greatest general good and interest, the glory of God in th highest glory of his kingdom, and the greatest good of t creation. So far as a man exercises holy love, he has other interest but this, as all is devoted to this, and given u for the sake of it. And, in this sense, all his love is disinte ested, as it seeks not any self-interest, but the contrary. I who exercises this disinterested love has pleasure indeed, an is pursuing an interest and happiness, though it is not a selfi interest, but that in the pursuit of which he renounces wh self-love seeks.

A judge is said to be interested in a cause he is to deci so far as his own personal interest is concerned in it, and self-love will influence him to take one side rather than t other, which renders him unfit to judge the cause. But if I own personal interest is not concerned in the case, and the be nothing to bias him to one side rather than the other, he said to be disinterested. And though he may be bribed, some way interested in the matter, yet if he is not at all inf enced by this, and decides the cause contrary to the dictat of self-love, he is said to act disinterestedly. In such a ser as this, all holy affection is disinterested.

Such a judge, when he renounces all selfish consideratio and espouses the cause of the widow and fatherless, a delivers them from the hand of oppressors, has an inter . which he seeks, but not an interest which selfishness prom] him to pursue; and the more he interests himself in the cau of the poor, helpless widow, and the greater pleasure he tal in helping her, the more disinterested are his exertions a conduct, and the more is self-love counteracted and mortifi So he, who, in the exercise of holy love, pursues the gl

of God and the highest interest and happiness of his kingdom, which includes the greatest good of his fellow-creatures, pursues the best, the most important interest, and has the most noble, refined pleasure in the exercise of this affection; yet in all this he is wholly disinterested, as he opposes selfishness and all regard to self, which is not implied in being thus devoted to the greatest general good, and forsakes the whole interest which self-love seeks, for the kingdom of God's sake.

SECTION V.

The foregoing Account of Sin and Holiness shown to be agree

able to Reason.

L IT is most reasonable that the common and greatest good of the whole should be sought by every particular member of it; that every one should be so devoted to the good of the whole as to give up the less good of individuals, and consequently his own personal interest, whenever inconsistent herewith. Thus, it is highly reasonable that a particular member of a community should cheerfully give up all his personal interest, his whole estate, and even his life, when this is evidently necessary to save the whole nation from ruin. If a city is on fire, and in order to stop its progress and save the city it is necessary that the house of a particular person should be totally demolished, he should with pleasure give up his house to be destroyed, however magnificent and costly, and though it contains all he has in the world. If in this case a man should hesitate a moment, and be inclined to save his own house to the utter destruction of the whole city, every one would condemn him as acting a most unreasonable, sordid part. But if he is such a friend to the city, and interests himself so much in its welfare as to take more pleasure in saving it, even at the expense of all he has in the world, than a selfish man can have in whatever he possesses, he will be applauded as one of an excellent spirit. And every one must grant he ought to be imitated by all. And it is reasonable that every one of the society should be regarded by the rest, according to his importance and worth, his disposition and ability to promote the greatest good of the whole community.

But

But this is universal, disinterested benevolence. Nothing but this will form men to such exercises and conduct. where this benevolence reigns in every heart, each one will be thus a friend to all. He who has this benevolence, will, by it, be united to the grand community of the universe, including