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should originate from a mere want of holiness, as to conceive, that holiness should originate from the mere want of sin. This leads us to suppose, that both sin and holiness have a positive'existence, and a diametrically opposite nature. And since all the holiness which the law requires, consists in positive benevolence, it naturally follows that all the sin, which the law condemns, consists in positive selfishness. These two kinds of love do actually exist and oppose each other. Interested love opposes disinterested; partial love opposes impartial; the love of a detached individual opposes the love of being in general. Selfishness disposes any person to seek his own private, separate interest, in opposition to the glory of God and the good of the universe. The law, which requires positive benevolence, must necessarily condemn such positive selfishness, and nothing else. Accordingly we find, that nothing but selfishness and its various modifications are condemned in the Bible. The Apostle tells us, that "sin is a transgression of the law," and not a mere want of conformity to it. Positive selfishness, and nothing else, is the transgression of the law of pure, disinterested benevolence.

2. If love is the fulfilling of the law, then a good heart consists in love. A good heart is certainly required. God says, "My son, give me thine heart." And he says to sinners in general, "Make you a new heart, and a new spirit." He also reprobates the best services of those, who are destitute of a good heart. "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Solomon represents the heart as forming the moral character of every person. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." It is, indeed, the general representation of Scripture, that a good heart consti

tutes a good man. Now, if this be true, a good heart must consist in love; for love is the fulfilling of the law. Hence, when God requires a good heart, he requires love, and when he requires love, he requires a good heart. And though it is said in the text, that love is the fulfilling of the law; yet it may be as truly said, that a good heart is the fulfilling of the law.

It is the dictate of common sense, that a good heart consists in love. For only separate love from a good heart, and there will be no good heart left. If a good' heart were distinct from love, then we could form a clear idea of it distinct from love. But whenever we think of a good heart, either in ourselves or in others, we think of kind, tender, benevolent feelings, or the exercises of pure, divine love. And it is out of our power to conceive of a good heart, which is not wholly composed of good affections, or the genuine feelings of true benevolence.

If we now attend to the fruits of a good heart, we shall find them to be the same as the fruits of love. A good heart will produce spiritual and divine knowledge. Speaking of his peculiar people, God says. “I will give them an heart to know me." The Apostle ascribes the same effect to love. "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." The Scrip ture also represents a good heart as the source of all moral goodness. "A good man, says our Lord, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things." But if love be the fulfilling of the law, then love is equally the source of all moral goodness. According to Scripture, as well as the com mon sense of mankind, the love and the good heart, which God requires, are one and the same thing, and produce the same effects. Does a good heart

form the whole moral character? So does love.

Does a good heart comprise all that the law requires? So does love. Does a good heart produce every holy affection and virtuous action? So does love. There is not a single quality in a good heart, which cannot be found in love. Nor can a good heart be described, without describing that very love, which is the fulfilling of the law. Whoever, therefore, attempts to distinguish true love from a good heart, or a good heart from true love, undertakes a task, which the Scripture will never enable him to perform.

3. If true love be the good heart, which God requires; then false love or selfishness is the bad heart, which God condemns. A bad heart is directly opposite to a good heart. And if a good heart consists in benevolence, a bad heart must consist in selfishness. This conclusion is supported by the description, which the sacred writers give of a bad heart. They represent it as productive of moral blindness. The Apostle says of sinners, "Their understanding is darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of the heart." And again he says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God." These representations agree with the declaration of Christ. "If thine eye, that is thine heart be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness." Now, it is found by universal experience, that selfishness has the same tendency to blind the mind with respect to God and duty. We never pretend to confide in our own judgment, nor in that of others, when we believe, that either they or we are under the influence of selfish feelings. In this respect, selfishness and a bad heart are exactly alike.

And so they are in another respect. A bad heart is the source of all evil affections and actions. This our

Savior expressly asserts. "An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphe mies." Such are the natural fruits of an evil heart: and such, the Apostle tells us, are the fruits of self love. "In the last days, says he, perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their ownselves." This is selfishness, which, he proceeds to say, shall make men "covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedi ent to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." According to these descriptions of self-love and a bad heart, it appears, that they are one and the same thing. Selfishness is all the evil heart, that we ever find described in Scripture, that we ever see acted out, or that we ever feel in our own breasts. We must conclude, therefore, that a bad heart wholly consists in selfishness, which is inimical to God and man, and which is productive of all moral evil.

4. It appears from what has been said in this discourse, that many entertain very wrong ideas upon the subject we have been considering.

Some suppose, that a good heart essentially consists in a good principle, taste, or relish, which is totally independent of the will. They imagine, that Adam was created with such a good principle, taste, or relish; which was the source of all his holy exercises and actions, before the fall. And upon this ground they suppose that regeneration consists in implanting a new principle, taste, or relish in the mind, which is the source of all the holy exercises of the subject of grace. But this sentiment is totally repugnant to the law of

love. This law requires no such principle of holiness, but holiness itself. This law requires nothing which is pervious to love, but love itself. This law requires no dormant, inactive, torpid disposition, inclination, or taste, but the free, voluntary exercise of true benevolence.

Some suppose, that a bad heart consists in a bad principle, disposition, or inclination; which is entirely distinct from sinful, voluntary exercises. They represent a corrupt nature or depraved heart, as the source of all sinful affections and passions. And they maintain, that this corrupt nature is conveyed from Adam to all his posterity, who, they suppose, are morally depraved, before they have one sinful exercise, volition, or affection. But it appears from what has been said in this discourse, that all sinfulness consists in the various exercises and modifications of self-love. The divine law condemns these exercises and nothing else. And our consciences concur with the sentence of the law, and condemn us for sir.ful exercises only. Hence we intuitively know, that we never did derive a morally corrupt nature, or a morally corrupt principle, or a morally corrupt heart, from Adam. All our sin is personal, and consists in our own free and voluntary exercises.

Some suppose, that sinners are under no obligation to exercise that love, which the law requires, until they have a new principle,, disposition, or inclination implanted in their minds, by the regenerating influences of the divine Spirit. But if there can be no such thing as an holy principle, disposition, or inclination, which is distinct from true love, or the exercise of real benevolence; then they may be obliged to have that love, which the law requires, before they are regenerated as well as afterwards. Their obligation to love

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