dazzled by its intense folicitation of this SER M. growing Whole, hath frequent need, at its III. feveral ftages, to catch at and to rest in tial objects. par Hence the origine of FRIENDSHIP, the folace and fplendor of private life; which « Private Friendship, and Zeal for the Public and our Country are virtues purely voluntary in a Chri"ftian. They are no effential parts of his CHARITY. "He is not so tied to the affairs of this life; nor is "he obliged to enter into fuch engagements with this "lower world, as are of no help to him in acquiring "a better." Characteristics, 4th Ed. vol. i. p. 98, 99. The Philofophy of this remark is like the candor. For if (as we shall now fee) no one can acquire the love of God without having love or benevolence to man; fo neither can this benevo lence, (which certainly is not a virtue purely voluntary in a Christian) be acquired, without having had private Friendship and zeal for the Public and our Country. The reafon is the fame in both cafes: the road to the more general ftages of benevolence lying, all the way, thro' the more particular. Engagements, therefore, with this lower world, (to use the language of the noble Writer) are (contrary to his conclufion) of great help to us in acquiring a better. --- But when Chriftian Charity had been reprefented as not springing from Virtue, it was no fuch bold abufe of the public indulgence to endeavour to perfuade us, that the Chriftian Faith is not founded in Argument. SERM. While we are advancing towards that only III. adequate object of human attachment, a Whole, teacheth us by the way, all our journalary duties to Particulars. Having thus endeavoured to explain how all the virtues of humanity arife, and have their fource, from the gradual expanfion of the great principle of Benevolence: we come, in the next place, to confider, how,. in its further advances to perfection, RELIGION itself emergeth from it. In all the objects of love and benevolence, the attractive quality is GOOD. And this connexion being made by the nature and conftitution of things, the greater the apparent good, the stronger must the pasfion grow. Now when the whole human race is confidered by us as the object of our love; The fteps by which we are led to this high advance in benevolence, fuch as Man's origine, his common nature, and the dependence of the happinefs of the individual on the fpecies, carry us naturally higher; to feek the firft caufe of fo orderly and well regulated an effect. An inquiry, which terminates in the Author of this, and of all other good: Whom, Whom, as fuch, we are forcibly drawn to SER M.: pursue, and to aspire after; and in the con- III. templation of whofe nature and attributes we find at laft the SUPREME AND SOVEREIGN GOOD: from whence, as we fay, all other good arifeth, and in which they are all contained. HE, therefore, challengeth our fupreme and fovereign love; which never ceaseth to advance and enlarge itself, till it end in an UNION with him. And thus the laft great effort of benevolence produceth what we call, RELIGION; whofe end all agree to be HAP PINESS. This is the true account of the rife and progrefs of UNIVERSAL LOVE: which, as it regards man, our holy faith calls CHARITY; as it regards God, PIETY. But there were in the apoftolic times, and will be in all times, a fort of men. who are for catching at the rewards of faith without undergoing this long, but pleafing labour of love; and whofe frantic aim is to make a facrilegious divorce be→ tween Charity and Piety. These men affume to themselves great merit in loving God, while they treat their Brother with G 2 con SER M. contempt and cruelty. But what says the 111. Apoftle, in my text? Provoked at their hypocrify, he ftrips off the mask, and brands them with the odious name of LIARS: a name, in Scripture language, of the moft opprobrious import; as given to Impoftors of all kinds; and implying in it every thing corrupt both in moral and religious practise. If a man (fays St. John) Say, I love God, and hateth his Brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath feen, how can be love God whom he hath not feen. The force and beauty of which reasoning the foregoing account, of the rise and progress of Benevolence, will enable us to underftand. "You pretend, says the Apostle, to love God, tho' you bate your Brother. Vain and fallacious! The love of every object begins, like all our other paffions, from selflove: Thus we love ourselves, by reprefentation, in our Parents, and in our Offfpring it extends to our remoter relatives; and fo on, thro' the whole vicinage, to every fellow-member of the Community. And now, felf-love refined by reason, and fub fublimed by virtue, begins to lofe its na- SER M. ture, and deservedly to take another name. Our Country next claims our love: we great Au This is the course and progress of HUMAN LOVE; gradually rifing from the individual to the whole: as unlike, in its progrefs as in its purity, to the DIVINE BENEVOLENCE; which, in gracious aid of its Creatures, takes a different course: for, fpringing from the Whole, it spreads and expands itself thro' every moral fystem, till it clafps and embraces the Individual. III. And now (pursues the Apoftle) I reafon thus, Can you, mistaken man! who are not yet arrived at that inferior ftage of benevolence, the love of your Brother, whom you have feen, that is, whom the fenfe of mutual wants, and the experience of mutual relief, amongst the joint partakers of one common nature, might teach you to love, can you pretend to have attained the top and fummit of this virtue, the love of |