XVI.

the Error of their Ways, fo much recommended, CHA P. but for the fake of that increase of Happiness it brings to Society, and to the Converter?

IN doing good to others, the Example of God and Christ are propofed, and likewife the laying up a good Foundation against the Time to come, and reaping plentifully, that the Chriftian' may be moved by one, or both of them, as he is difpofed. Some Virtues and Duties are propos'd and press'd, fometimes upon a Temporal Advantage, at other times upon an Eternal. And fo the Scripture becomes all Things to all Men, that it may gain fome by all, as they are difpos'd to be gain'd by any, Means,

WHY are we bid to love God with all our Heart, with all our Soul, &c. but because that. Love, as it adds nothing to God (did it add any Thing we fhould be fuperior to him) re-acts upon ourselves, by an Expanfion of ourselves towards him in an Unity of Will; and, raifing the Love of our own Happiness in him, throws off the falfe, and fixes the true Love of ourfelves and our own Good, where it ought to be. That Love does not caft out the Love of ourfelves, but encourages it as its Foundation; when it is perfect, it cafteth out Fear; and fo increases the Love more and more: And as we know it confults our Intereft, we refign ourfelves to him in a great Measure, without fo much as thinking of that, in Confidence of his taking care of it.

BUT, when we have erred and ftrayed very much from him, nothing but a State of Danger,

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ΟΙ

CHAP. or the Confideration of the neglected Motives XVI. of Rewards and Punishments, which lay hold

of the strongest Principle within us, SELFPRESERVATION, can recover us: The general Excellency of Virtue, and the Turpitude of Vice are weak and incompetent Topicks in fuch a Cafe; but when the Eye of the Mind is open'd by Confideration, to see the several Ends they lead to; then the Excellency of the one, and Turpitude of the other, is fenfibly and compleatly perceiv'd.

1 FOR what is the Excellency of Virtue; it must be excellent for fomething, and what is that, but as it is the beft Accommodation and indif penfable Provifion for our Happiness in both Worlds? And what is the Turpitude of the other, but as it deceives and betrays us into Mifery in both? And what is Folly but the Senfe of a wrong Choice, and falfe Purfuit, for which we hate and loath ourselves into Repentance, and true Love of ourselves; for being fo unwife as to love every Thing, and every Perfon better than felf; for being fo very thoughtlefs as to endeavour to monopolize Vice, by railing according to the common Mode, at the Practice of that in other People, which they pamper and indulge in themselves. What is Repentance but a Retractation of a wrong Choice of Happiness exchanged for a better? And what is Wisdom but the Sense of the Neceffity of practifing Virtue, and actually fetting about it? Then we underftand the Meaning of the Word ought to Fear, and serve God; when our Happiness, or Mifery depend upon our Care, or Neglect in doing it. For the Fear of the Lord is all Wisdom, and in all Wifdom is the performance of the Law,

and

and the knowledge of his Omnipotency, Eccluf. CHA P., xix. 20.

ALL the Paffions are fubfervient to the determin'd Choice of the Will; being every one of them so many Modifications and Efforts of itself towards its Object, or its Good or Happinefs (be it chofe right and wifely, or wrong and foolishly) whether in the concupifcible, or irafcible Kind. The Greeks rightly name it rò eyeμονικὸν οἱ τὸ αὐτεξέσιον. For it governs all the Powers of the Agent with an Imperial Authority; they wait accordingly at its Levee and receive Orders, and change their Objects, as the other changes its Object, or its Notion of Happinefs. The Election of the Will having fix'd its Object as its Good or Happiness, the Adhesion of that Faculty to that Object is its Love, and the Avoidance of the contrary Evil its Aversion or Hatred: And as that Adhesion of Will or Love of the Object is a King of our own chufing, no wonder we are fo willing to obey its Laws. If the Good or Evil is prefent, Love and Hatred is modified into Complacency_or Joy, or Grief and Anger: If future, into Defire and Hope, or Fear and Caution. So that the Perfon who loves any of the Things of this World fupremely, has a different Happiness and a wrong Object of all his Paffions, in respect to him who fupremely loves God and Goodness; which verifies that Maxim, If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. In the State of Innocence the Paflions were subject to the Understanding or difcerning Faculty of the Soul, but, upon Tranfgreffion and wrong Choice, went over to the Government of the Will or chufing Faculty of the Mind, and unG 4

der

XVI.

CHAP. der that Obedience have continued ever fince. XVI. Nor is there any poffible Way of governing them

9, 10.

to any Effect, or fetting them to tolerable Rights, but by rectifying the Election of the other. For this reafon Love is directed to abound more and more in Knowledge, and in all Judgment, that we may approve things that are excellent, that we may be fincere and without offence, Phil. i. When the right End is pitch'd upon, the Leader Love, and under that all the reft, fall into Order, and Subordination; and then all the Commandments refpecting God, or our Neighbour, are perceivably fummn'd up and practifed in the Love of each of them; whilft the true Love of Self is the Foundation of them both.

As Love is the fupreme governing Paffion, nothing is, or ought to be its chief, most preferr'd, conftantly adhered to Object, but what is its fupreme End, viz. God, and Happiness in his Favour; and if Charity, for the greater Enjoyment of our Neighbour, is the End of the Commandments refpecting him, we perceive the Reafon why Religion is fumm'd up in the Love of God, and our Neighbour. And if all true Religion of the End refpecting them confifts in the Love of them, how devious and abfurd is that modern Pretence to true Religion, which erects its Syftem upon dry Rationality; pure Understanding, and gazing Admiration?

If the End God has propofed to our Action is the true End of our Action, and is the first Principle of a religious Conversation; and all moral Actions are denominated from their End and Intention, more than their Effects and

Events;

XVI.

Events; it is an allow'd Maxim, that whatever C H A P is the first Principle in conftituting a Thing, ought often to be recurr'd to, to keep it from deviating. Habits, being an Aggregate of many fingle Acts, are of the very felf-fame moral Species with the particular Acts which compound them. And when the Love of Virtue is put to the Test, what it is that in reality ftill feeds and fupplies that Love, our Author is forc'd to own the Truth against his Confcience, and the whole Defign of his Book. "'Tis certain, fays he, on the other Side, that the Principle of Fear

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of future Punishment, and Hope of future Re"ward, how mercenary and fervile foever it may be accounted, is yet in many Circum"ftances a great Advantage, Security, and Support to Virtue *"

66

WAS Socrates's Love of Virtue mercenary and fervile, who is the best Deift upon Record, excepting Job. When the genuine Nature of the Love of Virtue is called in Question in Speculation, whether the Love of it is, for its own fake, or for the fake of Benefit and future Reward; is there any poffible Way of deciding it better, than recurring to a Teft; and that Teft a Matter of Fact? And did not both those great Heroes fupport themselves and their Virtue in their greatest Distress, upon the future Prospect of the Favour of God? And as they lived, and loved Virtue upon that untraverfible Principle of natural Religion, God is, and is a Rewarder of those that diligently feek him, in the Defire, and Sense of the want of Revelation, so they died in the Love of Virtue upon the fame Principle.

Chara. Vol. II. pag. 60..

FOR