All the irafcible paffions are, in their excess, diabolical. They are the fruitful fources of mifery. They would unparadife the garden of Eden, and turn the chearful light of Heaven into gloomy darknefs, like the fhadow in the valley of death. There is in the world much natural evil; there are pains, and diseases enough, to wean the heart from the immoderate love of it; but none of them are productive of wretchedness fo great and difficult of cure as the malignant paflions of pride, envy, and revenge. Thefe eftrange man from man, and convert the haunts of human creatures into dens of foxes and wolves. Cheats, calumniators, robbers, murderers, in all their variety and degrees of flagitioufnefs, are characters naturally flowing from hearts unfoftened, unenlightened, unhallowed by the Spirit of Grace.

But behold the Chriftian. Gentleness and fweetnefs beam from his eyes, and illumine his countenance with a mild luftre. Good humour predominates in all his demeanour. He has no concealed rage rankling in his bofom; he has no finifter and selfish views, under a studied openness of countenance. He converfes with a generous franknefs. His bofom is tranfparent. You are perfectly safe with him. He will serve you, if poffible, as well as please you; but he will never injure you purposely, or give you the smallest pain. He feels complacency in all the good he fees around him, and delights in augmenting it. His treasure is within him. His intereft is in Heaven. His ambition is for objects above the world; fo that nothing in it is of value enough, in his eftimation, to tempt him to refign the tranquillity of innocence, to renounce the pleasures of a friendly and benevolent difpofition. He has all the ingenuous fimplicity of the infantine age, and

you

you delight in him, as in the harmless babe, who fports around you, and expreffes his pains and pleasures according to the dictates of uncorrupted

nature *.

Such is man, when his natural afperities are fmoothed, and his inborn bitterness sweetened by the benign operation of celestial influence. Compared with the mere natural man, he is an angel. Is it not defirable thus to raise human nature, and thus to improve fociety; thus to render the earthly existence almost an anticipation of what our imperfect imaginations picture of the heavenly? Heathen philofophy cannot effect it. Heathen philofophy is confined to a few, in comparison with the myriads that compofe the great mafs of human beings; who weary themselves in pursuit of happiness on this terraqueous globe. The experiment has been tried by the philosophers of all ages, and failed. But religion can effect it. Yet what religion? A religion founded on hiftorical faith, and heathen morality? No; it must be a vital religion-a divine influence on the heart, which is plainly promised and announced in the glad tidings of the gofpel. This is the true euangelion, or GOOD NEWS †, to the human race. It is authen

GOODNESS is, in scripture, a characteristic quality of the third Perfon of the Trinity.-POWER, WISDOM, GOODNESS, thefe conftitute a glorious Trinity, whether called a Platonic or a Chriftian Trinity. Can there be harm in adoring power in God the Father, wisdom in God the Son, goodness in God the Holy Ghoft; power, wifdom, and good nefs combined in the Tri-une Deity, equally the objects of love and reverence to man, whether acting conjunctly or feparately in his creation, his redemption, or his fanctification.

What NEws was it to mankind to tell them what Pythagoras, Socrates, Epictetus, Cicero, and many others, had told them be. fore-the expediency of moral virtue, juftice, temperance, fortitude, all which are often moft conducive to worldly profperity. The glad tidings were the announcing the comfort and affiftance of the Holy

Ghoft,

authenticated by the written gospel, and there is a witness within us which renders it unquestionable. Happy they who have obeyed the voice which commands, faying, “My son, give me thy HEART *!" When the heart is devoted to Christ, the understanding will make no resistance to his doctrines, but humbly acknowledge the most inexplicable myfteries to be above, yet not contrary to, reafon +.

SECTION XLVII.

On the fuperior Morality of the Christian Philosophy.

THE HE operation of divine grace being no other than the melioration of our hearts, the purifying of the very fountain of our actions, it must of neceffity lead to the practice of virtue, or, in the language of fcripture, to GOOD WORKS. It is a grofs calumny to fay that the true doctrine of

Ghoft, redemption, pardon, peace, and the resurrection. This was an euangelion or acceptable meffage brought from heaven by him who had the SPIRIT WITHOUT MEASURE (1). Except your right. eoufnefs exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye shall in NO CASE enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Matth. v. 20. But the righteousness (or morality) of the heathens was that of the Scribes and Pharifees. It was the righteousness of the law, not of the gofpel.

* Proverbs, xxiii. 26.

+ "This man best understands the secret and undiscernable œco. "nomy; he FEELS this unintelligible mystery, and fees with his "HEART what his tongue can never exprefs, and his metaphyfics can ❝ never prove." Bishop TAYLOR.

(1) John, iii. 34.

grace

grace is unfavourable to morality. It inevitably produces every thing that is lovely and useful in focial intercourfe. The Holy Spirit's refidence in the heart is inconfiftent with vice and malevolence. It requires, indifpenfably, both perfonal purity and focial love: and they who endeavour to obtain it, muft begin and perfevere in the practice of every moral virtue.

The love of God and of mankind are the two main fprings which actuate every Christian, who is regenerated by grace.

The love of God was not enforced by heathen philofophy. The love of man was indeed frequently, though feebly, recommended; but at the fame time, many difpofitions of mind were held honourable, and worthy of cultivation, which are often inconfiftent with the love of man. Such are valour in offenfive war, revenge, love of glory, and of conquest.

The love of God must have the most favourable influence on moral conduct; for no obedience is fo perfect as that which arifes from affection. It is the alert, cordial, fincere obedience of a dutiful child to a tender parent. It anticipates his will, and is defirous, in its honeft zeal to pleafe, of going even beyond the line prescribed by parental authority.

And what is the love of God, but the love of goodness, purity, rectitude? Love not only admires, but endeavours to imitate, the object of its affection. The love of God, therefore, produces

There is, indeed," fays Dr. Owen, "a great plea (or out 16 cry among the opponents of our doctrine) for MORAL VIRTUE. "I wish it were more out of love to virtue itself, than out of a defign "to caft contempt on the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, as it is "delivered by the faithful difpenfers of it."

a con

a conduct as godlike as the condition of infirm humanity can admit. Hence St. John fays, very ftrongly and truly, "This is the LOVE of GOD, "that we keep his commandments *. It is a natural and unavoidable confequence of loving the supreme perfection, that we imitate the qualities in which it confifts-purity, juftice, mercy, every thing that we can conceive of perfect goodness and beauty. Such is the firft hinge of Chriftian morality.

And the fecond resembles it, in its benign effects on human nature, and the state of fociety.

It is the love of our fellow-creatures; not merely FRIENDSHIP, which is often founded only on petty intereft and mutual amusement; but univerfal philanthropy, extending even to enemies. Every man under the operation of this liberal affection, is confidered and cherished as a FRIEND and neighbour. We are taught by it to love others as ourfelves, and to do to them as we wish they should do to us.

This extenfive law of love is peculiar to our law-giver, the bleffed Jefus. He calls it a new commandment. He makes it the diftinguishing characteristic of the gofpel. He propofes his own example, to enforce obedience to it. "This is "my commandment," fays he, " that ye love one "another as I have loved you +."

But neither the love of God nor the love of man will exist in our hearts, in a due degree of ardour or fincerity, without the divine influence ‡.

1 John, v. 3.

+ John, xv. 12.

"There is nothing that fo fanctifies the heart, that keeps us in "fuch habitual love, prayer, and delight in God; nothing that fo "kills all the roots of evil in our nature; that fo renews and perfects "all our virtues; that fills us with fo much love, goodness, and "good wishes to every creature, as this faith, that God is always "prefent in us, with his light and Holy Spirit."

LAW.

The