for thus it is written: "And tho' I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and tho' I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." But it will be asked, whether christians are not happy, in seeking the glory of God and the good of mankind. Yes, they delight in doing it, else they would not be christians: but they delight in this great object, for what it is in itself, and not because they view it as being now accommodated to their own interest. Therefore, if they were to lose their hope of being personally interested in the good of the universe, and yel retain their -disinterested love, they would still seek and desire this great good, and would rejoice in the certainty, that it was secured by the perfect government of Jehovah.*

IV. It is brought in as another objection to disin -terested benevolence; that God himself is not, in this sense, benevolent. "Where," says the author of the Letters, is disinterested benevolence to be found? Not in God, surely. He seeks the manifestation of his own glory, in all his works and ways." p. 274. If this argument has truth in it, the argument must be forcible indeed, for God is most assuredly the great

*This is by no means the supposition of an impossible case. The christian's hope of his own safe state, undergoes many changes. Cases are not very uncommon, where the christian, for a season, gives up the hope of his personal interest in the covenants of promise. He views himself as being, not with Christ, but against him. But still he does not act against him, but for him. He has a tender concern for his precious cause; and it is the fixed purpose of his heart, while he lives, to do what he can to promote it, tho' it is his present expectation, when he dies, to be separated from all good forever. If any one should say, that such a case is impossible, seeing the christian must know, that such feelings of attachment to Christ and his cause, are a clear indication of the sanctification of his heart;

we reply; The christian does by no means always judge correctly of his own feelings, and of his own state. Zion may say, My God hath forgotten me," when it is not so. The Possessing of right feelings, and the believing that we possess such feelings, are two different things. That man, who has seen the deceitfulness of his own heart, is more afraid of being deceived by it, than he who has not been convinced by the Spirit, that the heart is deceitful above, all things, and desperately

wicked.

"Be

standard of moral perfection. His command to us is, "Be ye holy, for I the Lord God am holy," your ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." If that love which we call disinterested, be not the same kind of affection, which the scriptures ascribe, in an infinite degree, to the Supreme Being; if it be not the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost, then it cannot be the love which he requires of us.

But does my antagonist design to intimate, that God is a selfish Being? I am sure he cannot but sec, that God has forbidden us to be selfish beings, and yet has required us to be conformed to himself. Is not selfishness in men, most pointedly condemned in such passages as these? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did ye not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves ?" Zech. vii. 6. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Phil. ii. 21: "For men shall be lovers of their ownselves." 2 Tim. iii. 2: "Let no man seek his own; but every man another's wealth." 1 Cor. x. 24. Now, if God be a selfish Being, the character which is so pointedly condemned in these passages of scripture, must nevertheless be in conformity to his own. Selfishness is the same thing, let it exist where it will; whether in a being of great or small capacity. If the Divine Being were selfish at all, he must be infinitely selfish; and according to this, the greater degree of selfishness any creature should possess, the more would he resemble his Creator. But how evident it is, that the Creator claims such a character, and proposes himself to us as the great pattern of a love which is not selfish. It is written in his holy word; "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation," &c. Phil. ii. 4-8, Here Christ Jesus, as existing in the form of God, that is, in his divine nature, is proposed to us as a pattern of disinterested af fection. In this portion of scripture he is held up to our view as one who did not look on his own things, but also on the things of others. John in his first epis

tle, chap. iv. ver. 8, says, "God is love:" He then adds, "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." The mercy of God to sinners, is here brought into view as a manifestation of his love, and as a striking proof that he is in reality not a selfish, but a most benevolent Being.

But does not the scripture say, "The Lord hath made all things for himself?" This is true, and yet Jehovah is not a selfish, but a disinterestedly benevolent Being. We have already shown, that all love to one's own person, is not of necessity selfish love. In answering the second objection, selfishness was defined to be a supreme regard to one's self, not because this object was of such superlative worth in the intellectual system, but decause it was self. The commandment says, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" and it does also in effect say, Love thyself as thy neighbor.' Those creatures, in whose heart this law is perfectly written, are as unselfish or disinterested in the love which they exercise towards themselves, as in the love they exer cise towards their neighbor. The love, which totally depraved creatures exercise towards themselves, is no part of obedience to the divine law, tho' this law requires some love to be exercised towards themselves, as well as towards their neighbor. When the love which we bear to ourselves, is in conformity to the divine law, it will not lead, or permit us, to make war upon the general interests of society, for the sake of acquiring any supposed honor, or advantage to ourselves. But the self-love of a depraved being, will lead him to sacrifice the greatest quantity of general good, even the whole, to promote what he conceives to be his own happiness.

Benevolent beings have thrown all they are worth into a common stock, and unite together in seeking the greatest general good. * That which they have thrown

This communion of interest is totally different from that which exists among a company of robbers, or avaricious merchants, or selfish patriots, if such patriots are found among In all these cases, there is an appearance of throwing all into a common stock, with a view to promote a common in

into this common stock, they regard in proportion to its worth. All will be able to see, that upon the principles of the most disinterested (or unselfish) love, it will be consistent for the Supreme Being, to exercise some love to himself; for his existence and capacity for happiness are no less valuable, on account of their, being his own. The question will now arise, How much, consistent with the most perfect disinterestedness, may the Deity love and regard himself? The answer is, He may love and regard himself, according to his worthiness to be loved and regarded. And this he must do, or he would not be perfectly benevolent.

Let us again have allusion to the material system, to illustrate our subject. It behoved the little atom to take its place with its kindred atoms on the surface of the earth; but it does not behove the Sun to leave the centre of the system, and take the place of an atom. This would be as contrary to the order and harmony of the system, as for the atom to claim to be the centre. The Sun must maintain its own majestic station, and require atoms and worlds to revolve around it, as their common centre. But how feeble is the illustration. There is some comparison between the quantity of matter in the sun, and in one of its surrounding planets; yea, between the quantity of matter in the sun, and the supposed atom: But who can be compared with God? Behold the nations are but as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. — All nations be

terest: but the truth is, that each man seeks the promotion of this common interest, merely for the sake of his own private interest which is connected with it. Private interest is all, which, in these cases, gives any value to public interest. But fellowship among benevolent beings is built on an entirely dif ferent foundation. Their common interest is not an arbitrary matter; or the result of nice calculations of the gains which will probably arise from the partnership:- No, their com

mon interest is dear to them all, considered as a common interest ;-their fellowship is a union of kindred souls, who are made blessed by doing, as well as by receiving good. In this benevolent community, (which resembles the natural body,) when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; and when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. See 1 Cor. chap. xii.

fore him are as nothing, and vanity. Between all finites there is some comparison: but between all finites in an aggregate, and infinity, there is no comparison. God may therefore love himself supremely, even more than the whole intelligent creation when taken together, and yet have no selfish affection at all. Nay, the most impartial, and disinterested affection requires him to regard himself, more than all intelligent existence besides. Such supreme love he claims from us. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength : this is the first commandment." He claims from us more love than we are to exercise to any creature, and even to all creatures, ourselves included. This is made

evident by comparing this command,with what the Saviour declares indispensably requisite, to becoming his disciple; even to hate (in a comparative sense,) father and mother, wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and our own life also.

If this command, which requires us to love God more than all creatures in mass, is founded in the nature and fitness of things, it is as suitable that it should regulate his affections, as ours. It would not be consistent for him to require us to love him with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and, strength, if he were not worthy of the same supreme regard from himself; and if he is worthy of his own supreme love, then there is nothing contrary to the most disinterested benevolence, in his Joving himself with all his heart, and soul, and mind, and strength.

Let it also be remembered, that originally there was no other being in existence, except him who inhabiteth eternity; he must therefore have made all things for himself, as there was no other, for whom he could make them. But his making all things for himself, does by no means exclude his benevolent regard for the happiness of the creature, as we shall have occasion to show in answering the next objection. There is one other thing, which may perhaps reflect light upon the disinterestedness of the love which the Most High exercises towards himself. If our views of Divine benevolence are correct, the Most High does not love himself any more because it is himself, than he would love another