lives, imperfect as we are, and as much occasion as we have for every effectual motive to virtue.

We are now come, in the last place, to see what considerations drawn from the holy scriptures will farther confirm and illustrate this maxim of hu-man conduct which was first suggested by them.

That the scriptures join the voice of all nature around us, informing man that he is not made for himself; that they inculcate the same lesson which we learn both from a view of the external circumstances of mankind, and also from a nearer inspection of the principles of human nature, will be evident whether we consider the object of the religion they exhibit (that is, the temper to which we are intended to be formed by it) or the motives by which it is enforced and recommended to us in: them.

That the end and design of our holy religion, christians, was to form us to the most disinterested benevolence cannot be doubted by any person who consults the holy scriptures, and especially the books of the New-Testament.

There we plainly see the principle of benevo-y lence represented, when it is in its due strength and degree, as equal in point of intenseness to that of self-love. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy $ 4

self

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eslf. The plain consequence of this is, that if affi our brethren of mankind with whom we are connected have an equal claim upon us (since our connexions are daily growing more extensive, and we ourselves are consequently growing daily of less relative importance in our own eyes) the principle of benevolence must in the end absolutely swallow that of self-love.

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The most exalted devotion, as even superior both to self-love and benevolence, is always every where recommended to us; and the sentiments of devotion have been shewn greatly to aid, and, in fact, to be the same with those of benevolence : and they must be so, unless it can be shewn that we have some senses, powers, or faculties which respect the Deity only.

In order to determine men to engage in a course of disinterested and generous actions, every motive which is calculated to work upon human nature is employed. And as mankind in general are deeply immersed in vice and folly, their hopes, but more especially their fears, are acted upon in the strongest manner by the prospect of rewards and punishments. Even temporal rewards and punishments were proposed to mankind in the earlier and ruder ages of the world. But as our notions of happi

ness

ness grow more enlarged, infinitely greater, but indefinite objects of hope and fear are set before us. Something unknown, but something unspeakably dreadful in a future world is perpetually held up to us, as a guard against the allurements to vice and excess which the world abounds with. And still farther to counteract their baleful influences, the heavenly world (the habitation of good men after death) is represented to us as a place in which we shall be completely happy, enjoying something which is described as more than eye hath seen, ear heard, or than the heart of man can conceive.

These motives are certainly addressed to the principle of self-interest, urging us out of a regard to ourselves, and our general happiness, to cease to do evil, and learn to do well. And, indeed, no motives of a more generous nature, and drawn from more distant considerations can be supposed sufficient to influence the bulk of mankind, and bring them from the power of sin, and Satan, unto

God.

But when, by the influence of these motives, it may be supposed that mankind are in some measure recovered from the grosser pollutions of the world, and the principle of self-interest has been played, as it were, against itself, and been a means

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of engaging us in a course and habit of actions which are necessarily connected with, and productive of more generous and noble principles, then these nobler principles are those which the sacred writers chiefly inculcate.

Nothing is more frequent with the sacred wri ters, than to exhort men to the practice of their duty as the command of God, from a principle of love to God, of love to Christ, and of love to mankind, more especially of our fellow-christians; and from a regard to the interest of our holy religion: motives which do not at all turn the attention of our minds upon themselves. This is not borrowing the aid of self-love to strengthen the principles of benevolence and piety; but it is properly de, riving additional strength to these noble dispositions, as it were, from within themselves, independent of foreign considerations.

We may safely, say, that no degree or kind of self-love is made use of in the scriptures, but what is necessary to raise us above that principle. And some of the more refined kinds of self-love, how familiar soever they may be in some systems of morals, never come in sight there. We are never exhorted in the scriptures to do benevolent actions/ for the sake of the reflex pleasures of benevolence,

or

or pious actions with a view to the pleasures of devotion. This refined kind of self-love is no: where to be found in the scriptures.

Even the pleasures of a good conscience, though they be of a more general nature, and there be less refinement in them than in some other pleasures which are connected with the idea of self, and though they be represented in the scriptures as the consequence of good actions, and a source of joy, as a testimony of a person's being in the favour of God, and in the way to happiness, are perhaps never directly proposed to us as the reward of virtue. This motive to virtue makes a greater figure in the system of the later stoics (those heathen philosophers who, in consequence of entertaining the most extravagant idea of their own merit, really idolized their own natures to a degree absolutely blasphemous) than in the scriptures. And if we consider the nature of this principle, we shall soon' be sensible that if it be inculcated as a motive to virtue, and particularly the virtues of a sublimer kind, it should be with great caution, and in such a manner as shall have the least tendency to encourage self-applause. For does not self-applause border very nearly upon pride and self conceit, and that species of it which is called spiritual pride,

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