their virtue shall be fully rewarded, and where they shall be made completely happy in the firm assurance of being for ever the objects of his Love. LECTURE XLI. 、 LovE to God, on which we are now going to treat, is the first principle of religion; it is the most comprehensive of all duties, and indeed the source of every thing that is amiable and excellent in the temper and character of a reasonable and moral being. This world in which we are placed, with all its sources of enjoyment, passeth away. Our animal passions will soon be extinguished, and the objects of these passions will be no more. How powerfully soever, the honours, the riches, or the pleasures of life may affect us for awhile, he who has no other possessions, whose heart is fixed upon no other objects, will soon be deprived of all he held dear, and left forlorn and destitute. But he whose affections are fixed on Godwho loves Him sincerely, and wishes for the enjoyment of his favour, as his supreme felicity, must be happy in every state and condition of being; and that principle of love, of which he is now possessed, we may reasonably suppose will be increased and strengthened after his removal by death; and constitute his felicity in that happier state to which he will be removed, for ever. Love to God then, being so essential a part of a religious character, and being in Scripture represented, as " the first and great commandment of the law," in the present and a following lecture, I propose to consider the nature and foundation of it; the circumstances which are necessary to render it acceptable; and what are the genuine and most proper expressions of it. The Love of God is an affection which has for its object the moral perfections of God, as exercised in every part of the Creation around us, and to ourselves in particular. Perhaps it will be most easily illustrated, by considering the high regard we have for some of our fellow creatures, in preference to others. And what is the reason of this preference? Is it because they are richer or more powerful? Or rather, is it not because they appear to be wiser and better? Their Wisdom then and superior Goodness are the objects of our distinguished respect, or the ground and reason of our esteem and love. Now, if we apply these reflections upon human characters to the Deity, we shall find, what it is which renders the Divine character amiable in our eyes; it is the Divine Excellence and Perfection. The veneration which we pay to wise and good men, on account of their wisdom and goodness, is of the same kind with our love to God; the same in kind, but not in degree; for our love to Men ought to be proportioned to the imperfect degrees of human goodness; but our love to God should be the highest possible, having for its object the greatest perfection and the greatest kindness to us, and ought only to be bounded by the necessary imperfection of human nature. If our regard for the Divine Being have any other object than the Divine Goodness; and especially, if that object be inconsistent with goodness, it may proceed from superstition, enthusiasm, or hypocrisy, but it cannot be the Love of God. Superstition is the excess of Divine Fear, as on the contrary enthusiasm is the excess of Divine Love. Enthusiasm is an affected familiarity with God; it is a state of extacy or rapture, proceeding from an opinion of the peculiar favour and friendship of God, without any thing answering to such high pretensions in the temper or conduct. And I would be more express and particular here, because the love of God has been, with some, a mere enthusiastical ardour of affection; the workings of the animal frame; a mere fancy floating in the head, without descending to any good purpose upon the heart, or having any apparent effect, at least any good effect, upon the general course of a ་ |