prime law of our nature to love him in whom we live, move, and have our being; who is the cause of all that is good and amiable; to whom the foul neceffarily tends from original instinct;— and Great-in that it virtually comprehends the whole of man's duty, and the whole of his interests.

Here then is an object equal to the capacity of our minds, fufficient to fatisfy our utmost defires: A ruling principle of thought and action; not meant to absorb or extinguish the many useful paffions of our nature; but to direct, moderate, and render them fubfervient to real happiness.

The misfortune is, whilft this divine love waxeth cold with the generality of mankind, through worldly prejudices and temptations; fome there have ever been, who by myftick and unintelligible refinements

refinements have made it unfit for the purposes of practical religion. So difficult a thing should it seem to preserve at once a due regard toward fenfible and fpiritual objects; which yet, it must be owned, is the concern of our most holy faith, and well worthy the attention of such a creature as man.-What I propofe, therefore, is

First, To make fome Enquiry into the nature and reasonableness of this distinguished Commandment. And,

Secondly, To fet before you the importance of it, when duly obferved; as being the fureft foundation of religious, of moral, and civil duty.

1. I am firft then to enquire into the nature and reasonablenefs of this dif tinguished Commandment.

And here it is proper to obferve that the laws of God, in what way foever made known, are all of them adapted to the capacity and circumstances of his reasonable subjects, as they are entirely calculated for their benefit. So that though the scriptures may feem in certain inftances to require of us more than we are able to perform; yet is this always owing to fome mistake on our parts, and to an erroneous interpretation of them. Nor will the feeming severity of the gospel-terms be any excufe for those, who shall neglect to work out their falvation on fuch a pretence.

Some perhaps may flatter themselves with a plea of this fort, for not coming up to the duty prescribed in the text. For it may be urged-Hath not God implanted in our nature diverse kinds of appetites, and stored the world with a variety of objects fuitable to the gratifi

cation of those appetites ? Am I then wholly to divest myself of these - deny my very being-and place all my affections, fo well adapted to this earthly station, upon things heavenly and invi-" fible? How can this be? How is it poffible that He who made man should lay upon him fo inconfiftent a command?

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Thus may men argue; and from fuch arguments infer, that to love God with all the heart, and with all the foul, and with all the mind, is but a nominal and ideal duty. Under which notion they may yet further fhelter their want of religion, through the indifcreet zeal of more devout, but enthusiastick perfons; who are actually for ftraining this divine law beyond the powers of humanity, and the established order and harmony of the world. Whereas the truth really lies in a just mean betwixt these two Man is evidently endued with

extremes.

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with faculties and appetites proportionate to his prefent ftate. Self-love and focial are principles equally requisite to the support of the individual and of the whole. To love ourselves is a natural law which, though we are liable to err in the application, wants no enforcement; and to love our neighbour in like manner is an injunction of divine authority: From both which arise numberless offices we are bound to perform; fince the life of man is a time of trial, and confequently of action; wherein the paf fions must have a main fhare, under the controul of reafon and religion.

How much foever therefore is implied in the precept of loving God with all the heart, it must needs be interpreted in fuch a manner, as may render it compatible with the inferior affections when duly regulated. The abfolutely perfect love of God, contended for by fome, is

what