each stimulated by the purest benevolence, yet it was not in either, disinterested affection. When Moses tendered his life as a substitute for the lives of great transgressors, it was not for the Amorite, or Amalekite transgressors, but for the transgressors of his own nation: And when Paul was willing to be cut off from the visible church, (not from salvation) it was not for the unbelieving Gentiles, but for the unbelieving Jews, even for his own "Brethren and kinsmen, according to the flesh." Though both Moses and Paul were thus each endued with a portion of the spirit of the great mediator, yet neither of them attained to a disinterestedness, beyond that which actuated their divine master, who, in ransoming sinners, "Endured the cross, and despised the shame, for the joy that was set before him." Therefore, like him, but under him, each in seeking to promote sinners salvation, had respect to the recompense of the reward at the resurrection of the just.

Love correctly understood, is personal and relative. Personal love, is self love. Relative love, is that which extends to other beings. If love of one's self is sinful love, then God himself cannot be an holy being; for he has invariably from eternity, loved himself, because he was himself. And since time commenced, and creatures were formed, he has exercised relative love to all whom he has made. In each living being which he hath created, he hath implanted the natural affection of self love, But such, as he elevated to the responsibility of moral agency, he endued with ability to exercise relative love to himself, and to

his creatures. This was exemplified in the case of the angels in heaven, and in the condition of our first parents in the garden of Eden.

The unsinning angels duly regarding personal safety, wisely continued to yield the unceasing homage of relative perfect love to their infinitely and ever blęssed creator. While others less circumspect, as well as our first parents, turning from the holy commandment given them, refused the just tribute of perfect love to God, and turning the free current of their su preme affections from their proper object; they be came sinfully the lovers of the creature, and selfishly undue lovers of themselves to their own undoing.

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Christ having opened a new and living way, of salvation and felicity to mankind, graciously adapts his gospel to their character and condition. Beholding sinners insensible of their misery and unapprized of h their danger, whilst in a state of impenitency and unbelief; he powerfully addresses their understandings, their consciences, and their affections. He discovers to them reasonable views of duty; imparts to them a feeling sense of the enormity of transgression. And invites them to delight supremely in that God, who is infinite in all natural, moral, and possible excellency, and perfection. Is the soul unmoved by reason, unaffected by conscience, and uninfluenced by infinitely transcendant amiableness and excellency, he then, to save the self corrupted and depraved being from eternal misery, operates through every passion of the soul, on that natural love of self, or unalienable regard to personal well being, implanted by the hand

of the creator himself, not in man alone, but also, in every other creature endued with conscious existence. The sinner is alarmed by fear, invited by hope, roused through emulation, stimulated through desire. Death and its uncertainty, judgment and its awful appendages, hell and its horrours, and heaven and all its eternal glories, are, by the divine spirit, through the gospel, pourtrayed before the imagination, and impressed upon his mind, memory and conscience. Awakened at length to a due sense of danger, and of true interest, like the humbled publican he implores mercy. Like awakened Saul he prays. And like Israel fallen by his iniquity, he returns to the Lord. He "Takes words saying, take away all iniquity, receive me graciously, so will I render the calves of my lips." Having "drawn nigh to God, God draws nigh to him." His fetters are broken. His guilt is cancelled. "Christ is revealed in him.” He now calls Jesus Lord by the holy spirit." He now discovers how self love, and relative love accord together. Though he still loves himself, because he is himself, yet he loves God more, because God is himself. He discovers that the divine glory, is most exalted in the salvation and safety of the penitent sinner. He now likewise perceives, that whilst he ought, from the obligation of natural law, to love himself, because he is himself; so he ought, from the same law, (which is the foundation of the "law and prophets,") to love his neighbour as himself, for the gospel law of love to our neighbour, and the same love enjoined by the "law and prophets," he perceives do all, divinely grow out of the

natural law of self love; because the same principle of equity, which guarantees one man's natural rights and interests, must in like manner, guarantee every man's natural rights and interests; and from hence he discovers, originates that divine injunction, "all things "whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do "ye even so to them." And hence also, that com. mandment, "Thou shalt not covet."

There is indeed sir, as you well know, no benevolence whatsoever enjoined in the gospel, which excludes all regard to personal interest. It is true St. Paul tells us, that "charity seeketh not her own;" and he commands us to exercise charity, "especially "in the precepts following. If thine enemy hunger, "feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. Be not

overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's "wealth. Look not every man on his own things, "but every man also on the things of others." But according to the plain and obvious meaning of these passages, no such thing as absolute disinterestedness is at all implied. For the same apostle again informs us as a motive for action, "That whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." Ephesians VI, 8. And in Colossians 111, exhorting husbands and wives, parents, children and servants, to the faithful performance of their respective duties, he thus exhorts and teaches; "Whatsoever ye do in word or "deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus;" "and "whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and

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not unto men: Knowing that of the Lord, ye shall "receive the reward of the inheritance; for "the Lord Christ." (Verses 17, 23, 24.) Lord Christ himself, taught and commanded, just in the same way, and to the same effect. "As ye would "that men should do to you, do ye also to them like"wise. For if ye love them that love you, what "thanks have you? For sinners also love those, that "love them. And if ye do good to them who do

good to you, what thanks have ye? For sinners "also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of "whom ye hope to receive, what thanks have ye? for "sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much a"gain. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and "lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward "shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest." "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, "and running over, shall men give into your bosom : "for with the same measure that ye mete withal, it "shall be measured to you again." (Verses 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38.)

From these indubitable and luminous doctrines of the gospel, it therefore clearly is manifest, that all the disinterestedness taught by Christ and his apostles was merely, a freedom from the sordidness of self seeking, from human applause, and from the transitory pleasures and paltry gains of the present life; to the neglect of almighty God, and of the ever enduring felicity and honours which flow from divine favour: whilst the highest purity of christian love is therein taught, to be