interests. The meaning of the text is, by SER M.

no means, that chriftians fhould not love. IX. their relations, father and mother, brethren

and fifters; nor is that the meaning of the, yet stronger expreffion, before mentioned, that they should "hate father and mother, "brethren and fifters, wife and children, yea and their own lives." Such affections have deep and firm foundation in nature and reason. The wife and good parent of mankind, intending the fafety and happiness of them all, has planted an inftinct in every human heart, whereby it is inclined not only to care for, and do good to itself, but to the whole kind. And confidering the circumftances of our condition in this world, the indigences of an infant ftate, the infirmities of old age, and the opportunities of mutual help, which are afforded by cohabitation in families; it is for the common advantage of the fpecies, that there should be nearer attachments, and that fuch relations as those of parents and children, brethren and fifters, fhould be endeared, and the benefit which may arife from them, fecured by a peculiarly tender affection. As this may be justly attributed to God as its author, and his wifdom and goodness P 2 fhine

SERM. fhine in it, religion is not intended to root IX. it out, or in any degree to weaken the bonds

of humanity. On the contrary, it ferves rather greatly to confirm and ftrengthen them. God has expreffly established the obligation of relative duties by his own pofitive law, and annexed the promise of a great reward to the fincere and careful per formance of them. In fcripture, to be without natural affection is reprefented as one of the worst characters. To fet light by father and mother is a most heinous wickedness, highly displeasing to God. And for a man to neglect caring and providing for his own, especially those of his own houfe, is to deny the faith, and be worse than an infidel *.

But, the immediate ends of thefe natural relations are not the higheft ends of our being. We are capable of nobler pursuits and higher enjoyments, than the ease and conveniencies of our present condition. And in order to thefe, our minds are endued: with affections of a fuperior nature; the love of what Solomon calls wisdom, with its excellent and right things, and the love of the fupreme Being, the fountain of all good- ~ nefs and happinesfs, in whom all moral perfections

fections are abfolute, and infinite. This isSER M. 1 the love which ought to be the most intense, IX. 1 and to rule in our hearts. Reafon teaches us, that our affections ought to bear a proportion to the worth of the object. It is reputed great weakness, at least, to be immoderately fond of trifles, and neglect things of the higheft dignity and importance. Now, it must be acknowledged by 5 every intelligent creature, who has any no

tion at all of God, that he is the most exIcellent, and therefore the most amiable of all Beings; for in him infinite natural and moral perfections meet. He is not only moft powerful and wife, which characters our minds naturally admire; but in cónjunction with these he is perfectly righteous, a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is be: And he is good to all, his tender mercies are over all his works. No man then, if he would, can with-hold his aflent from this propofition, that God is the worthieft object of our affection, and our hearts must neceffarily condemn us in preferring other things to him. And as this is what the light of nature teaches men, so the firft and great commandment of God's po

SERM. fitive law is, "thou shalt love the Lord thy IX.." God with all thy heart, and with all thy

foul, and with all thy mind:" "That is, with fincerity, and an inward affection as the conftant abiding principle of obedience; and with chearfulness and delight, running in the way of his commandments. This ought to be the ruling principle in our minds, controuling and directing the meafure and exercise of all our other affections: For the leaft reflection will convince us, that there being a variety of inclinations and defires in our nature, which are the fprings of action, there must be a fubordination; some must neceffarily yield to others: And so we find in experience. It is the predominant affection which constitutes the character, and temper of a man. The covetous is he, in whom the love of wealth prevails over all other inclinations; the ambitious in whom the love of honour; the voluptuous, in whom the love of fenfual pleasures. Each of these will facrifice every other interest to his idol, and every other defire, which is even natural to him, yet not fo ftrong. But to preferve an univerfal harmony in the mind of man, and to constitute a truly religious and virtuous character, the love of God,

* Matt. xxii. 37.

God, and of goodness ought to be predo-SER M. minant. Other affections are not to be IX. rooted out, but this must be supreme; and they gratified and indulged only by its permiffion, and fo far, as not to be inconfiftent with it.

This is the true meaning of my text For what I would principally observe for illuftrating this fubject, is, that the love of Christ, and the love of God and goodness, is just the same. His profeffed defign, which he uniformly pursued in his doctrine, and through the whole courfe of his actions and fufferings, was to glorify his heavenly father; that is, to promote righteousness, piety and virtue in the world, which is the image and glory of God; to recover men from their corruption and degeneracy to the fincere obfervance of his laws, and the imitation of his holinefs. It can never then be imagined, that he intended to fet up himself as an object of our esteem and affection, by way of distinction from his father: As he fays himself, * be and his father are one. It is his glory to be the exprefs image of the Father's perfon, and to declare him, whom no man bath feen at any time.

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* John x. 30.