VI.

I JOHN, ii. 15.

LOVE NOT THE WORLD, NEITHER THE THINGS
THAT ARE IN THE WORLD. IF ANY MAN LOVE

THE WORLD, THE LOVE OF THE FATHER IS
NOT IN HIM.

IT T is no eafy matter to ascertain, at least in practice, the relative degrees of love to Godour neighbour-ourselves-and the world. Each of them is entitled to our love in a certain degree. The great point is, to fix that degree. At prefent, however, we are led by the text only to confider the love of God and the world.

To these two great fources, the happiness of every man may be referred. They form the whole contest between spiritual and temporal-between our fouls and our bodies-between life and eternity. It is

our business, therefore, to enquire which produces the greatest sum of happiness. And one should think, we had data fufficient to form an easy comparison.-But, alas! even the religious man will find it a difficult matter to keep his affections right. The world will impose upon him in a thoufand shapes, and court him under various forms of allowable amusement, and innocent pleasure. Let him look well therefore into the deceit, and not contribute to deceive himself. Let him füffer no fufpected pleasures and amufements to pass without giving a fair account of their endtheir effect upon his mind-their connected confequences and their agreement with the word of God. Still, as we live in the world, to which fo great a part of our compofition is adapted, and with which we have fo much neceffary intercourfe, we cannot avoid straying fometimes into its crooked paths. God be merciful to me a finner! is a prayer which fuits every man's condition; and if wedd our steady endeavours to get right, no doubt God will be merciful to us; he will hear our prayer, and affift us by his holy fpirit.

THE wickednefs of the world, taken for its in

habitants, is a position which few, I fuppofe, are inclined to contradict. Whether we examine mankind in a favage, or in a civilized ftate-in fociety, or as individuals, ftill we fee for much corruption of every kind, both public and private, that we must acknowledge there is not much exaggeration in what the apoftle advances, that the whole world lyeth in wickednels.

In general, the favage nations that have been discovered, are ferocious, cruel, and treacherous, or weak, enervated, and effeminate. The inhabitants of the Pelew islands are the only virtuous people we have ever heard of in a state of nature. We have every reafon however to believe, that the accounts we have of them are over-charged.

I mean not however to enter into the difcuffion of a point fo little contradicted: the use I would make of it, is to confider it as an argument that might well be dwelt on, in proof of the Chriftian religion.

In the first place it feems highly neceffary, that man should have something better than his own reason, to teach him how to please and worship God. This feemed neceffary even to the heathen philofophers, among whom Plato, in particular, speaks more than once of the neceffity of a divine inftru&tor.

If therefore we believe, that a divine inftructor is neceffary, if even the heathen themselves thought fo; there can be no difficulty in our believing that God would do what appears to us foneceffary.

Secondly, it seems neceffary, that man in so corrupt a state, should have some other merits befides his own some interceffor befides himself to plead his pardon. It is the natural idea of man, that when he offends, he should endeavour to get fome powerful interceffor to ftand between him and the just indignation of the perfon he hath offended. Hence facrifices and other expiatory rites found fuch ready reception in the heathen

world.

world. As this idea dikewife is natural, there feems to be no difficulty in closing with it; and, of course, no difficulty in clofing with Chriftianity.

In fact, Christianity may be confidered as a grand act of that continual restoration, which we fee conftantly before our eyes in the natural world. The fame gracious providence which is continually restoring to nature its decaying powers, may be fuppofed likewise to provide for, and reftore the moral decays of man. „Isdqpic"

The great objections to this argument are, first, the late appearance of Chriftianity-fecondly, its want of univerfality and, thirdly, its want of full effect. N. B. Thefe objections are very capable of being refuted, and might be confidered, if the discourse were drawn into length. ob blueur bokn

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