"of God's vitiating and corrupting the hearts of his creatures. It will admit "mankind to be what they truly are, viz. The real efficients of their own "volitions and actions. It will extend an actual possibility of salvation un"to every man, through the mediation of the Saviour, and the operation of "the divine spirit ; and leaving all men unfettered by predestinating decrees incompatible with that essential pre-requisite of accountability, viz moral ability to perform moral requisition; it thereby will give the highest expression of universal benevolence,' by affording to both parts of being in general,' a conditional and real, though not equal opportunity of obtain"ing felicity. Such a view of this important subject will illustrate the divine "character, display the divine glory, exhibit the impenitent, self-hardened "sinner, as justly perishing through his own obstinate rejection of salvation by grace; and will exalt the compassion of the Saviour into purest and uni "versal benevolence. But the Hopkinsian creed impeaches the divine cha"racter, derogates from the philanthropy of the Saviour, consigns the auto"malon reprobate to undeserved misery, and devoting unconditionally to "inevitable and eternal tortures one part of being in general,' in order to "enhance the eternal glory and felicity of the other part of being in general;' it thereby affords ample demonstration of a scheme of benevo"lence founded only in deception, and altogether fraught with real self"ishness.

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"As such benevolence as that, which excludes all regard for self-welfare, exists only in the legends of mysticism; so were it possible really "to exist, it would be no real virtue, but an actual vice, mutilating and "destroying moral agency. For by exterminating hope and fear, desire and aversion, and such like passions, so far as they operate on a sensibility of personal welfare, it thereby would wholly frustrate the true design of the great sanctions of the law and the gospel."

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"In respect to the egregious enormity of a discriminating regard to self, or personal welfare, we are thus further informed. Selfishness is all the "evil heart, that we ever find described in scripture, that we ever see "acted out, or that we ever feel in our own breasts." Selfishness is the

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essence of total depravity, and constitutes the carnal mind, which is enmity to God, to Christ, to his friends, and to all true holiness. Sin“ners love themselves, not because they are a part of the intellectual sys“tem, nor because the general good requires them to regard their person

‘al happiness, but because they are themselves. They love their own inter"est, because it is their own, in distinction from the interest of all other .“ * created, or uncreated beings. Their interest is really no more valuable "for being theirs, than if it belonged to others; and they themselves are no more valuable, than other creatures of the same character and ca

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"pacity. To love themselves therefore because they are themselves, is to "love themselves from a motive peculiar to selfish creatures.' (Emmons.)

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"Truly deceptive and fallacious sir, is this assertion that for beings, 'to "love themselves, because they are themselves, is to love themselves from "a motive peculiar to selfish creatures. Aware of difficulty here, the doc"tor endeavoured to obviate it, by previously remarking, Sinners love "themselves. But why? Not for the same reason that saints love them'selves; if they did, they would be saints. Nor do they love themselves "from mere instinct, as the lower species of animals do. But they love *** themselves, because they are themselves, which is neither true love, nor 66 6 a mere animal affection, but proper selfishness. Whenever any man departs so far from the plain and sober dictates of nature, experience and common sense, as that, in opposition to them all, he is necessitated to attempt to make absurdity consistency; he will discover finally, that he “has undertaken as real an impossibility, as the man who should attempt "to perform moral actions, when endued with only natural ability of ac"tion; or to perform natural actions, when only endued with moral ability "of action. And such truly is the case of the doctor, in this labyrinth of inconsistency before us, in which he has so very unhappily involved him"self. A man in 'Loving himself, because he is himseif, does not love “himself, from mere instinct, as the lower species of animals do. A man, "although of an higher species of animals, is nevertheless a real animal, "and although endued with higher powers and affections, than the lower "species of animals, yet, he possesses as really as they do, instinctive pro"pensions, and natural affections. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth, and cherisheth it.' Ephesians v, 29. This every man instinctively doth, as really as the inferiour animals do. And men "being naturally endued with faculties, which admit of higher improve"ment, in ingenious contrivances, to promote personal welfare; so it is no "more criminal in them to improve, and exert these higher faculties, thus "productive of personal well being, than it is to yield to the natural crav"ings of hunger and thirst, requiring nourishment for the flesh; and is "equally as befitting, as to yield to the instinctive impulse, which hurries "us to seek a shelter from the driving storm. Nor is a man when regen"erated, divested of instinctive influence, of the cravings of animal appe"tites, or of propension through excitement from natural affections. It is "still his duty to nourish and cherish his own flesh, because it is his own "flesh; to love himself, because he is himself. And as christian men ought "to love their own bodies, because they are their own bodies. So ought "(these) men to love their wives, as their own bodies; he that loveth his "wife, loveth himself? The christian if married, shall leave his father

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" and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one ""flesh.' And therefore, saith St. Paul unto all such, Let every one of 'you in particular, so love his wife, even as himself. Ephesians v, 28, "30, 53. Had St. Paul not received the doctrines which he taught, by a "revelation from Christ, but learned them from the distinguished doctors, “of the new divinity school, he very probably would have addressed the "Ephesian believers, after this manner. As selfishness is the essence of "total depravity, and constitutes the carnal mind, which is enmity to "God, to Christ, to his friends, and to all true holiness; and as this evil heart of selfishness consists in a man's loving himself, because he is him"self; therefore, you must every one of you, wholly divest himself of all "such carnality. You must not nourish nor cherish your own flesh, more "than you nourish and cherish another man's flesh; for your body is re"ally no more valuable for being yours, than if it belonged to another 'person, and that person's body is no more valuable than another's body, "of the same character and capacity. If therefore, you would be a saint, you must love yourself and every thing belonging to yourself, as saints "do. That is, you must love yourself, and every person belonging to "yourself, only because you and they, are parts of the intellectual sys"tem; and because the general good requires no discrimination of selfish "attachments. Therefore, you are not to love your own wife in particu "lar, because she is your wife, for that would be from a motive peculiar "to selfish creatures. Neither are you to love your own children "because they are your own; for they are no more valuable be"'cause they are yours, than if they were another's; you are indeed to "love your wives and children, as parts of intellectual being; but as "other men's wives and children, are equally parts of intellectual being,

you must utterly renounce all discriminating partialities, which are but "mere selfishness; and love all wives, and all children, with a universal love of disinterested benevolence.'

"Had such sublime and yet accommodating doctrines as these, appeared "in the carly ages of christianity, and appeared, as sanctioned by the sig "nature of a Paul, the Nicolaitanes undoubtedly would have profited

thereby, in their proposed establishment of a community of wives: even "as the modern infidels have done, by the reveries of Molinos, and of his visionary followers on both sides of the Atlantick."

"There is indeed sir, as you well know, no benevolence whatsoever en joined 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 com"mands 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 accord"ing 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 re"spective 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 not unto men: Knowing that of the "Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the ""Lord Christ." (Verses 17, 23, 24.) And the 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 likewise. 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 again. But love ye 66 6 'your enemies, and do good, ard lend, hoping for nothing again; and

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'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 S1, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38.)

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"From these indubitable and luminous doctrines of the gospel, it there"fore 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 inseparably con"nected with the hope and expectation of divinely promised, ineffable re"wards in eternal glory. And from hence results ample evidence, that all "pretensions to Hopkinsian disinterestedness, are founded in but mere de"lusion: however well they may serve as an expedient to disguise the hid

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eous deformity of the reprobation scheme. Nor can this affected disinter"estedness conceal its own true character, which appears to be that of the veryist selfishness of pride; because it proposes to elevate its votaries into the godlike character of confering favours even on the Deity himself, by

a voluntary offer; and that without hope of reward; to advance the di"vine glory, by the endurance of the tortures of eternal fire."

Without enlisting under the banner of either of these cham pions, or mingling in conflict with the schools, we must here be allowed to make some remarks on what we are pleased to call the love of duty. The path of duty, as marked out by the Saviour of mankind, is easily followed by those who are willing to make him their leader. Although it is "narrow" and "straight," it is shewn to all who are humble-minded, who really wish to become travellers on the " way that leadeth unto life." But, in the performance of all duties, it is the motives with which we are actuated which stamp its character. If we perform our duties for the sake of reward, unquestionably our actions are selfish; but if we perform them because they are our duties, without any regard to consequences, but purely from the love of obe dience, such performance is not selfish-unless it be said there is self-gratification in being obedient-but no one will outrage virtue so much as to affirm this. We are commanded to love God with all our hearts. Now will any one affirm we commit sin, (for selfishness is sin) in being obedient to this command? Does God command us to commit sin before we can love him as we ought, and as we are commanded? Common sense must say no, there is no selfishness in such obedience. It must however be acknowledged, that when a man does his duty, if he does it properly, he has a right to hope that he will be rewarded, because a reward is promised. But reward is not his object. It is not the moving principle. It is love and obedience that " stir within him," and impel him to the performance. If such conduct as this is not "disinterested," it is at least free from "selfishness." Self-gratification, properly, or, if our author chooses, metaphysically understood, has nothing to do with it. If we would consider our duties, in this point of view; if we would examine the motives which accompany their performance, we should be able to determine what credit is due; we should also be able to avoid much metaphysical jargon about "disinterested benevolence," as well as that interest or "selfishness" which is