ing in opposition to his parents, the wife plotting the destruction of her husband, the brother ensnaring his sister, and decoying her to ruin,-teachers of all descriptions inculcating the arts of deception, of revenge, and of destruction, and representing every principle and fact as contrary to what it really is falsehoods of every description industriously forged and circulated as facts through every rank of society-rulers setting themselves in opposition to the populace, and plotting their destruction, while they are at the same time actuated by a principle of pride, of envy and malice against each other-the populace setting themselves in opposition to their rulers, exterminating them from the earth, subverting every principle of law and order, gratifying, without control, every principle of revenge, avarice, lasciviousness and sensual indulgence, and enjoying a diabolical satisfaction in contemplating the scenes of misery they have created :-in short, every one beholding in his neighbour the malevolence of a fiend armed with instruments of destruction, and devising schemes to secure his misery and ruin. Suppose the lower animals, impelled by revenge, to rise up in indignation against man, and to swell the horrors of this general anarchy-suppose the superior orders of intelligences to mingle in this scene of confusion, to exert their high physical and intellectual powers in adding fuel to these malevolent principles and operations, and in attempting to drag other intelligences of a still higher order from their seats of bliss-suppose all these intelligences actuated by an implacable hatred of their Creator, combined to deface the beauties of the material creation, and then to engage in a war of universal extermination throughout the whole intelligent system in every region of the universe: such a state of things, if it could exist in the universe, would form a perfect contrast to moral order ; it would present a scene in which existence could not be desirable to any intelligent mind, and in which happiness could not possibly be enjoyed by any rational being, but by Him who is eternally happy independently of his creatures. Moral order, then, is completely opposed to such a state of things as has now been represented; it consists in every being holding its proper station in the universe, acting according to the nature of that station, and using its powers and faculties for the purposes for

which they were originally intended; and the grand object intended to be accomplished by this order, is, the happiness of the whole,-without which misery would reign uncontrolled throughout all the ranks of intelligent existence.

This state of the moral world is most frequently designated in Scripture by the term holiness. Of the ideas included under this term, and several of its kindred epithets, very vague and imperfect conceptions are frequently entertained. Its leading or generic idea, from what has been now stated, will evidently appear to be, a conformity to order, founded on the relations of intelligent beings to each other; or, in other words, it consists in a complete conformity to the law of God, (which is founded on those relations) including both the action and the principle from which it flows. In reference to created beings, holiness may, therefore, be defined to be, a conformity to the moral order of the universe,—and, in relation to the Creator, it is, that perfection of his nature which leads him to promote the moral order and happiness of intelligent beings, and to counteract every thing which stands in opposition to this object.

That the leading ideas and definitions now stated are correct, will, perhaps, more distinctly appear in the course of the following discussions and illustrations; but should any one be disposed to call in question the statements now given in reference to the primary idea of morality, his difference of opinion on this point will not materially affect the leading train of sentiment prosecuted in the further elucidation of this subject.

SECTION II.

On the Fundamental Principles of Morality.

THE leading idea of morality or holiness, as now stated, resolves itself into the two following principles-love to God the Creator, and, love to fellow intelligences. These are the two grand springs on which the whole moral machine of the universe depends. All the diversified actions by which happiness is diffused among intelligent agents,

are only so many ramifications of these two simple and sublime principles, which connect all holy beings throughout the wide empire of God, in one harmonious union. This we are not left to infer merely from the nature of things, but have the authority of the supreme Legislator, as our warrant for placing these principles as the founda tion of all moral virtue among every class of moral agents. For thus saith our Saviour: "THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL This is the THY MIND, AND WITH ALL THY STRENGTH. first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF.-On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

These principles, now that they are communicated, and sanctioned by divine authority, appear quite accordant to the dictates of enlightened reason, and calculated to promote the happiness of the intelligent creation; yet we never find that the moral systems of pagan philosophers, in any country, were built on this foundation, or that they assumed them as indispensable axioms to guide them in their speculations on the subject of ethics.

In elucidating this topic, I shall endeavour to show the reasonableness and the utility of these principles of moral action, from a consideration of the nature of God, and the relations in which intelligent beings stand to him as the source of their existence and felicity-from the nature of subordinate intelligences, and the relations in which they stand to one another-from the misery which must inevitably follow, where such principles are violated or reversed-from the happiness that would necessarily flow from their full operation-and, lastly, that they apply to the circumstances of all created intelligences wherever existing, throughout the boundless universe. I have used the plural term principles, to express the foundation of moral action, because our Saviour has arranged them under two distinct heads, in the passage just now quoted; but, strictly speaking, there is but one principle, namely, Love, which divides itself, as it were, into two great streams, one directing its course towards the supreme Source of all fe licity, and the other towards all the subordinate intelligences He has created.

First Principle-LOVE TO GOD.

The

Love, considered in reference to the Supreme Being, may be viewed as dividing itself into a variety of streams or kindred emotions, all flowing from one source. most prominent of these emotions are the following-Admiration, which consists in a delightful emotion, arising from a contemplation of the wonderful works of God, and of the wisdom and goodness which they unfold-Reverence, which is nearly allied to admiration, is a solemn emotion, mingled with awe and delight, excited in the mind, when it contemplates the perfections, and the grand operations of the Eternal Mind-Gratitude, which consists in affection to the Supreme Being, on account of the various benefits he has conferred upon us-Humility, which consists in a just sense of our own character and condition, especially when we compare ourselves with the purity and perfection of the Divine character. To these emotions may be added, Complacency and delight in the character and operations of God-Adoration of his excellencies, and unlimited Dependance upon him in reference to our present concerns, and to our future destination. I have stated these different modifications of the first principle of morality, because, in the following illustrations, they may all occasionally be taken into account, when an allusion is made to the affections, which the character and operations of the divine Being have a tendency to excite.

Love is that noble affection which is excited by amiable objects; and, therefore, in order to its being rational, permanent, and delightful, it must be founded, on the perception of certain amiable qualities or attributes connected with its object. In order to demonstrate the reasonableness of this affection in reference to God, it is only requisite to consider his character and perfections, and the relation in which he stands to us as the Author of our existence and enjoyments. But, as a comprehensive view of this subject would require volumes for its illustration, I shall confine myself to the illustration of only two or three lineaments of the Divine character.

SECTION III.

On the Omnipotence of God.

WE naturally venerate and admire a character in which physical energy is combined with high intellectual powers, when these powers are uniformly exerted in the counteraction of vice and misery, and in the promotion of happiness. On this ground, the Omnipotence of God is calculated to affect the mind with that particular modification of love, which is designated by the term Reverence. Were it possible that any human being could construct a machine, by means of which, in combination with his own physical powers, he could transport himself and his treasures, from one region of the globe to another, at the rate of 200 miles in an hour, and were he, at the same time to devote his treasures, and his moral and intellectual energies to the improvement and melioration of the various tribes of mankind in every clime, through which he passed, such an object could not fail of exciting in our minds a sentiment of admiration and reverence. Were one of the highest orders of created intelligences to descend from his celestial mansion, and to display himself to our view in all the bright radiance of his native heaven-were he to take his station over the regions of Tibet or Hindostan, and, after having excited the attention of a wondering populace, were he to detach the huge masses of the Himalaya mountains from their foundations, and toss them into the depths of the Indian Ocean, and, in the course of a few hours, transform the barren wastes of that dreary region into a scene of beauty and luxuriant vegetation, and cause splendid cities to arise, where formerly nothing was presented to the view but a bleak and frightful wilderness -at such a display of physical power, combined with benevolent design, we could not withhold a feeling of awe, and a sentiment of reverence, almost approaching to religious adoration.

If, then, the contemplation of physical and mental energies, with which even created beings may possibly be