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Concerning the admiffion of the Paffions into Religion. Of Love to Chrift.

MADAM,

MR. Wilberforce, p. 8c-86, treats at confiderable length on the admiffion of the paffions, or affections, into religion; the reasonablenefs and importance of which, under proper regulations, will not be difputed by any who think juftly upon the fubject. Religion can hardly be said to exift without them. Affections being internal feelings, which arife naturally, and spontaneously, from correspondent views and apprehenfions of their specific objects; complacency, gratitude, reverence, confidence, joy, and refignation, will be neceffarily generated by frequent ferious contemplation of the Supreme Being, as a perfectly wife, powerful, and benevolent father, benefactor, friend, governor, and judge. And affections fo formed will be a powerful ftimulus to that courfe of conduct which will be moft acceptable to God. Devotion gives energy and dignity to virtue, and the chriftian revelation justly reprefents love to God as the "first and great commandment."

It is, however, neceffary to obferve, that love to God is a beneficial affection, only in proportion to the truth and justice of the ideas which men enterD 6

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tain of the divine attributes and government. If we conceive of God as perfectly benevolent and wife, and defirous of the happiness of his creatures as the fole end of his righteous administration, love to him will be a rational and a delightful affection, and will naturally express itself not only in external acts of grateful homage, but in univerfal complacency and good will, and in a folicitous concern to co-operate with the beneficent Creator in doing good, in alleviating mifery, and in diffufing happiness.

But if our ideas of the Supreme Being are erroneous and unjuft, the affections towards him will be proportionably distorted. It will be difficult to conceive of God as an arbitrary and capricious tyrant, without being on the one hand overwhelmed with terror, or, on the other, difpofed to cherish the affections we afcribe to him, and to regard the fuppofed objects of Divine displeasure with disgust and malevolence. The history of religion, in all ages, is replete with the baneful effects of that" zeal for "God which is not according to knowledge."

After all, though the objects of religion are of fufficient dignity and magnitude to excite and intereft our best affections when fteadily contemplated, it ought to be remembered, that a mechanical glow of the paffions is by no means effential to the practice of religion and virtue, especially at the commencement of a virtuous courfe. Men enter upon and pursue their occupations in life, not from paffionate

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paffionate feelings, but from rational conviction that these are the beft means of providing, in a juft and honourable way, for the fubfiftence, comfort, and respectability of themfelves and their families: and if the employment is at first irksome, the principles upon which they act will stimulate them to perfeverance, and by degrees they will form an attachment, to profeffions to which originally they were little inclined. In like manner, a person of reflection will enter upon the practice of religious virtue, not from any paffionate and tranfient emotions, but from the deliberate conviction of his judgment, that a pious and virtuous conduct will be ultimately conducive to his best interest; and though the practice of virtue may occafionally be unpleasant, may require felf-denial, and may expofe him to difficulties and inconveniencies, which would fubdue a refolution inspired only by the paffions, they will make little impreffion upon a purpose which originates in the deliberate conviction of the understanding. And by degrees, habits of rectitude will be infenfibly established, and virtue will be loved and practifed for its own fake. The religious principle is of too much importance to be made dependent upon the paffions, which wife men difcard in all affairs of moment, left they should warp and mislead the judgement.

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Mr. W. concludes his fection, p. 96, with the application of his doctrine concerning the ufe of the

paffions

paffions in religion, not, as might naturally have been expected, to the Supreme Being, but to Jefus Chrift; whom he reprefents as "the proper object "of love, gratitude, joy, hope, and truft," which he apprehends that no one can deny " without being "dead to every generous emotion, and blushing "with fhame and indignation when he looks his "objection in the face." p. 98. Without feeling, however, any emotion, either of fear or shame, from any thing Mr. W. has advanced; I make no hesitation to affert, that the affection, which he infifts upon as due to Chrift, has no juft foundation in the representations which the fcripture exhibits of his perfon and character, or of his present state and dignity, but that it originates in palpable error, and is directed wholly to a mere creature of the imagi

nation.

Very far, indeed, am I from defiring or endeavouring to weaken that rational regard to Jefus which he has himself required, and for which the gofpel lays a proper foundation. I revere his memory as the moft excellent of human characters, and the most eminent of all the prophets of God, who was honoured with the high commiffion of fuperfeding the mosaic difpenfation, and of revealing to all nations "the words of eternal life." I joyfully and thankfully embrace his doctrine, confide in his promife, and bow to his authority. This is all the love which he requires, and which his difciples can

properly

properly exercise towards him. "He that hath my "commandments and keepeth them," faith our Lord himself, “he it is that loveth me *;" and who is authorised to fubftitute any other criterion of acceptable regard?

Jefus is indeed now alive, and, without doubt, employed in offices the moft honourable and benevolent but, as we are totally ignorant of the place where he refides, and of the occupations in which he is engaged, there can be no proper foundation for religious addreffes to him, nor of gratitude for favours now received, nor yet of confidence in his future interpofition in our behalf. All affections and addresses of this nature are unauthorised by the christian revelation, and are infringements upon the prerogative of God.

If indeed we figure to ourselves a being equal to the Supreme, or next in order and dignity below him; invested by him with the administration of the universe; voluntarily affuming human nature; fuffering upon the cross the punishment due to the fins of men; continually employed in interceding for them; fupplying them with a perfect righteoufnefs to conceal the defects of their own characters; and guarding and protecting them in their paffage through this world; the feady contemplation of this ideal person will naturally generate admiration, gratitude, joy, confidence, and other correfponding * John xiv. 21.

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