74 



THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. 



I might also have shown, by numerous quota 

 tions, that, in the general epistles of Peter, 

 James, and John, the same grand object to which 

 I have been adverting is steadily and uniformly 

 kept in view. The first epistle of John is almost 

 exclusively devoted to the illustration of the love 

 of God and of man ; and on this theme, in which 

 his soul appears to be almost entirely absorbed, 

 he expatiates Widi peculiar energy and delight : 

 &quot; We know that we have passed from death to 

 life, because we love the brethren. He that 

 loveth not his brother abideth in death. Who 

 soever hateth his brother is a murderer ; and ye 

 know that no murderer hath (the principle of) 

 eternal life abiding in him. Behold, what man 

 ner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that 

 we should be called the sons of God ! Beloved, 

 let us love one another ; for love is of God : and 

 every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth 

 God. He that loveth not knoweth not God ; 

 for God is love. No man hath seen God at any 

 time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in 

 us, and his love is perfected in us. If any man 

 say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a 

 liar ; for he that loveth not his brother, whom he 

 hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath 

 not seen ?&quot; It is recorded, by some ancient au 

 thors, that when this apostle was grown old, and 

 unable to preach, he used to be led to the church 

 at Ephesus, and only to say these words to the 

 people, Little children, love one another.&quot; Such 

 was the importance which this venerable apostle 

 attached to love, as the grand and governing prin 

 ciple in the Christian system. 



Finally, The procedure of the last judgment 

 will be conducted on evidence, deduced from the 

 manifestations of love. At that solemn period, 

 when the present economy of Divine Providence 

 shall come, to a termination ; when the elements 

 shall melt with fervent heat, and the great globe 

 on which we tread shall be wrapt in flames; 

 when the archangel shall descend, and sound 

 an alarm with &quot; the trump of God;&quot; when the 

 graves shall open, an 1 give forth their dead; and 

 when aii the generations of men, &quot; both small 

 and great,&quot; shall stand before the throne ofGod ; 

 the eternal destiny of all the millions of mankind 

 will be unalterably determined, on the ground of 

 the manifestations which have been given of the 

 existence and the operation of the principle of 

 love, and of the affections and conduct to which 

 it is opposed. &quot; When the Son of man shall 

 corne in his glory, and all the holy angels with 

 him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his 

 glory. And before him shall be assembled all 

 nations. Then shall he say to them on his right 

 hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 

 kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of 

 the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave 

 me meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink ; 

 I was a stranger, and ye took me in ; naked, and 

 ve clothed me ; I was shk, and ye visited me ; 



I was in prison, and ye came unto me.&quot; And, 

 though ye had no opportunity of performing these 

 offices to me in person, yet, &quot; inasmuch as ye 

 did it to one of the least of these my brethren, 

 ye did it unto me.&quot; &quot; Then shall he also say to 

 them on the left hand, Depart from rne, ye curs 

 ed ; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no 

 meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; 

 I was a stranger and ye took me not in ; naked, 

 and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and 

 ye visited me not. Verily, I say untoyou, inas 

 much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, 

 ye did it not to me. And these shall go away 

 into everlasting punishment, but the righteous 

 into life eternal.&quot; For every one shall be re 

 warded according to his works. Such is the 

 importance which will be attached to the influ 

 ence of this holy affection over the human mind, 

 at that &quot; day of dread, decision, and despair ;&quot; 

 for it is quite obvious, that every action here 

 specified in relation to the righteous, is an effect 

 of the love of God and of man presiding in the 

 heart , and, therefore, if we shall ultimately be 

 found destitute of this holy principle, we cannot 

 expect the reward of the faithful, nor &quot; have 

 boldness in the day of judgment.&quot; 



Thus it appears that it is the great end of alj 

 the historical facts, the religious institutions, tha 

 devotional writings, the moral maxims, the in 

 structions of the prophets, the warnings, exhor 

 tations, promises, and threatenings, comprised 

 in the Jewish revelation, to illustrate and enforce 

 the law of love in its references both to God and 

 to man that it is explained and illustrated in the 

 various instructions delivered by our blessed 

 Saviour, and enforced by his example that itg 

 numerous bearings and modifications are display 

 ed in the writings of all the apostles, and in 

 their instructions to Christian teachers and, that 

 its existence in the heart, and its operation in 

 active life, will form the decisive test of our cha 

 racter at the final judgment. 



SECTION VIII. 



ON THE PRACTICAL OPERATION OF LOVE, AND 

 THE VARIOUS MODES IN WHICH IT SHOULD 

 BE DISPLAYED TOWARDS MANKIND. 



WE have already seen, that love is a most 

 noble and expansive affection. It is not like a 

 blazing meteor which dazzles the eye for a few 

 moments, and then vanishes from the sight. It 

 does not consist merely in a few transient emo 

 tions, and fruitless wishes for the good of others. 

 It does not waste its energies in eloquent ha 

 rangues on the beauty of virtue, in theorizing spe 

 culations on the principles of morals, in framing 

 Quixotic schemes of philanthropy, or in weep 

 ing over tales of fictitious wo. It is a substantial 

 and an ever active principle ; its energies are ex 

 erted for the purpose of communicating happiness 



