CHap. VL ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 391 



of the beft kind poflible, a religion that was entirelywanting on this 

 earth, as I have obferved, when ou» Saviour came to it. 



The fundamental principle of this praElical religion, as It may 

 be called, is the love of God and of man. We are commanded to 

 love the Lord our God with all our hearts, aud 'with all our Jouls, 

 and lulth all our Jlrengthsy and ivlth all our minds, and our neigh- 

 bour as ourfelves *. Where the reader may obferve, from the num- 

 ber of words employed in delivering this precept, how earneftly 

 it is enforced. And again our .Saviour, when he takes leave of his 

 difciples, lays, A neiv commandment I give unto you, 7 hat ye love 

 one another ; as I have loved you, that ye alfo love one another f . 

 By this being called a new commandment, 1 underftand is meant, that 

 it was not commanded by any other religion ti^en in the world: 

 And, accordingly, it is added in the following verfe. By this JI3 all 

 all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye have love one to another ; 

 which is plainly faying, that this love Vv^as the diftinguifhing mark 

 of their religion. The Chriftlan religion is, therefore, more a reli- 

 gion of love, than any religion that is, or ever was, in the world J. 

 Now, love is the nobleft of all our paffions; for the objed of it is 

 beauty, worth, and goodnefs, in fliort, every quality that is eftima- 

 ble or amiable : And the greateft happlnefs we can enjoy in this 



life, 



* Luke, chap. lo. v. 27. 

 f St John, chap. 13. v. 34. 



X See what I have further faid of this predominant quahty in the Chriftian religion 

 in Vol. IV. of Origin of Language, p. 367. and following; where feveral other texts 

 of the New Teftamcnt are quoted to prove it ; and particularly, ift Corinth, chap. 13. 

 where the word aya^r^, which fignifies Love, is very improperly exprefled in our tranf- 

 lation by the word Charity. Now, of the three Chriftian virtues, Faith, Hope, and 

 Charity, or Love, as it fliould be tranflated, Love is the greateft. ( i ft Corinth, chap, 

 13. V. 13.) And one text is quoted, p. 370. which fays. That perfetl love ai/leth out 

 fear. Now, the objeft of fuch a love, can be nothing but beauty ,• or the beauty of boli- 

 nefs, as it is called in our Scripture language. 



