The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

Or thirdly, The height of Philosophy was to propound the beauty of Virtue,¹ and its charming Aspect, as the most worthy Motive to draw the Affections. Now supposing that some of the Heathens, (although very few) by discovering the internal beauty of Virtue, had a love to it, and performed some things without any private respect, but for the rectitude of the action, and the inward satisfaction that springs from it, yet they were still defective. For Virtue is but a ray of the Deity, and our duty is not complete, unless it be referred to his Glory, who is the principle and pattern of it. In short, the great Creator made Man for himself, and 'tis most just that as his Favour is our sovereign happiness, so his Glory should be our supreme end, without which nothing is regular, and truly beautiful. By these several instances it appears how insufficient Philosophy is to direct us in our principal duty, that respects God.

Or thirdly, The heighth of Philosophy was to propound the beauty of Vertue,¹ and its charming Aspect, as the most worthy Motive to draw the Affections. Now supposing that some of the Heathens, (although very few) by discovering the internal beauty of Vertue, had a love to it, and perform'd some things without any private respect, but for the rectitude of the action, and the inward satisfaction that springs from it, yet they were still defective. For Vertue is but a ray of the Deity, and our duty is not compleat, unless it be referred to his Glory, who is the principle and patern of it. In short, the great Creator made Man for himself, and 'tis most just that as his Favour is our sovereign happiness, so his Glory should be our supreme end, without which nothing is regular, and truly beautiful. By these several instances it appears how insufficient Philosophy is to direct us in our principal duty, that respects God.

1. 1Nec facile invenies multis è millibus unum virtutem pretium qui p•tet esse sui. Ipse decor recti facti, si praemia desint; Non movit & gratis poenitet esse probum. Ovid depont. Stoici virtutem descripserunt seipsa contentam, ab omnibus liberam, & quae sola sibi sit praemium: Sed licet a quibusdum tunc verae & honestae putentur esse virtutes, cum ad seipsas referuntur nec proptr aliud expetuntur, etiam tunc inflatae ac superbiae sunt & ideo non virtutes sed vitia judicanda sunt. Aug. lib. 19, de Civit. c. 25.