Two dissertations, I. Concerning the end for which God created the world. II. The…

NATURAL gratitude, tho' in every instance wherein it appears it is not properly called love, because persons may be moved with a degree of gratitude towards persons on certain occasions, whom they have no real and proper friendship for, as in the instance of Saul towards David, once and again, after David's sparing his life, when he had so fair opportunity to kill him: yet it has the same or like operation and effect with friendship, in part, for a season, and with regard to so much of the welfare of its object, as appears a deserved requital of kindness received. And in other instances it may have a more general and abiding influence, so as more properly to be called by the name of love. So that many times men from natural gratitude do really with a sort of benevolence love those who love them. From this, together with some other natural principles, men may love their near friends, love their own party, love their country, &c.

THE natural disposition their is to mutual affection between the sexes, often operates by what may properly be called love. There is often times truly a kind both of benevolence and complacence. As there also is between parents and children.

THE natural disposition their is to mutual affection betweeen the sexes, often operates by what may properly be called love. There is often times truly a kind both of benevolence and complacence. As there also is between parents and children.

THUS these things have something of the general nature of virtue, which is love: and especially the thing last ⟨p. 177⟩mentioned have something of a love of benevolence. What they are essentially defective in, is, that they are private in their nature, they don't arise from any temper of benevolence to Being in general, nor have they a tendency to any such effect in their operation. But yet agreeing with virtue in its general nature, they are beautiful within their own private sphere: i. e. they appear beautiful if we confine our views to that private system, and while we shut all other things they stand in any relation to, out of our consideration. If that private system contained the sum of universal existence, then their benevolence would have true beauty; or, in other words, would be beautiful, all things considered: but now it is not so. These private systems are so far from containing the sum of universal Being, or comprehending all existence which we stand related to, that it contains but an infinitely small part of it. The reason why men are so ready to take these private affections for true virtue, is the narrowness of their views; and above all, that they are so ready to leave the divine Being out of their view, and to neglect him in their consideration, or to regard him in their thoughts as tho' he were not properly belonging to the system of real existence, but as a kind of shadowy, imaginary Being, And tho' most men allow that there is a God, yet in their ordinary view of things, his Being is not apt to come into the account, and to have the influence and effect of a real existence, as 'tis with other Beings which they see, and are conversant with by their external senses. In their views of beauty and deformity, and in the inward sensations of displicence and approbation which rise in their minds, 'tis not a thing natural to them to be under the influence of a view of the Deity, as part of the system, and as the head of the system, and he who is all in all, in comparison of whom all the rest is nothing, and with regard to whom all other things are to be viewed, and their minds to be accordingly impressed and affected.