fential to true light and difcerning, with respect to things of a moral nature; so that he who loveth, knoweth God, and he who loveth not, knoweth not God; and confequently has no true knowledge of the things of the moral world; but is in total darkness. And that self love by which a man hateth his brother is moral darkness itself, and caufeth him to walk in darkness. Herein the Apoftles perfectly agree with Jefus Chrift, when he says that a fingle eye, that is love, or a benevolent disposition of heart, is that which illuminates the mind, and is moral light and difcerning: And that the evil eye, that is, felfishness, is moral darkness, and holds the mind in this darkness, where it reigns. Love, or univerfal, difinterested benevolence, which implies all moral goodness, or righteousness and holiness, is the fingle eye which illuminates the mind, and fills the heart with moral divine light. This fingle eye fixes on one grand object, the glory of God, which implies the greatest good of his eternal kingdom, and the best good of every individual creature, so far as it tends to promote the general good, or is confiftent with it. The evil eye is selfishness, and all that is implied in this, in which all moral evil or fin confifts. This is moral blindness, or fpiritual darkness; and while the heart is under the dominion of this, all the light which is fet before the man, and all his fpeculations, will not in the leaft remove this darkness, but all the light that is in him, is darkness. And "how great is that darkness !"

The fame thing is afferted by Jefus Chrift in the following paffages. Every one that doth evil," That is, is wholly felfish in all he does, "hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,left his deeds fhould be reproved. But he that doth truth," he that loveth, "cometh to the light."* "If any man will do his will, he fhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak

* John iii. 20, 25.

of

PART II even until now. He that hateth his brother, is in darknefs, and walketh in darkness, and knoweft not whether he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."* This darkness is here faid to confift in the heart, in the evil difpofition of that, in not loving but hating his brother, which is an exercise of the heart, and belongs to that only.

It hence appears why this darkness is always fpoken of in divine revelation as criminal. It is finful in every degree of it, as it confifts in the moral depravity of the heart. This blindness of mind is not only connected with finful depravity, but confifts in the finful exercises and lufts of the mind, and cannot be distinguished from fin in the heart. Sin is in every degree and in every exercise of it, delufion and blindnefs itfelf: And when the heart is totally corrupt or finful, which is true of every unrenewed heart, as has been proved, this blindness, this moral darknefs, is total, and wholly excludes every degree of the oppofite, which is called light, understanding, knowledge and wisdom, in the fcriptures. It is, according to fcripture, a wilful blindnefs, being wholly owing to the oppofition of the heart to the light of moral truth, or rather, confifting altogether in this. It is reprefented by clofing the eyes to keep light out, however clearly it may shine, and can be kept out by nothing but by not making a right ufe of the eyes, by refusing to open them. Men are naturally totally blind to the things of the moral world, except it be only in mere fpeculation, because they are totally corrupt, and wholly abufe and pervert the natural powers and faculties of their mind, and their capacity of moral exercifes and true difcernment, by loving darkness, and hating the light. Confequently, this blindness is nothing but fin, and confifts wholly in the criminal, inexcufable exercife of the will or heart. Hence this darkness is condemned and forbidden by God

1 John ii. 9, 11.

God in his word; and they who are in this fenfe blind, are commanded to open their mental eye, to renounce the darknefs and delufions in which they are, and receive the knowledge of the truth, in the love of it. Hear, ye deaf, and look, ye blind, that ye may fee."* Awake, thou that fleepeft, and arife from the dead, and Chrift fhall give thee light." And hence Chrift, when he was on earth, and fince his afcenfion to heaven, did fo often fay, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. He that hath an ear, let him hear."

And that the above reprefentation of this matter is agreeable to truth and to scripture, is confirmed beyond all difpute, by the most plain and express statement of it, by our Saviour himself. His words His words are, "He that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darknefs rather than light, becaufe their deeds were evil. For every one that doth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light." Believ ing on Chrift, implies a difcerning the truth refpecting the character of the Redeemer, and redemption by him, and approving and loving it; and in this does faith confift. Unbelief is directly the oppofite; it is blindness and darkness itself. St. Paul fays, "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." It confifts in oppofition to the most defirable, charming, glorious light and truth, and in hating it, and loving the oppofite darkness. Therefore this is a voluntary, chofen darkness. It is altogether criminal, and is that for which they are juftly condemned.

It hence follows, that the light and understanding which is opposed to this moral darknefs, does alfo belong to the heart, and implies a virtuous character, and does

Nn 2

Ifaiah xlii. 18. Eph. v. 14. John iii. 18, 19, 20.

PART II. mind, by which the objects in the moral world are seen in a true light; and where this eye, this difcerning, is not, the mind is in total darkness with refpect to moral objects. The reason of this is here given, "For God is love." As love comprehends all moral excellence, and in this the moral character of God confifts; therefore he who loveth not, cannot have any true idea or conception of love; he cannot know the divine moral character, which is love. Love is here to be understood in its general nature, "Every one that loveth. He that loveth not." That is, he whofe heart is not formed to the exercise of univerfal, difinterested benevolence. This, as has been shown, comprehends all virtuous, holy love; and is the fame affection, whether it be exercised towards God or our neighbour. All the difference is owing to the dif ference of the objects of this fame love.

In this view, it appears that the fame thing is afferted by this apoftle in the preceding part of this epiftle. He fays, "He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness even until now. But he that loveth

He that loveth is

his brother abideth in the light."* born of God, and is divinely illuminated, and knoweth God, and the objects of the moral world, and walketh in the light. He that loveth not is in total darkness with respect to these objects; he hath not feen God, nor knows him: For the pure in heart only, that is, they who love, fee God. Love is the only light of the moral world. Could this be extinguifhed, all would be total darknefs. And they who are fallen into the darkness of fin, or felf love, in which all fin radically confifts, as has been shown, can be recovered to light, by that renovation only, that purity of heart which confifts in love, or difinterested affection. Hence it appears, that when this Apoftle fays, "God is light," and "God is love," he does not mean any thing really different by light, and love;

Chap. ii. 9, 10, 11. Math. v. 8. ↑ Chap. i. 5.

§ Chap. iv. 8.

love; for they cannot be diftinguished; but are the fame thing. Light is love, and love is light.

This fame fentiment, which is inculcated by the Apoftle John in the paffages juft confidered, is alfo afferted by St. Paul, in the following words. "Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." That is, if any man who does not love, think he has true knowledge by mere fpeculation, and that all light and knowledge confifts in this, and defires and feeks no other, he does yet know nothing refpecting moral, fpiritual objects, as he ought to know, and must know, in order to have the true knowledge of God. "But if any man love God, he [that is God] is known by him." That is, if any man have love, he is illuminated, and has true light and knowledge, which does not confift in mere fpeculation, but in the fenfations and tafte of the heart, by which he difcerns the divine character with approbation, and knows the only true God; which is the knowledge that all men ought to have, as they are commanded to love, and all their duty lies in this. All mere fpeculative knowledge that is poffible to be attained without love, leaves men in total moral darknefs, in the exercise of selfishness and pride, in oppofition to every part and degree of their duty.

"With the That light

Agreeable to this, the fame Apoftle fays, heart man believeth unto righteousness."* and difcerning refpecting the truths of the gofpel, and the character of Chrift, which is implied in true faith, is not mere fpeculation, but depends on the difpofition and exercises of the heart. Therefore Chrift fays to the Jews, "how can ye believe, which receive honour one of another; and feek not the honour which cometh from God only ?" In thefe words it is declared that felfishnefs and pride, which are directly oppofed to that love which

Nn4

1 Cor. viii. 1, 2, 3. * Rom. x. 10. † John v. 44.